Homeade Chocolate Syrup

We are trying to avoid artificial colors, flavors and high fructose corn syrup, this has led to lots of experimenting in the kitchen to try and recreate some of our favorite foods. Sometimes, I make something from scratch and it just isn't the same, it falls short. Other times, as with this syrup, I make it and it's actually BETTER than what we used to buy. Not only does it taste better, its cheaper than the Hershey version. I got this recipe originally from The Hillbilly Housewife website.

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 cup tap water
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Find a 2 quart saucepan. In it, mix the cocoa and water with a wire whisk or fork. Heat the chocolate water over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the sugar and continue to stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and boil for a full 3 minutes. Remove the syrup from the heat.

Add the salt and vanilla, stirring to blend. Pour the syrup into a clean pint sized canning jar, or a clean catsup container. Put a good lid on the jar and store it in the fridge.

Use this chocolate syrup to make chocolate milk, or serve it over ice-cream. This is remarkably similar to Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup in the can.

Grandma Newton's Swedish Apple Pie

-Butter a 9 inch pie plate
-Peel core and slice 6-8 large apples and put them in the plate.
-Mix 1 TBS Sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon and sprinkle over apples.
-Cream one stick soft butter with 1 cup sugar, a pinch of salt and one egg.
-Add 1 cup flour to the butter/sugar mixture.
-Spread over apples.
-Sprinkle top of pie with 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.

-Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

My mom makes this at nearly every holiday, its just sinful.... Brian loves it, but not as much as the brownies she makes.

Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

2 3oz packages of cream cheese, softened
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
2 TBS Lemon Juice
1 tsp vanilla (the good stuff, the pure not imitation)
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1 graham cracker pie crust
2 oz semisweet chocolate chips or squares
1/4 cup whipped cream

- Heat oven to 350 degrees. With mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth.
- Add egg, lemon juice and vanilla. Mix Well.
- Press raspberries firmly into bottom of crust, slowly pour cheese mix over fruit.
- Bake 30-35 minutes just till center is almost set. Cool completely.
- In a small saucepan, over low hear, melt semisweet chocolate with whipping cream. Stir until thickened and smooth. Remove from heat and pour glaze over cheesecake. Chill until served.

Cinnabon Clone

Some men want their women to greet them at the door in lingerie, my husband just wants me to greet him with these..... he was never much for lace anyway. Brian is a huge cinnabon fan, and he thinks these are just as good, and way cheaper! They are SOOOOO GOOOD and evil, because right now I can't eat them, but they are taunting me.... its sad to be heckled by pastries.



Cinnabon Rolls

Ingredients:
***Dough***
2 packages active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (105-115 degrees F)
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warmed milk
2/3 cup butter
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
7 cups flour, or more if needed
***Filling***
1 cup melted butter, divided
1 3/4 cup sugar, divided
3 tablespoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional
1 1/2 cup raisins, optional
***Creamy Glaze***
2/3 cup melted butter
4 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 tablespoons hot water, more as needed

Directions:

In a small bowl mix together warm water, yeast and sugar and set aside. In a large bowl, mix milk, remaining 2/3 Cup sugar, melted butter, salt and eggs; stir well and add yeast mixture. Add half the flour and beat until smooth. Stir in enough of the remaining flour until dough is slightly stiff (dough will be sticky). Turn out onto a well-floured board; knead 5-10 minutes. Place in well-buttered glass or plastic bowl, cover and let rise in warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 1-1 1/2 hours. When doubled, punch down dough and let rest 5 min. Roll out on floured surface into a 15x20" rectangle.

Filling: Spread dough with 1/2 Cup melted butter. Mix together 1 1/2 Cup sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over buttered dough. Sprinkle with walnuts and raisins, if desired. Roll up jellyroll-fashion and pinch edge together to seal. Cut into 12-15 slices. Coat bottom of a 13x9 inch baking pan and a 8 inch square pan with remaining melted butter, then sprinkle with remaining sugar. Place cinnamon roll slices close together in pans. Let rise in warm place until dough is doubled in bulk, about 45 min. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until rolls are nicely browned. Cool rolls slightly.

