Salted Caramel Toffee Peanut Fudge

No time.  Must post.  People!  This fudge is coming to you late.  I offer my sincerest apologies.  But I really had to start my Christmas shopping at some point (like 3 days before Christmas) so time for posting became increasingly harder to find this week.  But I finally found it!

But good news!  This isn't typical fudge that requires thermometers and babysitting.  It's also not this kind of fudge that requires babysitting.  Zing!  Man, I'm good.

This fudge is made by melting the good stuff (sweetened condensed milk and chocolate) and topping it with more good stuff (toffee, peanuts, sea salt) and eatin' it.  It just needs to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes while you chill on Pinterest for 30 minutes and you got yourself some fudge.

And here's the biggest confession of all.  I was pretty confident that I kinda hated fudge.  It's like, when my brain is ready to receive chocolate in my mouth and I eat fudge, it's always a let down.  I'm expecting a different chocolate intensity.  But when I saw this recipe, the world was ok again.

This is fuddggggeeee.  It's everything you want it to be.  And it's ok to eat it before 8am, if necessary.  IT WAS NECESSARY GUYS.  So do whatcha gotta go this Christmas but please make this fudge part of it.  You're very welcome.  

Here's the recipe!  

Ingredients:
20 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped  (I used chips here because I'm lazy)
1 (15-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10-12 caramel-filled chocolates (I used Ghiradelli squares with salted caramel), chopped
3/4 cup chocolate toffee pieces, like Heath toffee chips
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped
4 ounces milk chocolate, melted

sea salt, for sprinkling

Instructions:  

1.  Spray an 8×8 pan with non-stick spray and set aside.  

2.  Add semi-sweet chocolate to a double boiler, and melt completely. One melted, remove from heat and slowly add in sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract, stirring with a spatula until completely incorporated and the mixture becomes very thick.  Use the spatula or a large spoon to spread the chocolate in the pan, coaxing it into corners.  Don't worry about the top looking smooth because it will be covered with chocolate and candies, just spread it evenly. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes to set.

3.  Melt the milk chocolate in the microwave at 30 second intervals until smooth.  Remove the pan from the fridge. Take a few small spoonfuls of the milk chocolate and using the back of a spoon, spread it evenly over the top of the fudge.  Immediately sprinkle with a little sea salt and cover it with the chopped caramel-filled candies, peanuts and chocolate toffee pieces.  Using a little pressure, press the toppings into the fudge to set.  Take remaining milk chocolate and drizzle it over the top to set some of the loose candy.  Let set in the fridge for 30-45 minutes.

4.  When ready to cut, fill a large cup with hot water. Dip a sharp knife into the water, then blot on a towel. Use knife to cut fudge into your desired size of squares.  I recommend small pieces since this fudge is rich.

Enjoy!  

Recipe barely adapted from How Sweet It Is

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Like these really even need a recipe.  Pretty simple: chocolate.  pretzels.  mouth.  And that's the recipe.  I present them to you as an idea, really.  A reminder, perhaps.  Why not make them as a quick, no bake option for Christmas?

For me, chocolate covered pretzels are especially Christmasy and it's not just because of the pretty sprinkles.  Growing up, every year my family and I would visit downtown Chicago during Christmas time.  We'd see the lights, go out to dinner (at "D.B Kaplan's" where they had a sandwich called an "Ike and Tina Tuna") and visit the HUGE FAO Schwartz store on Michigan Ave. It was magical.  FAO Schwartz is now an H&M, by the way.  (<< not complaining).

But we always ended the night with a chocolate covered pretzel that we'd eat on the way home.  It became a tradition but was really born out of necessity.  My parents, not ones to waste money, needed their parking validated.  So we found the least expensive place in the Bloomingdale's mall, what I remember to be a weird safari store that sold chocolate-covered pretzels for some reason, we'd all chose a pretzel and eat it on the ride home.

And so I always just associated chocolate-covered pretzels with Christmastime.  Did I warm your heart with that story?  It was all made up.  KIDDING.  That was real life and making chocolate covered pretzels every year at Christmas is real life too.  

So I recommend you make this a holiday tradition too.  Whether you need your parking validated or not. 

Here's the recipe!

Ingredients: 

package of long pretzel rods

Baker's Semi-sweet chocolate

Baker's white chocolate

assorted sprinkles, chopped nuts, etc. 

Instructions: 

1.  Melt the chocolates in separate double boilers until chocolate is completely melted and smooth.  Remove from heat.

2.  Create an assembly line with the 2 bowls of chocolate, your choice of toppings, and a baking tray lined with tin foil.  

3.  Using a spoon, spoon the chocolate over the pretzel, leaving a few inches bare as a "handle."  Allow the excess chocolate to drip off the pretzels by twisting and wiggling the pretzel.  This will help to avoid the chocolate pooling under the pretzel or into the toppings.  Check out the (weird) technique I used:

4.  Immediately cover chocolate with desired toppings and place on foil-lined baking sheet.  When the sheet is full, place it in the freezer to set for about 10 mins.  

5.  Once set, they're ready to be served or kept in an air-tight container for a few days.  

Enjoy!  

Mint Chocolate Crunch Cookies

I am entering these Mint Chocolate Crunch Cookies in the Creative Holiday Recipe Contest hosted by Confessions of a Cookbook Queen and Cookies and Cups!

So let me tell you the harrowing story of this cookie.  Get your tissues ready.  I heard about this contest on one of the many baking blogs I follow and I was immediately pumped.  I feel like I'm finding my voice when it comes to blogging and I'm slowly developing my style.  It seemed like the perfect opportunity to possibly get my blog to a wider audience AND challenge me to come up with a recipe that fit the requirements: Creativity, Use of Ingredients, and Ease of Preparation.

So I racked my brain to come up with a recipe that I thought would be a breeze to whip up but still had a little something special.  Then I thought, "Well I sure love cookies.  I wish I could eat three cookies at once.  Take that society!"  And so this cake mix cookie came to be.  I was SURE that this was a fun, original idea.  Then this happened the next day.  And this happened a few days later.  And my poor little heart broke.

Just as I was gleefully passing around these cookies to my coworkers the next day, my silly smile left my face when I sat at my computer and saw my "original idea" was barely original.  I almost decided to not post the recipe at all because I was so darn discouraged that someone had the same idea as me and beat me to the punch.  But the heck with 'em!  Cuz I've got gumption!  Or something.

This recipe was too delicious not share with my reader(s) anyway.  So with my head held high, I present my Mint Chocolate Crunch Cookies!  Give them a shot.  And give me credit please?  

Here's the recipe!  

Ingredients
1 box 18.25oz chocolate cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbsp milk (if necessary)
approximately 15 peppermint patties
approximately 15 grasshopper cookies
sugar, for rolling

Instructions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment or silicon baking mat and set aside.
2.  In a medium bowl,  combine cake mix, eggs, and oil until dough forms.  If necessary, add milk if the dough seems dry.  
2.  Stack patty and cookie, and on either side, add one tablespoon of dough (see picture above).  Use your fingers to meet the dough around the edges of the patty and cookie, making sure to create a seal.  Lightly roll in granulated sugar and place on baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. 
3. Bake 8-10 minutes until center is puffed and edges are set.  Allow to cool 5 minutes on the tray before moving to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Enjoy!  

An Annie's City Kitchen original