Butter Mints

This is an early holiday candy recipe, I know, but I am hosting a Holiday Dessert cooking class this Tuesday and so I was testing these out to make sure I wanted to make them for the class. I forgot how great these are and how fun these are to make, so I had to post the recipe! This dough is awesome to touch and work with, and it all comes together quite quickly! The taste is amazing, my 3 kids (including my 16 month daughter) and myself can't quit eating them, I know it says to wait 2 days to eat, but they are too good to wait!!

This is a no fail butter mint recipe that just melts in your mouth and is so much fun to make!

Butter Mints

1/2 stick (4 Tbls) butter (no substitutions) at room temperature

1 pound powdered sugar (about 4 loose cups, not packed)

1 Tbls plus 2 tsp. ice water

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp peppermint extract

Green, Red, blue, yellow food coloring

In a large bowl, cut butter into sugar with two knives or your fingers. Add 1 Tbls ice water, salt, and peppermint, and toss with a fork. Press mixture into a ball. If it seems crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tsp at a time, until dough presses together easily. Turn dough out onto a work surface and knead until it is smooth and satiny, 3-4 minutes.

Cut the dough in quarters, tint each quarter a different color (use sparingly, paler colors are prettier). You also could leave a quarter white. Roll dough into 1/2 inch balls and flatten them slightly with your palm, or you can roll them flat and use small fondant cutters (keeping remaining dough covered with plastic wrap as you work so it does not dry out). Put the mints on a un-greased cookie sheet to set.

They need to set for 2-3 hours, uncovered, at room temperature. Then move them to a covered container in a cool place, where they should ripen for 2 days to improve flavor and make them easier to handle, before eaten. They will keep at room temperature for 2 weeks and in the fridge for a month.

This is a quarter of the dough after I colored it yellow.  Isn't it cool looking.

while they are drying

Recipe from Family Fun Magazine...don't know what year or issue though :)

Whopper's Malt Cake

Looking for a way to use all that halloween candy you still have around? Well here's an idea! This cake is REALLY good, but I'm warning you RIGHT NOW that this frosting is TO DIE FOR. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In fact, I made this cake last week just because I was craving the frosting then was SO excited to remember that some friends were supposed to come over the next evening. So I refrigerated the cake and ate some leftover frosting on some graham crackers with my kids for an after school treat.......YUMARAMA!! Our friends who came by agreed, they loved the cake and the husband said "the frosting on this cake is just spectacular, this is SO good!" So just to let you know I always double the frosting recipe, I love it because you can freeze and use later to frost brownies, cookies, or even just pull out pretzels and graham crackers and oh yum, so good and creamy, you chocolate lovers will just be in heaven.


Whopper's Malt Cake
Print Recipe
1 box Betty Crocker French Vanilla cake mix or Devils Food/Chocolate Cake mix
1 cup Whoppers, crushed with rolling pin in a bag







**this is my favorite white cake mix, you can use any cake mix you want, chocolate works of course also! I just sometimes like the whole whopper's theme with the white cake inside topped with chocolate, and really the frosting here is the star.

Mix according to directions, pour into two 8 inch round pans that are well greased and floured. Bake according to directions for pan sizes. Remove from oven, cool in pans for 10 minutes, then carefully remove cakes from pans and cool completely on racks.

Creamy Chocolate Malt Frosting: (guaranteed to ruin any weight loss attempt)
3/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup malted milk powder
16oz. powdered sugar (1/2 of a 32 oz bag)



In large mixing bowl, beat butter and vanilla. In separate bowl, stir together malt powder and cocoa. Add to butter, beat on medium speed. Add whipping cream and beat on low til mixed in well. Add powdered sugar. Grab pretty much anything from your pantry, spread a little frosting on it, and enjoy a moment of chocolate bliss.



Place 1st cooled cake on a platter, top side down,frost. Top with 1/3 cup chopped whoppers, kind of press into frosting a little bit so it will be easier to top with 2nd cake. Place 2nd layer on top, frost top and sides of cake. Put remaining whoppers on top, yum!

Coleslaw

Until about 2 years ago I would not TOUCH coleslaw, gag!! But one time at a BBQ joint I tried some coleslaw on top of my pulled pork sandwich, and loved what it did to my sandwich! The crunch and extra taste it gave to it was a fantastic addition, but I still would not eat the stuff plain. Well, my husband loves to use our smoker, and so lately he has been making some amazing pulled pork, so last night I made this Coleslaw and it is amazing!! I have even been eating it by the spoonfuls, by itself, it is that good!! Give it a try, hope you like it as much as we do!!

The measurement below makes for a pretty runny coleslaw, so if you like it a little more dry add more cabbage and carrots.

Coleslaw

Ingredients:
1/2 head of green cabbage, finely chopped
1/2 head of red cabbage, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely julieanned or peeled
1 Tbls grated onion
2/3 cup Mayonnaise
3 Tbls vegetable oil
1/4 cup white sugar
1 Tbls white vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp poppy seeds

1. Combine cabbages, carrot, and onion in a large bowl.
2. Whisk together the mayo, vegetable oil, sugar, vinegar, salt, and poppy seeds in a medium bowl; blend thoroughly. Pour dressing mixture over coleslaw mix and toss to coat. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.

