Jill's Fudge

Fudge
     Submitted by: Jill Harwood

Ingredients:


1/2 lb (8 oz.) bar of Hershey's milk chocolate

24 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 cups chopped nuts

1 cube butter

1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk

4 1/2 cups sugar

10 oz. of mini marshmallows



Directions:

Shave or finely chop the chocolate bar into a 6 quart pan or bowl. Add chocolate chips and nuts. Mix together.

In another pot, melt butter. Add evaporated milk and sugar. Bring to a boil. Once this mixture starts to boil, keep at a rolling boil for 4 minutes. Stir marshmallows into boiling mixture for 30 seconds and immediately remove from heat. Once marshmallows are mostly melted, pour this mixture into the chocolate and nuts. Stir until everything is combined well and all the chocolate has melted. Spread onto a cookie sheet. Place in fridge until cool and then cut into desired size. Enjoy!

Notes:

Do not over-cook the marshmallows. They will become stiff and will take away from the smooth texture of the fudge.

This recipe almost fills to the top an over-sized cookie sheet...17x12x1. (My pieces end up about 1" x 1" x 7/8".) You can use any size pan you want to achieve desired thickness.

Keep covered and only cut desired amount as fudge will dry out quickly.

Chewy Molasses-Spice Cookies

Chewy Molasses-Spice Cookies
adapted from Everyday Food
      Submitted by JoDee Yost


2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
      (mine felt a little wet so I added another couple T's of flour)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 large egg

1/4 cup molasses


Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a shallow bowl, place 1/2 cup sugar; set aside.

2.With an electric mixer, beat butter and remaining cup of sugar until combined. Beat in egg and then molasses until combined. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in dry ingredients, just until a dough forms.

3.Pinch off and roll dough into small balls, each equal to 1 tablespoon. Roll balls in reserved sugar to coat.

4.Arrange balls on baking sheets, about 3 inches apart (this part is important). Bake, one sheet at a time, until edges of cookies are just firm, 10 to 15 minutes (cookies can be baked two sheets at a time, but they will not crackle uniformly). Cool 1 minute on baking sheets; transfer to racks to cool completely. For some added beautifying, drizzle icing over the top.  Store in an airtight container up to 4 days.
 
Makes 36

Whipped Shortbread Cookies

Whipped Shortbread Cookies
     Submitted by Carlee Dynes


1 cup powdered sugar

1 pound salted butter, softened

4 cups flour

pinch of salt

1/4 tsp baking soda


Whip the sugar and butter together until fluffy. Mix in the flour, salt, and baking soda. Roll into small balls (about 1-1.5 inches across) and place on cookie sheet. I usually get about 4 across and 6 down. If your dough is too warm to work with, refrigerate for 1/2 hour. Flatten with a fork. Bake until edges just start to brown. Bake at 325-350 F for 10-15 minutes.

Chocolate-Peppermint Wafers

(I can't take credit for this beautimous photo...it was much prettier than the one I took.) 

Chocolate-Peppermint Wafers
from Real Simple Magazine

       Submitted by April Hargan

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for shaping the cookies

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the egg and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla.

With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated (the dough will be stiff). Shape into a disk and (unless otherwise specified in an individual recipe) refrigerate, wrapped, for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.

Divide the dough in half. On a floured surface, roll each piece out ¼ inch thick. Cut into squares with a 2-inch cookie cutter. Refrigerate on baking sheets until firm.

Bake at 350° F on parchment-lined baking sheets until just beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

Cool slightly on baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Dip cookies in 4 ounces melted chocolate and sprinkle with ½ cup crushed peppermint candies. Chill until set.