Taffy

Jolene P.

2 c. sugar
1 c. water
3/4 tsp. cream of tartar
food coloring (optional)
flavoring (optional)

In a saucepan, combine sugar water and cream of tartar. Bring to a boil and cook until hard crack (290 to 300 degrees if using a thermometer). Pour into a buttered pan and cool slightly. Using a butter knife, start pulling candy, and when cool enough to touch, pull with hands until light and airy. Pull into long candy string and lay out on floured surface. Score, let cool, then break.

** If you want color and flavor (without flavor, candy has a light, lemony flavor) add just before pouring onto pan.

Patty’s Peanut Butter Popcorn

1/2 cup unpopped popcorn
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup peanut butter (I used chunky)
2 ounces chocolate, melted

Instructions
Pop the popcorn in an air popper and put it in a big bowl (Really, you could use a fat free microwave popcorn, probably two bags). Heat sugar and corn syrup in a medium sized saucepan until the sugar is dissolved, I let it boil on medium for 1-2 minutes. You just don’t want the sugar to start burning. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter. Pour immediately over popcorn and stir to coat evenly. Let cool just enough to eat.
After peanut butter mixture is cooled on the popcorn, drizzle with melted chocolate and let it harden. (I stuck it in the fridge for a few minutes.) Break up pieces that have clumped together. Enjoy!

Million Dollar Fudge

Passed down from Great Grandma Hooite (by passed down, I mean it was the recipe printed on the label of the evaporated milk can)

4 C sugar
1 cube butter
1 tall can evaporated milk (We’re not sure why it specifies “tall can” but I can just see her gesturing and saying “It should be about yeah big.”)

* Cook slowly! Candy should not be cooked on high. It has to boil, but can boil on a lower heat. Boil these 3 ingredients 10 minutes.

1 12-oz package chocolate chips
1 Large Hershey bar
1 Heaping cup marshmallows
2 t. vanilla
Nuts as desired

* Pour all these, except marshmallows into hot mixture and stir well until chocolate is melted. Then add marshmallows very last and pour on buttered sheet as marshmallows are just starting to melt.
* Cut into squares after the fudge has cooled and set.
* 1 recipe makes 4 ½ lbs.

Chocolate and Almond Brownies

Crazy Cakes Bakery

1/2 Cup Butter
4 Oz. Unsweetened Chocolate
3 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
1/2 Tbsp Vanilla
3/4 Cup Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
3/4 Cup Sliced Almonds
1 Greased 8"x8" pan

Preheat Oven to: 375 Degrees

1. Break the unsweetened chocolate into pieces (or start with unsweetened chips). Melt the chocolate by placing it in a microwave and cook at 100% for 20-30 seconds at a time, stirring after each. Once the chocolate is mostly melted, place the butter in as well for the final spin in the microwave. (It's also possible to melt these together over the stove, but that takes longer.) Set aside.
2. Beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl at high speed for about 10 minutes until it has a fluffy feel. An electric mixer really helps here.
3. Blend in the chocolate mixture from step 1, the flour, and the salt.
4. Lastly, stir in the almonds and pour the mixture into the greased 8"x8" pan.
5. Bake in the over at 375°F for 30-35 minutes. Be careful not to over-bake.

Cowboy Cookies

Crazy Cakes Bakery

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Cups Old-Fashioned Oats
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Cup Unsalted Butter (at room temperature)
3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar (packed)
2 Large Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 Cup Walnuts (chopped and toasted)

Don't preheat oven until step 7

1. Whisk flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl until well blended.
2. Beat butter and sugars together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Use an electric mixer if possible.
3. Beat eggs and vanilla in to the butter mixture.
4. Beat in the flour mixture until just combined.
5. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts by hand.
6. Cover this dough and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
7. Place both oven racks near the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
8. Butter two baking sheets.
9. Form the dough into 1/4 Cup balls. And place these balls onto the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches space between them.
10. Hand-flatten the balls to 3-inch rounds.
11. Bake for 22-25 minutes at 350°F until cookies are firm in the center and their edges are golden brown. Rotate the sheets halfway through the baking.
12. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool.

Soft Ginger Cookies

Crazy Cakes Bakery

2 1/4 Cups Flour
2 tsp Ground Ginger
1 tsp Baking Soda
3/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
1/4 tsp Salt
3/4 Cup (1 1/2 Sticks) Butter
1 Cup White Sugar
1 Egg
1 Tbsp Water
1/4 Cup Molasses
2 Ungreased Cookie Sheets

Preheat Oven to: 350 Degrees
1. Thoroughly mix together the flour, ground ginger, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt and set the mixture aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar together. Keep stirring and mixing until the mixture has a light, fluffy feel. Add the egg and beat it in. Then mix in the water and molasses.
3. Gradually add the dry mixture from step 1. Take your time and make sure that the mix is as even as possible. After this step, you may need to put the dough into the refridgerator for a while in order to prepare for step 4.
4. Place a few tablespoons of sugar in a plate or shallow bowl. Shape the dough into balls about 1" in diameter (slightly smaller than the size of a golf ball). Roll the balls of dough in the sugar to coat them. Place cookies at least 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. You do not need to flatten the balls, they will do so on their own during baking.
5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees until the top surface cracks slightly. Allow cookies to cool for at least 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before moving them to a wire rack to continue cooling.
6. Enjoy these delicious cookies, and store in an airtight container.

Banana Bars

Aunt Ellen P.

This is a great alternative to making bread or muffins when you have very over-ripe bananas to use up.

Bars
1/2 c milk
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
Add lemon juice to milk, stir and set aside
3 eggs
1 1/2 bananas
3/4 c shortening
1 1/2 c sugar
2 1/4 c flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt

Cream together eggs, bananas, shortening and sugar. Add milk (butter milk) and stir.
Sift together the rest of the dry ingredients and add to banana mixture.
Pour batter into a well greased 15x17 jellyroll pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Make icing while bars are cooling for 10 minutes.

Icing
2 tbs butter, softened
2 c powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 banana

Beat together till smooth and ice bars while still warm.
When cooled completely and icing is set up, cut into bars with plastic knife and enjoy!

Pizza Baked Spaghetti

Jolene P.

1 1/2 lbs spaghetti noodles
1 lb sausage (spicy is good in this)
1 1/2 to 2 cans Hunts Spaghetti sauce in favorite flavor
1 cup sugar
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
pepperoni

*In a large pot bring water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook until done stirring occasionally. Drain.
*While pasta is cooking, brown sausage in a frying pan until done and drain the grease off.
*Pour the sauce into a large bowl and add sugar. Stir well.
*Add the pasta and the sausage to the sauce and stir well.
*Pour all into a greased 9x13 pan
*Spread cheese over top and place desired amount of pepperoni over cheese (we like it when the pepperoni's are everywhere)
*Bake at 425 degrees until cheese is bubbly and pepperoni's are crisp...usually about 20 minutes or so.

*Freezes well and kids love it. This recipe also doubles well...just put it in a roasting pan instead of a 9x13 and you can feed a lot of people at a party.