***Here is a tip for getting your carrots nice and thin for this recipe, after you peel the carrot, cut the carrot into about 3 inch sections and your your peeler and peel the carrot into strip, it make it the  perfect consistency for this recipe!***

For Printable Text

Adapted from: Sandi Johnson via All Recipes.com

Hootnanys

Ok so last summer our family made the journey up to our friends' cabin in Idaho. I was kind of dreading the 18 hour drive up there due to driving all 6 kids BY MYSELF since my husband had to work and flew up to meet us mid-week. But you know what? Kids and I had a blast, and like bonded and laughed and of course threw up! (just one of my little 4 (3 at time) year old twins.) But one of the highlights of our trip was stopping overnight to see my dear friend Becky Nelson. I first met her when I was about 13 years old and living in Southern California. She was a youth leader at church when I was going through a difficult time and seriously changed my whole life. I kid you not. So we still keep in touch and I remember her making this yummy, buttery, breakfast for me when I lived with her family one summer as a teen, and then when we stayed with her she made it for me and my 6 kids! And they all loved it too and my little Annie still calls them "Hoop-nannys!" But honestly, my kids mostly loved Becky and they still talk about how nice she was to them. So to remember our fun trip, this breakfast now makes a regular appearance at our morning table, even on school mornings! It is quick and easy, and my kids eat the whole thing every time! So this recipe will feed about 6-7 roughly, but if my husband is eating with us on the weekend, I make 1 1/2 of this, as in a 9x13 pan and a square 8x8 pan too.
So here's the recipe. Thanks Becky, we love you!

Hootnanys:
1/2 cup Butter
6 Eggs
1 cup Milk
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Flour
Toppings:
Powdered sugar, syrup, jam

Turn on oven to 450. Place 1 stick of butter in 9x13 glass pan, put in oven to melt while you gather other ingredients. Remove pan from oven once butter is melted and starts to bubble a little. Turn pan around some to coat entire bottom with the butter. Beat eggs in a bowl, add milk and salt. Add in flour, mix well. Pour this mixture in pan over butter, do not mix. If anything, just stir lightly with a fork, just for a second. Once oven is preheated, cook for 12-15 minutes, or until mixture puffs up and is lightly browned. It is fun to turn oven light on while baking and let your kids see mixture puffing up while it bakes!!

Cut into squares to serve, top each serving with powdered sugar and syrup or jam.

Easiest,Yummiest Breadsticks Ever

I got this recipe from an amzing cook, Penny. I have sinced made them and shared the recipe countless times. These are the best ever, I promise after making them you will NEVER go back to complicated, time consuming breadsticks again!! These don't need time to rise, and they are fluffy and yummy and you will LOVE them! Penny says the secret is baking them at a high temperature, and also using bread flour. I bought bread flour for the first time ever for this recipe and LOVE using it in these but also cinnamon rolls and cookies.


Breadsticks:
3 cups warm water
2 Tablespoons yeast
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
6-7 cups BREAD flour, no substitues!

Preheat oven to 480. Mix yeast and water in mixer, let sit for like 5 minutes while you gather other ingredients. Add sugar and salt, and 2 cups flour. Mix, then add 2more cups flour, mix then add 2 more. I usually use 6 1/2 cups bread flour, you want to add it til your mixer picks all the flour off your bowl, like this:


Then mix for about 4 minutes while you gather ingredients for topping and get your pan ready. ***You can do this all by hand if you don't have a mixer.***

Next, brush some melted butter and/or olive oil on the bottom of a 10x15 sheet cake pan. And this is the BEST PART!! Put some flour on your hands, and take your dough out of mixing bowl, and place directly on pan!

You can roll it out on there with a rolling pin, but honestly I just spread it out with my hands! Next, brush on the mixture below:



Topping:
6 Tablespoons Butter, can use 1/2 Butter, 1/2 Olive Oil(I use both)
3 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
Garlic Salt, Dried Parsley
Shredded Cheddar/Jack Cheese, Optional

Melt Butter, add olive oil if desired. Add parmesan cheese, garlic salt, and parsley to taste. Brush over dough.




Top with shredded cheese if desired.


I make these breadsticks both ways, with and without extra cheese on top, they are both awesome but the cheesy ones are our favorites! The cheese gets a little browned and is just SO good, way better/cheaper than cheesy breadsticks from the pizza store! My kids even take them to school for lunches the day after I make these with some spaghetti sauce in a little container for dipping.