Creamy Glaze: Meanwhile, in med. bowl, mix melted butter, powdered sugar and vanilla; add hot water 1 Tablespoon at a time until glaze reaches desired spreading consistency. Spread over slightly cooled rolls.

Toll house Pan Cookies

I made these for Brian last night before I left for a Mom's night out. I got to have unadulterated and unchildrenated fun, and these kept him and the kiddos happy while I was gone. It was so much easier than shaping cookies! and YUM!!!

Toll House Pan Cookies

2-1/4 cups unsifted flour
1 measuring teaspoon baking soda
1 measuring teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 measuring teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
One 12-oz. pkg. (2 cups) Nestle Semi-Sweet Real Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 375°F. In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt, set aside. In large bowl, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract; beat until creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually add flour mixture; mix well. Stir in Nestle Semi-Sweet Real Chocolate Morsels and nuts. Spread into greased 15″x10″x1″ baking pan.*

BAKE at: 375°F. TIME: 20 minutes
Cool; cut into 2″ squares. Makes 35 squares.

*NOTE: For one 6-oz. pkg., recipe may be divided in half. Spread into greased 13″x9″x2″ baking pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Makes 24 squares.

Hamster Poop

Yeah, I know, it doesn't sound very appetizing. But in light of our recent "losses" we decided to call it hamster poop. You can always call it whatever you want.... monkey mix, puppy chow... whatever you like. I had to practically drag the kids off of this so that I could package some up for later. The recipe makes a TON, so prepare to package it up or share with your neighbors.

Hamster Poop
--1 box (12-16 oz) your favorite cereal
--1/2 cup peanut butter
--1/4 cup butter
--1 cup chocolate chips
--1 cup dried cranberries
--1 cup almonds
--1/2 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
--1 cup powdered sugar
--3 freezer size zipper bags
--parchment paper or Release foil



Melt chocolate chips and butter in a large dutch oven. When chocolate chips are beginning to lose shape and melt, stir in cereal, cranberries, seeds, and almonds.

Turn off crockpot. Spread out a big length of parchment paper or Release onto your countertop.

Add 1/3 cup powdered sugar into each zipper bag. Shake and bake about a third of the chocolatey cereal in each bag.

Spread out on the foil or paper to cool.

Get hugs, lots and lots of hugs from very happy children who might be high on a sugar rush.

Oreo and Easy Truffles

These are WONDERFUL and easy peasy lemon squeezy. We made these for our neighbors and I didn't think we were going to have enough left when Brian and the kids dug in. Also, I had a very easy cleanup, mostly because the kids licked every single implement I had used in making them. Every spoon, beater, masher, knife was licked completely clean. Also, because the cookies and the chocolate has to be hit with a hammer to be broken up, this was John's favorite cooking session yet. He was a very enthusiastic banger!


























































































Okay so here are the recipes....

Simple Truffles

2-1/2 pkg. (20 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
decorations: chopped PLANTERS COCKTAIL Peanuts, multi-colored sprinkles


MELT 8 chocolate squares. Beat cream cheese with mixer until creamy. Blend in melted chocolate. Refrigerate until firm.

SHAPE into 36 balls. Place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet.

MELT remaining chocolate. Use fork to dip truffles; OR roll them in a mixture of powdered sugar and cocoa. return to baking sheet. Decorate, then refrigerate 1 hour.



Oreo Truffles


1 pkg. (1 lb. 2 oz.) OREO Cookies, finely crushed, divided
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
2 pkg. (8 squares each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted




MIX 3 cups of the cookie crumbs and the cream cheese until well blended. Shape into 42 (1-inch) balls.

DIP balls in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. (Any leftover melted chocolate can be stored in tightly covered container at room temperature and saved for another use.) Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.

REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm. Store any leftover truffles in tightly covered container in refrigerator.