Homemade 3 Musketeers

From: http://monstermama-monstermama.blogspot.com/2011/03/3-musketeer-bars-minis-of-course.html

 
Ingredients:
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 8-oz tub of Cool Whip (thawed)
2 cups chocolate coating wafer melts (I got them at Michaels)

Line a 8" square pan with wax paper. In medium bowl, melt choc chips in microwave at 50% power for 30 seconds. Stir and return to microwave  for 30 more seconds at 50% power. If chocolate is still not melted completely - continue heating it at 10 second intervals at 50% until smooth. Let it cool a bit so you don't melt everything into a sludge.
Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat your melted chocolate for 30 seconds. Add the Cool Whip to melted chocolate and beat just until combined and fluffy -30-60 seconds. Spread evenly into prepared 8x8' pan. Place in freezer for about 30 minutes (overnight might even be better). Remove from freezer, remove candy from pan and cut into squares. Return back to freezer. I worked in small doses so I could keep them hard and easier to work with.
Melt candy wafers in microwave following package directions. Take out frozen squares and dip into melted chocolate. Place on baking tray lined with wax paper. Allow chocolate to set up in refrigerator or freezer. Store in airtight container in refrigerator or freezer.

These are gluten free!

Verdict: Thumbs up! Incredible! What an awesome snack and they tasted great for days afterwards - I can't believe they lasted that long! They satisfied my sweet tooth for sure! I will be making these more often!

Firecracker Cookies

From: MomDot

Ingredients:

• your favorite sugar cookie recipe
• butter cream or white frosting
•  2 packs of pop rocks
• white sugar + blue gel paste

1) Make your favorite sugar cookie recipe
2) Frost with butter cream
3) Create blue sugar by adding sugar and blue gel paste into a blender and turn on for 30 seconds
4) Sprinkle sugar on frosting
5) Sprinkle pop rocks on cookies…you will hear them crackle as they hit the frosting
6) Enjoy!

Verdict:
Thumbs up! I used Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix and Betty Crocker buttercream icing to make these. So they were incredibly easy to make and I loved the combination of flavors. They weren't too sweet at all. The Pop Rocks do pop less the longer they sit on the cookies, so if you want a really big pop just sprinkle them on right before putting them in your mouth. I would love to make these again though!

Chocolate Mousse Pie

From: An old index card

Ingredients:
7 ounces of milk chocolate candy bars with almonds
16 large marshmallows or 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
1/2 cup milk
2 cups whipping cream, whipped
1 pastry shell or graham cracker crust

Place the candy, marshmallows and milk in a heavy saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring constantly until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Cool. Fold in whipped cream; pour into crust. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

 

Verdict:
Thumbs up! Not too sweet and not too chocolately, which is what I was worried about. Very smooth tasting and the best thing of all - super easy to put together! You could whip one of these up in less than 20 minutes (not including refrigeration time). I highly recommend this and I know I'll be throwing one of these together again in the future!

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

From: Real Simple

Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, plus more for the pan
8 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 eggs
3 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
Kosher salt
8 large peanut butter cups, cut into pieces

Heat oven to 400. Melt the butter and chocolate in a pan over low heat. Using a mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until pale yellow and fluffy. Lower speed and pour in the melted chocolate and vanilla. Mix in the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Fold in the peanut butter cups. Scrape into a buttered 9x13 pan.

Bake until the tip of a knife comes out clean, about 35 minutes.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I didn't have any bittersweet chocolate. I used 3 oz semi-sweet... and ran out. So I also used 3 oz unsweetened and about 1/4 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Hey, you use what you've got on hand!

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! Yummmmm! Brownies alone are delicious (and it's always fun to say they're homemade) but I love peanut butter too, so this dessert is definitely a thumbs up for me! You could easily leave out the peanut butter cups if you desire and these brownies would still be fabulous. Easy, too!

Printable version:

Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, plus more for the pan
8 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 eggs
3 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
Kosher salt
8 large peanut butter cups, cut into pieces

Heat oven to 400. Melt the butter and chocolate in a pan over low heat. Using a mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until pale yellow and fluffy. Lower speed and pour in the melted chocolate and vanilla. Mix in the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Fold in the peanut butter cups. Scrape into a buttered 9x13 pan. Bake until the tip of a knife comes out clean, about 35 minutes.

Peanut Brittle

Ingredients:
1 tsp butter
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 1/2 cup peanuts (I prefer Spanish peanuts)
1 tsp vanilla

Mix and set aside butter and baking soda. Mix and boil sugar, water and syrup to hardball (about 250 degrees).

Add peanuts and stir until yellow (about 3-5 minutes). Remove from heat and add butter mixture and vanilla.

Pour onto greased baking sheet.

Put in a package for your father-in-law because he loves it and it's a tradition to bring him some at Christmas... :)

What I did differently from the recipe:
Nothing.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing. I do this recipe to the letter each time.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! I'm not a huge fan of brittle but I'm happy to make it for my father-in-law who loves it.

TIPS:
1. Mix the butter and baking soda. Have it prepared on a spoon so it can be mixed quickly into the recipe. Also set aside the vanilla where it can also be quickly added.

2. When you mix and boil the sugar, water and corn syrup, it will take several minutes to get to 250. But watch it, because it will go from about 230 to 250 really quickly. You will definitely need a candy thermometer.

3. When you add the peanuts, stir constantly. I keep the heat around 5-6. Too much lower and it will take a really long time to cook, too much higher and it will cook before you can blink. As SOON as you see the yellow color appear, push the pot off the heat and throw in the vanilla and the butter mixture. STIR, STIR, STIR! Otherwise it will burn, burn, burn. Immediately pour it onto a greased baking sheet.

4. I recommend using a metal spoon for all your stirring and stuff. I've never used anything besides metal because I think the heat would melt a lot of stuff. This is one of the hardest recipes I've ever tried, but if you do it once you can do it a thousand times.

Printable version:

Ingredients:
1 tsp butter
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 1/2 cup peanuts (I prefer Spanish peanuts)
1 tsp vanilla

Mix and set aside butter and baking soda. Mix and boil sugar, water and syrup to hardball (about 250 degrees).
Add peanuts and stir until yellow (about 3-5 minutes). Remove from heat and add butter mixture and vanilla.
Pour onto greased baking sheet.