The next step is to cut them while in the pan, if you're nervous about scraping the pan just use a butter knife. Make 12 rows (11 lines) along the width (smaller width) of your pan. Then cut 2 lines to make 3 rows across the length (long length) of your pan, to make 36 total breadsticks.
Bake in oven at 480 for 8-11 minutes, remove when top is browning a little. You will LOVE these, I promise!
**Don't stress if you forget to cut breadsticks before you bake, I've done this before and they bake fine and you can just cut them when you take them out.**

Best Ever Strawberry Cake

I got this recipe several years ago from a "Family Fun" magazine and made it for my family for Valentine's Day. I have tweaked it slightly, but it is still a family favorite for girl birthday parties and Valentine's!! The frosting and cake have real strawberries in them and are to die for! Everyone who has ever tasted this LOVES it! In fact, I made this for my 11 year old's birthday last spring and she and all her dainty "tweener" friends ate the whole cake and asked for more! Guess I should have made 2. This cake is also great made as a 9x13 when you're in a hurry. The heart is just much cuter :). So here we go with the recipe:

Strawberry Heart Cake:
1 box white cake mix
1/3 cup oil
3 eggs
1 cup water/strawberry juice combined, mix water and juice from strawberries to make 1 Cup Total**
1 3-ounce box strawberry-flavored Jell-O
1 16-ounce package frozen sliced strawberries, divided, thawed and drained***RESERVE LIQUID**
square and round baking pans, about 8x8 inches each

Ok first of all you REALLY need to thaw and drain those strawberries! And when you do, strain them over a bowl so you can catch that yummy strawberry juice! (If you don't do this,they will make your cake stick to the pans.) Also, you will use some of your reserved strawberry juice in place of the water in the recipe, to make 1 cup total, this makes it extra strawberry-ish and yummy.

Blend cake mix, water/strawberry juice, eggs, and oil in a large bowl til moistened. Beat with a mixer on low speed for 2 minutes. Then add the jello and half of the strawberries. Mix well, you will see some strawberry pieces, yum!!

Pour into heavily greased and floured round and square pans, pictured here:
It's also great to just use parchment paper on the bottom of your pans, but I had run out! If you do, grease sides of your pans. If you don't grease and flour well, you will be in trouble due to the moistness of the strawberries! Bake according to directions on box for 8 inch pans, test with toothpick. Let these cool in pans for 10 minutes, then on racks for several hours.

When cakes have cooled, place the square cake in a diamond shape on your cake platter. You will need room for the top of your heart, so place it toward the bottom of your plate/platter, like this:


Then cut your round cake in half.

Place each half on 1 top/side of the diamond to make a heart! No heart pan required! I would have NEVER thought of that on my own!





Next, make frosting:

Strawberry Frosting:
1 cup Butter, softened
1 tsp. Vanilla
3 1/2-4 cups powdered sugar
8 oz frozen strawberries (the other half of package)
Red/Pink M&Ms or Red Hots for decorating

Beat Butter and vanilla, add strawberries and beat. Then add powdered sugar, start with 3 1/2 cups and add more if needed, if frosting too runny due to strawberries. Yum! You can also use this frosting to frost sugar cookies, I've done that before and they turn out great.

Frost tops and sides of your heart, decorate with candies around edge and in center of heart, if desired.

Corn and Bacon Dip

We love this dip! I have made this several times, and it always goes quickly because even my kids gobble it up! In fact, I recently made it for my daughter Savannah's 10 birthday party, and I doubled the recipe thinking I'd have leftovers, but there was hardly any left. I also made it for my other dauther's 11th birthday last spring and those girls ate it all too! It is great for an appetizer/side when you are having company. I am going to make this for sure for Thanksgiving, as it is a tradition for us to have appetizers; dips and chips, veggies, crackers with cheese, etc. for "lunch" while we wait for mom---ME to finish the meal!!
First off I have to say that this chipolte pepper seasoning is like my all time FAVORITE seasoning now, I didn't want to buy it at first because it was like $4.00 or something, but it really packs a punch with just a little added, so it will last forever and it's so yummy in tex-mex, dippy, mexican stuff!

I'll also be using what my kids call the "chicken hot sauce" in this recipe, pictured here with the chipolte pepper:

Ok so here's the recipe:
1 Tablespoon Butter
2/3 Cup Real Bacon Bits
1 package (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup (8 oz.) Sour Cream
1/4 cup Mayonaise
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. Hot Pepper Sauce (I like Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce)
1/8 tsp. Chipolte Chile Pepper *Can use more or less--Taste test for spiciness your family will like!
1 can (15 oz) Whole Kernel Corn, drained. OR 2 cups Frozen Corn, thawed and drained.


Melt butter in frying pan. Add bacon bits, cook til they sizzle a bit, let sit for a minute. I do this so they taste like you went through the trouble of making real bacon! Don't drain. In mixing bowl, combine 1st 5 ingredients. Stir in corn and bacon, then add chipolte pepper--slowly to test spice. Refrigerate for several hours. Enjoy with any of the following: Fresh Veggies (super yummy with cherry tomatoes, brocoli, carrots), Ritz or other crackers, Fritos-YUM, or Tortilla Chips.
Here is how I served it for the party,topped with a few extra bacon bits: