Payday anyone??

If you like Payday candy bars you will love this mix! It is good for a snack or munchin while watching the game. This is What's Cookin (not) on Beaty's Creek.

Needed:
Candy Corn
Salted Peanuts

All you do is mix the peanuts and candy corn 2 to 1. If you want a Baby Ruth candy bar flavor, add a few chocolate chips.

Peanut Brittle

Needed:
1-cup sugar
1/3-cup corn syrup
1/3-cup water
1 T butter
1/2 t baking soda
1-cup raw peanuts
Candy thermometer

Boil sugar, syrup, and water together until it forms a hard ball in cold water or reaches 260' on your candy thermometer. Continue cooking, lower heat add peanuts and butter. Cook until peanuts crack and turn brown. Remove from heat add soda and stir until dissolved. Pour quickly into a buttered pan (I use my Silpat for this)and spread evenly. The thinner the better. When cooled crack into smaller pieces. This was my Granny West’s recipe. She made this every year with pecans, peanuts or big shavings of coconut. I am so glad I have her recipe

Did you say Butterfinger?????

We have a long love of the Butterfinger bar I hate to admit.  I have been known to gobble down one with a Diet. Dr. Pepper while waiting for the kiddos at one of their activities.  Anyway,  this recipe is just as good as the store bought ones and so easy you will want to slap your moma!  Just not me okay??  This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.  Raven made this all by herself too!  You know this is a great way to use up all the leftover candy corn and Hershey Bars your kiddos have left from Trick or Treating, that is if you have leftovers....


Needed:

1 bag of candy corn
1 16 oz. jar of peanut butter
1 bag of milk chocolate chips

Place candy corn in a microwave safe glass bowl.  Microwave on high for 1 minute and stir.  Now heat on high for 30 seconds and stir, repeat this 4 more times until candy corn is completely melted.  When melted, pour in peanut butter and stir, stir, stir.  Line an 8x8 cake pan with parchment paper and pour mixture in.  Smooth and cover with plastic wrap.  Place in freezer for 30 minutes.

Now while that is in the freezer, melt your chocolate chips in a double boiler.  Remove pan from freezer and cut into little rectangle "bars", if you will.  Dip each bar into melted chocolate and then place on a parchment lined cookie sheet until set up.  Store in an air-tight container.

Caramel Apples

Nothing says fair time like a caramel apple rolled in salty peanuts! I love going to the fair just for the caramel apples and livestock shows. An aggie at heart I am. These are really simple to make in no fancy smancy way but just a few hints that will help you out in the making. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

7 apples of your choice-I used organic yellow delicious and organic granny smith apples
2 bags of wrapped caramels-I love to unwrap them.
3 T water
3 cups of salted peanuts-chopped
7 sticks for apples


Boil water in a large pan and dip your apples for about 5 seconds. This removes any wax they will have on them. I now place them in the fridge overnight because cold apples hold caramel much better. I heat the caramel and 1 cup of the peanuts over medium heat in a non-stick pan. This is one of the only times that I will use a non-stick pan. When it is all melted, remove caramel from heat. Place sticks into your apples and begin dipping them in the caramel and peanut mixture. I like my caramel to be on the cool but not cold side, seems like it sticks better. Once you have done this, dip them in more peanuts (chopped or ground into a finer state) and press them in well. If you can wait to eat them, place back in the fridge for about 30 minutes before eating. It tastes like Halloween already!!!

Oreo Truffles

I am probably the only person in America that has not heard of Oreo Truffles. A friend of mine, thanks Sal, told me about these and boy am I glad she did. They are easy to make and a crowd pleaser. I made them for a class party that Raven has been working with in our local school and they were a big hit. Of course all of those folks have probably had them before haha. They were just too kind to say so. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.


Needed:
1 box of Oreo Cookies
1 package Cream Cheese-softened to room temperature
2 lb. white chocolate
1 T Canola oil

Place Oreo cookies in your food presser and whirl away. Next pour Oreo crumbs in a bowl and mix very well with cream cheese. Now place bowl covered in the fridge for 1 hour. Now is the time to get going. I scooped out about 1-1 1/2 T of the mixture and then formed that into balls and placed the balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Continue making the balls until you have none left. Now place balls, covered, overnight in the freezer. Before taking them out of the freezer, melt white chocolate with 1 T of canola oil in a double boiler. Stir when melted until very smooth. Dip balls one at a time in the white chocolate and then place back on parchment paper. Place on a pretty tray and serve.


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Peanut Butter Bon Bons AKA Buckeyes

I've never had a Buckeye candy but if they taste like this, don't pass on them. This recipe is really easy and tasty also. That is a plus this time of year with time being in short supply. These Bon Bons would make a great teacher gift when placed in a beautiful candy tin or basket. My mother was in absolute heaven when she ate these, she is a peanut butter freak. She even eats it on ice-cream for goodness sakes. Give this recipe a try during your Christmas baking frenzy. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek this cold morning.


Needed:

2 cups creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup butter-softened
4 cups powdered sugar
2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup white chocolate chips
2 T shortening




Mix peanut butter and butter in your Kitchen Aid mixer until creamy. Now mix in powdered sugar until mixture holds together. Shape into 1-inch balls and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet that will fit in your freezer. Freeze for 1 hour.

Melt both chocolate chips and shortening in medium bowl and heat on HIGH for 1 minute stir well. You may have to heat 10-15 seconds more. Just heat until they melt and can be stirred smooth.

Now dip peanut butter balls into melted chocolate using a toothpick, leaving a small portion of the center uncovered. Let extra chocolate drip off and then place back on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Place in fridge until chocolate is set. Store in covered container in the refrigerator. I left mine on the table in a pretty candy dish and the kiddos loved them!

