White Chocolate Reese's Peanut Butter Fudge

It's been a hectic few weeks, for those that actually do follow this blog.  Lucky me! I'll be able to start posting again now that things have finally started to settle down a bit. I'll start with a super easy fudge that only uses 3 ingredients.  Yes, 3 ingredients!

Ingredients:
1 14oz Sweetened Condensed Milk
3 cups White Chocolate Chips
22 Reese's Peanut Butter cups (do not use the minis!)

Directions:
Line a 9x9 casserole dish with foil. Lightly spray it with cooking spray.

Arrange your Peanut Butter Cups on the bottom (16 total)

In a large sauce pan add your white chocolate chips & sweetened condensed milk and heat over medium low heat until all of the chocolate has melted.

Once everything is well combined immediately pour the chocolate/milk mixture over your peanut butter cups.

Chop the remaining 6 peanut butter cups into smaller pieces and spread evenly over the top of the mixture and press down slightly.

Let cool on the counter for a while and then cover with plastic and put in the fridge to cool completely.

And trust me, you will not walk away!  It's better to let them set at least for a few hours.  The taste will settle better after having let set.

Pizza Monkey Bread (and a discovery of Pillsbury Blueberry Biscuits)

I recently went to the grocery store to get a few things to make a Pizza Monkey Bread, which I'll get to that in a moment. What I want to talk about now, is the new Blueberry Biscuits by Pillsbury.  LEt me tell you this, if you love blueberry muffins, you will absolutely ENJOY these.

(Found this picture using Google.)

Onward!

I made them using the Grands Homestyle Original.  You can use the Buttermilk of Butter Flavored if you wish.  It really shouldn't make much of a difference.

Ingredients: 

2 cans Grands Biscuits (or other brand)

2 cups finely chopped stuffers (green pepper, pepperoni, onions, anything you wish to put in)

2 cups mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1 tbs Italian seasoning

1 cup marinara sauce

Grease a bundt pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, garlic salt and Italian seasonings until combined. Set aside.
Remove biscuits from the cans. Take a raw biscuit, and cut a slit in the side. Use your fingers (or carefully use a knife) to open up the biscuit to form a “pocket” for the toppings.
Carefully tuck a pinch of cheese into the pocket of the biscuit, then add in a teaspoon or so or marinara sauce, then add in some pinches of your pizza toppings, top with a final pinch of cheese, then use your fingers to pinch together the dough to seal in the pocket. Be sure that it is well-sealed.
Dunk the pocket in the butter mixture on both sides, then place in the bundt pan with the seam side up.
Repeat with remaining biscuits until they are all filled and placed in the bundt pan side by side.
Pour any remaining butter mixture over the top of the biscuits in the bundt pan, then bake for 30 minutes until the dough is cooked and lightly browned (follow the temperature on the biscuit can). Remove and let sit for 5 minutes.
Carefully turn the bundt pan on top of a plate and give it a slight jiggle to release the monkey bread. Then remove the pan and serve the monkey bread with a side of extra marinara sauce for dipping.

Pretzel, chocolate chip, carmel cookie thing of sorts.

Going into this I wasn't sure how the cookie would turn out.  It wasn't bad, but not my favorite type of cookie.  Just decided to make something different.  But, for others, they loved them.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature (You can also use shortening)
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup stick pretzels, broken into thirds (You may also use regular pretzels)
1/2 cup caramel bits
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. In a stand mixer, cream butter with sugars.  Add vanilla & egg.  Incorporate & scrape bowl.
2. Combine salt, baking soda, & flour.  Gradually add to wet mixture.  Mix until combined.
3. Fold in broken pretzels, caramel bits (I quartered the caramels), & chocolate chips with a spatula.
4. Spoon onto a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
5. Bake at 350F for 11-12 minutes.

Depending on how big you roll the dough, you can make up to 2 dozen!

The link I found the recipe:

Caramel, Pretzel, Chocolate Chip Cookie

Pumpkin Spice Creamer

It's that time of year again! Also, a favorite of mine.  Fall is right around the corner! The leaves will start turning soon, bonfires will be planned, and pumpkin spice everything will pop up. So, here I am, looking up recipes everywhere on the internet, in which I found a few.  But there was one in particular I really liked. Taste almost just like Starbucks, and probably cheaper too in the long run. Plus, the smell radiates throughout the house. It's simple to make, but a bit time consuming. Well worth it!

First you'll have to make the syrup, which really takes the most time.
Prep time:  5 mins
Cook time:  20 mins

Ingredients:
1½ cups water
1½ cups sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground cloves
1/4 cup pumpkin puree

1. Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan and heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved.
2. Toss in the cinnamon sticks and whisk in the remaining spices and the pumpkin puree. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks (or strain through a fine mesh strainer).
4. Store in the refrigerator.

On a side note:  To make a pumpkin spice latte: combine 2 ounces of hot coffee or 1 shot of hot espresso with 6 ounces of steamed low-fat milk. Stir in 2 tablespoons of pumpkin spice syrup. Taste and adjust amounts accordingly. Top as desired with freshly whipped cream or a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg.


Second step to making the actual creamer.

Ingredients:
1c prepared Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup, chilled
2c half-and-half cream
1/2t vanilla

Stir the ingredients together until well combined. Use as you would regular coffee creamer. Store in a jar or sealed container in the refrigerator. Shake before each use (as the pumpkin will settle to the bottom).

I also put what I made into mason jars.  Easy to store and easy to buy by the bulk.

Here are the links I found the recipes from:
Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup
Pumpkin Spice Creamer