Christmas Hard Candy

So I haven't posted in a couple of days, but today Adam and I made our Christmas hard candy.  I took pictures so I can put the recipe on here and step by step instructions.  We made 11 batches of candy today and let me tell you, it is HARD work!!!  I will post the recipe at the bottom of the post.

Here is the finish product:

Pour sugar, water, and light corn syrup in a pot and boil until 300 degrees.  (We used a candy thermometer)  **Warning*** When it hits 250 degrees, watch it carefully because the temperature rises FAST.  Trust me we have burned MANY batches in the past!!

While the candy is boiling, you need fix your container with powdered sugar with ditches.  You can uses 3- 9x13 dishes or I used a large cupcake carrier (it worked GREAT).  I used several bags of powdered sugar.  It needs to at least cover the bottom and be at least 2 inches thick.  Then I use a wooden spoon and make sure the sugar is flat.  Then use the other end of the spoon and make ditches, like a snake.  I have pictures of me pouring it and after it is poured so you will understand what I am talking about.

Here is a picture of me pouring it in the ditches:





Then you take CLEAN, kitchen shears or scissors and cut the candy into small pieces.  It usually takes about 10 minutes until it gets hard enough to cut.  It also helps to have another helper to help cut!!!

Then you roll it around in the powdered sugar and use a sifting spoon (I guess that is what it is called, a spoon with slits in it)


Here is a picture of the flavored oil that we used and food coloring

***** BEWARE: When making cinnamon, be careful because it is VERY strong!!  Strong enough to burn your nose hairs.  Just ask Adam, he didn't believe me!! *******

Hard Candy
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
3/4 cup light corn syrup
powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. flavoring oil (can buy at AC moore, but we bought some on Amazon a lot cheaper!!)
Liquid Food Coloring
Candy thermometer

Pour sugar, water, and corn syrup in a pot and boil until it reaches 300 degrees.  Remove from burner and stir in flavored oil and food coloring pretty fast.  Pour into the ditches and then wait about 10 minutes and cut into small pieces with clean, scissors or kitchen shears.  Place in a seal tight container!!

Nice for Christmas presents!!!  Your finished product!!
We made:
Lime, Lemonade, Orange Cream, Cinnamon, Strawberry, Grape, Blueberry, Cotton Candy, and Pina Colada

Don't be afraid to post question on here or Facebook!!!

Thanksgiving is just around the corner

So this Wednesday night our church is doing a Thanksgiving meal where everyone brings a covered dish.  Question is, what am I going to make???????  I'm thinking some kind of chicken casserole because that is pretty easy.  I am definitely going to make my crock pot macaroni and cheese because it makes a WHOLE lot!!  I've got plenty of asparagus, so I may take some of that.

Now, what kind of dessert?????  I'm thinking of something very Thanksgivinging (don't think thats a word, but oh well).  So I think I will go with a pie of some kind.  There is Pumpkin, Apple, Sweet Potato Pie, but I think I want to make my favorite!!!  CARAMEL PIE with cool whip topping and chocolate drizzle!!!   Guess how you make this delicious pie??  By boiling cans of sweetened condensed milk for a few hours.....who knew that it would turn into caramel??  Here is what it will look like:

Making my eyes water as I look at this picture!!!  

Also I am making homemade Lasagna for thursday night!!  Haven't had it in a while so I am kind of excited.  We are having my Aunt and Uncle - in-law over!!  Also making apple dumplings.....PICTURES to come soon!!

More Pumpkin.....

I found a recipe on Pinterest for Pumpkin Scones.  I wasn't sure how they would turn out, but they were surprisingly good.  They kind of taste like a sweet biscuit.  They are pretty easy to make.  The first picture is from the website I found these from:

I made mine into hearts because I have some heart shaped cookie cutters.  These are the ones that I made:

Here is the recipe and the link for the website I got these from:

Pumpkin Scones

These moist and delicious pumpkin scones, with the sweet taste of pumpkin and spices of fall, are brushed with a scrumptious powered sugar and drizzled with a spicy glaze. If you love pumpkin, this sweet and spicy scone is sure to please!