Chocolate Fudge like no other

I have always made fudge but let me tell you, I had to work at it. Either this recipe is really easy or maybe I have finally mastered my fudge making skills... Who knows, but this one is a definite winner. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today, and many days to follow in this busy Christmas Season. I am also going to give it a try with peanut butter chips.

Needed:

4 cups chocolate chips-I used semi sweet but any will do

2 cups white chips

1 can evaporated milk with 4 cups sugar or 1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 t Kahlua

1/2 t salt

Time

First you need to make your sweetened condensed milk (or buy a can of sweetened condensed milk). Over a low heat on top of the stove, mix one can of evaporated milk with 4 cups of sugar and cook for 1 hour. By this time it should be thick enough when stirred to divide in the pan.

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan place your chocolate chips with your homemade sweetened condensed milk (or your store bought sweetened condensed milk) and heat over low heat again. When chocolate starts to melt, stir gently. When all is melted, in about 20 minutes, remove from heat and add your Kahlua, salt, and white chips then stir quickly. Now pour into a parchment lined 8x8 pan and Cool completely. When cooled, remove from pan and cut into bite size squares.

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Peanut Clusters

This is one of my husband's favorite candies. His grandmother made them for him and I took over when we got married. They are super simple and oh so good! Make sure you use roasted peanuts and not dry roasted. The dry roasted give the cluster a funky sweet taste. That sounds weird right?? A candy that has a funky sweet taste.. Trust me don't use dry roasted! Anyway here is the recipe. Not much to do, just make sure you use a double boiler( a bowl on top of a sauce pan filled with water but not touching the bowl) or your chocolate may cease up.

Needed:
1 bag of semi sweet chocolate chips
1 container roasted peanuts, but not dry roasted


Melt chocolate over low heat in a double boiler. When melted add peanuts. Stir until covered in chocolate. Drop by tablespoons onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Let cool completely, then remove and store in an air tight container.

Give these a try, You will not be disappointed and your friends will be impressed!

Velveeta Fudge

Okay, I know you are asking yourself, “Velveeta Fudge, has Stacey lost her mind?” Well the answer is yes and no. I feel like I have lost my mind sometimes but this is not one of them. An artist friend of ours made this at our homeschool Holiday party and I did not get the recipe or she was not giving it, hee hee. Anyway the internet came to the rescue and I found this recipe on About.com and will add my helpful hints from making this as you read the recipe. Give this a try and you will be pleasantly surprised! I love it and it is EASY to make!!!!!

Need:
1-cup butter-2 sticks
8 oz. Velveeta-cubed
5 cups powdered sugar -sifted
½ cup unsweetened cocoa –sifted
½ cup dry milk-SIFTED (The recipe did not say to sift this but you must or you will have tiny little lumps.)
2 t vanilla
2 cups of nut if you choose to add nuts

In a non-stick saucepan over medium heat add Velveeta and butter. Stir constantly until it is all melts together. Remove from heat. Add the powdered sugar and cocoa. Mix until well blended, and then add your dry milk. Stir until all is smooth and somewhat fudge like. Finally add your vanilla and stir well. Pour into pan of your choosing. I poured mine into 2 pie plates. Cover and place in fridge until set. Cut into squares and EAT!! Yummy, I promise!!

Caramel Corn

(I think this is the best caramel corn I have ever eaten.) It is always in our gift baskets we give out. My Aunt gave me this recipe when I first got married and I have made it every year since.

Needed:
2 cups Brown sugar
2 sticks Butter
1 t Salt
¼ cup corn syrup
½ t baking soda
20 cups air popped corn
3 cups pecans or any nut you like

Add first 4 ingredients to a non-stick saucepan, (You will be glad you used this when clean up comes around.) Bring mixture to a boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add soda, stir quickly and smoothly. Mixture will foam up after soda is added. Pour over popcorn and pecans, stir to coat evenly. Popcorn and pecans should be in a large roasting pan. Makes for easier stirring. Place in 250’ oven for 1 hour. Stir popcorn every 15 minutes. Cool completely and store in an airtight container. This is so buttery and good!
Special note: I use parchment paper in the bottom of my roasting pan. Sure makes clean up a lot easier.

Divinity

My Granny West made this every year for Christmas. I looked forward to it each year. That is until I developed Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 5. I would always help her make it but never could eat it. I still have wonderful memories of helping her out. Not sure if I was that much help but it sure was fun! Thank goodness for advances in the treatment of diabetes I can have divinity but I don't eat much. I still prefer making it and giving it than I do eating it. Funny how that works. Ransome loves it and has been waiting for the divinity to cool down so he can sample a piece. I will give you a few hints about divinity making. First hint, don't even think about making it if it is raining, snowing or very humid! Low humidity is sometimes hard to come by on Beaty's Creek but it happens. It will be awful if you make it on days like I just described. Believe me I know!! Second hint, stir in the syrup slowly or you will have a egg white omelet. Not good... Well enough of my rambling here is the recipe.

Needed:
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/8 t salt
1 t vanilla
2 T powder sugar
Candy thermometer

Place sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a NON-STICK saucepan. You will be glad you used a non-stick when it comes to cleaning up. Heat mixture until it reaches 260' on a candy thermometer. While this mixture is coming up to temp, beat egg whites until stiff. I do this in my Kitchen Aid. I told you I love my Kitchen Aid. Once it has reached 260' pour very slowly into egg whites while beating on high. Add powdered sugar and vanilla now. Once all of your syrup is in continue to beat until it thickens up. You will hear it while mixing, the tone will change. I add red to mine to make it look pretty for Christmas. Now you will drop by tablespoon onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. I then place 1/2 of a pecan on mine. You can use any nut. Give this recipe a try. You won't be sorry you did. It may take some practice but with practice comes perfection. I am still waiting on mine.