Best Ever Easy Fudge

For a fun twist, you can make Rocky Road Fudge by stirring in nuts and mini-marshmallows.

• 4½ cups sugar
• 12 ounce can evaporated milk
• 1 cup butter
• 7 ounces marshmallow cream
• 18 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup marshmallows
• 1 cup chopped nuts (if desired)
• 2 cups mini-marshmallows (if desired)

1. In a large mixing bowl or food processor, combine butter, marshmallow cream, chocolate chips, and ½ cup marshmallows. Set aside.
2. In a saucepan combine sugar and milk. Cook over medium-high heat until it boils. Boil and stir for 8 minutes.
3. Pour boiled mixture into mixing bowl containing other ingredients and beat until creamy. Stir in nuts and/or mini-marshmallows if desired.
4. Pour into a 9 X 13 tin foil lined pan and allow to cool. (Although, our kids can’t wait that long and each grab a large spoon and scoop out the warm gooey stuff .)

Grandma’s Pink Popcorn

Our kid’s will eat this one until they’re just sick!!

• 2 cups sugar
• ? cup milk or half & half
• 1 T. white corn syrup
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• A few drops red food coloring
• ½ cup unpopped popcorn

1. Pop corn, remove unpopped kernels, and place in large bowl.
2. Combine sugar, milk, corn syrup, and salt in a heavy saucepan. Add enough food coloring to reach desired shade. Cook to firm ball stage (245°), stirring often.
3. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
4. Quickly pour over popcorn and stir until popcorn is covered.
5. Spread on waxed paper to cool. This popcorn does not make popcorn balls. The syrup turns to sugar and the popcorn separates.

No-Bake Reindeer Drops

This is how our 10 year old learned how to cook. It’s great for Cub Scout meetings.

• 2 cups sugar ½ cup milk
• 1 cube butter
• 3 T. cocoa powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ cup peanut butter
• 3 cups quick oatmeal

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until it boils. Boil and stir for one minute.
2. Add remaining ingredients to chocolate mixture and stir.
3. Quickly spoon cookie size pieces on wax paper and allow to cool. Makes about 24-30 cookies

Ice Cream and Crispy Rice Dessert

Grandma makes this one every time we come over. Our kids will always remember her as the one with the crunchy ice cream.

• 1 cube butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 6 cups crispy rice
• 1 cup coconut
• ½ cup chopped nuts
• ½ gallon vanilla ice cream softened
• 1 package Danish Dessert (Strawberry Sauce)*
• 16 ounces sliced strawberries

1. In a large bowl, combine crispy rice, coconut and chopped nuts. Set aside.
2. Combine butter and brown sugar in a saucepan and warm until smooth. Pour over crispy rice mixture and stir.
3. Place ½ of this mixture on the bottom of a 9 X 13 pan and level.
4. Smooth softened ice cream over the top.
5. Pour and level remaining mixture on top and freeze.
6. Prepare Danish Dessert as directed on the box and add sliced strawberries.
7. When ready to serve, spoon strawberries over individual servings.

*Instead of a strawberry sauce, any other ice cream topping can be substituted. We like hot fudge and caramel sauce.

Marshmallow Popcorn

This one is Mom’s personal non-chocolate favorite!!

• ¾ cup unpopped kernels
• Approximately 30 large marshmallows
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 3 T. butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract

1. Pop corn and remove unpopped kernels. Place in a large greased bowl.
2. In a saucepan, combine marshmallows, brown sugar and butter and cook over low heat until smooth. Add vanilla or almond extract.
3. Pour hot mixture over popcorn and stir.

Orange Julius . . . or Strawberry

This one is required every Sunday evening. Just don’t let the kids spill it on the carpet; it really stinks!!

• 1½ cups milk
• 6 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate or ½ cup strawberry jam
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• Approx. 2½ cups ice cubes

1. Just throw everything in the blender or food processor and puree until smooth.

Peanut Butter Fingers

Yes, this is the one they use to serve us for dessert during school lunch. At least the ones of us who were in public school before nutritional lunch requirements!

For the cake:

• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. vanilla
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup quick oats
• ? cup peanut butter (for cake)
• ¼ cup peanut butter (for spreading over cake)

For chocolate frosting:

• 3 T. butter
• 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar
• 3 T. cocoa powder
• Approx. 2 T. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. 1. Mix all cake ingredients except the final ¼ cup of peanut butter. Smooth into a 9 X 13 pan and bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until its no longer doughy.
2. 2. Spread remaining peanut butter over warm cake and allow to cool.
3. 3. Combine all ingredients for chocolate frosting and frost cooled cake.

Gooey Popcorn

This rich popcorn doesn’t set up. Be sure you have plenty of paper towels!

• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup corn syrup
• 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
• Approx. ¾ cup unpopped kernels

1. 1. Pop corn, remove kernels and set aside in a large bowl.
2. 2. Combine butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup in a saucepan and cook over medium-high heat to soft ball stage (235°). Allow to cool.
3. 3. Add sweetened condensed milk to cooled mixture and stir.
4. 4. Pour over popcorn.

Sinful Chocolate Mousse

Watch closely! This delicacy takes 3 bowls to create.

• 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate squares
• 6 T. butter
• 5 eggs (separated)
• ¼ cup sugar (or to taste)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. 1. Bowl #1 - Melt the chocolate with the butter. Then beat in egg yolks and add vanilla.
2. 2. Bowl #2 - Beat egg whites to soft peaks and mix in sugar.
3. 3. Bowl #3 - Whip cream to soft peaks.
4. 4. Mix ? of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Then fold in remaining egg whites.
5. 5. Finally, fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture.

Sooo Good Sooo Fast Hot Fudge Sauce

This is so good, you won’t want to add the ice cream!

• 1 large size chocolate bar
• 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk

1. 1. Just melt the chocolate bar over low heat (or in the microwave) and add the sweetened condensed milk. Voila!

* Just in case plain old hot fudge isn’t enough for you, we also have a zippy little must-try ice cream sauce.

Almond Cherry Sauce

You’ll be glad you stuck around for this one!

• ½ cup chopped maraschino cherries
• ? cup corn syrup
• ¼ tsp. almond extract (or to taste)

1. 1. Just mix these together and top over ice cream. It’s also great paired with the hot fudge sauce. Don’t worry about the calories . . . there are none.