YIELD: 12 Scones

                              Ingredients:

For the Scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons half-and-half
1 large egg
For the Powdered Sugar Glaze:
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk

For the Spiced Glaze:
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch ground ginger
1 pinch ground cloves

http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2010/09/pumpkin-scones/

Calling all Pumpkin Lovers!!!

So I found a recipe on Pinterest for some AMAZING pumpkin cream cheese muffins and I just had to make them.  I baked them and took them to Sunday School for breakfast.  They were a hit!!  I have made them several times and they are very easy to make.  So I decided to post the recipe and some pictures.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

    

Yield: 24 muffins

Ingredients:

For the filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

¼ tsp vanilla extract

For the muffins:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

4 large eggs

2 cups sugar

2 cups pumpkin puree

1¼ cups vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

For the topping:

½ cup sugar

5 tbsp. flour

1½ tsp. ground cinnamon

4 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Directions:

For the filling, combine the cream cheese, vanilla  and confectioners’ sugar  in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth.  Once blended, cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator.

For the muffins, preheat the oven to 350˚ F, and line muffin pans with cupcake  liners.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda; whisk to blend.  In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree ,, vanilla and oil.  Mix on low speed until blended.  With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

For the topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl; whisk to blend.  Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture is coarse and crumbly.  Transfer to the refrigerator until ready to use.

To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the liner (2 tablespoons).  Spoon a tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture into the very center of each cup.  Divide the remaining batter among the cups, placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely.  Sprinkle a tablespoon of the streusel mixture on top of each muffin.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving, the cream cheese filling will be very hot!

It seems complicated, but it's not!! They are sooooo YUMMY

I will post the link for the website these came from.  There are pictures for step by step of the process to make these, just in case you need to see pictures!!

http://lungfam.blogspot.com/2011/09/recipe-pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins.html

First Post!! Red Velvet Bunt Cake

So I have had blogs before and I NEVER keep them up, but I will TRY to keep posting all new recipes and fun crafts I do!!! 

Most people that know me know that I LOVE to bake.  Probably one reason why my husband has gained weight since we started dating.  I love to bake sweets!!  It's so fun!!  I love to see the happiness that it brings those around me.  Most of my recipes come from Pinterest, the internet, or my mom/grandma. 

I am not the best baker or cook, but I like to think I'm pretty good at it.  I am a VERY clumsy person!!  My husband can second this for sure.  I drop everything or spill things.  So sometimes I make mistakes when I cook or make a BIG mess, but I think it's FUN.

This week I made a Red Velvet Bunt Cake.  I have NEVER made one before, but it looked really easy.  I LOVE red velvet and so does my dad, plus it looks really pretty.  It would be a great dessert for a Christmas Party or for Valentine's day!!  I was unable to take a picture of it before it got cut because my sister couldn't wait.  The left picture is the one I made and the right one is what it is suppose to look like:

It was very yummy and very moist.  Here is the recipe if anyone is interested in making it:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1 t. salt
• 3 T. cocoa powder
• 1 T. white vinegar
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk (OR 1 c. milk + 1 T. vinegar)
• 1 oz. red food coloring

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a Bundt pan really well. Place one cupcake liner in a cupcake tin. (You will use the cupcake for a garnish.) In a medium bowl, mix eggs with a wire whisk. Add oil, vinegar, vanilla, buttermilk and food coloring. Whisk together and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and mix on medium high until combined. Fill cupcake liner half full with batter, then pour the rest of the batter into your Bundt pan. Bake the cupcake for 20-25 minutes, bake the cake for 50-55 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 8 oz. package cream cheese
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup milk*

Let cream cheese and butter sit in mixing bowl until softened. Mix together. Add sugar, vanilla and milk. Pour over cooled cake.

* I added milk to my favorite cream cheese frosting, to make the consistency pourable.