Friday Favorites..Crafts & Recipes

These are some of my Favorite Things to do...
Make Aprons/Baking....These are for my
ETSY SHOP... This is the Moms, Grandmas,
Aunts, or Friends Apron. The bows are heat
sealed to prevent fraying & are easily removed
for washing. (If interested in purchasing one
you can go to the sidebar & click on the
"santasgiftshoppe"under the ETSY PHOTOS
& it'll take you right to the store)

This is the Childs Matching Apron
for daughters, grand-daughters, nieces
or friends...The bows are heat sealed to
prevent fraying & easily removed for
washing. It also has a FREE Rolling Pin
included.(This Matching smaller apron can
also be found in santagiftshoppe.etsy.com
just click on the link & your there)

This weeks Favorite Recipe:
Homemade Twix Bars
(Don't you just love the the
Mary Engelbreit plate..I do)
I found this recipe on cooks.com under mock
Twix Bars but I prefer to call them Homemade
Twix bars..These are really so goooood..........

This is really an easy recipe with great results.
Another added plus is that they are NO-Bake..
Especially in the Summer I hate to have the
oven on...How bout you?

RECIPE
1 Box of Club Crackers
1 c. crushed Graham Crackers
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1/3 c. milk
1/2 c. butter
1 c. chocolate chips (I like milk choco. chips for these)
2/3 c. peanut butter

Directions:
1) In a 9 x 13 inch buttered pan put a layer of whole
club crackers. See Photo Below:
2) In a saucepan combine graham crackers, brown sugar,
white sugar, milk (I used non-fat & it worked fine) &
butter. See Photo Below:
3) Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Spread
over crackers..Be careful this is hot!! (I love the
off-set spatula for this) See Photo Below:

4) Next add another layer of crackers,
& gently press down not breaking any.
Put in refrigerator for 30 min.
See Photo Below:

5) To make the Frosting: put choc. chips
& peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl
& melt for 1-2 min. stirring & checking
every 30 sec. after the 1st minute.

Frost crackers & put in refrigerator for 30 min.
See Photos Below:
6) All Finished..Now to enjoy!!!
Good job!! Have a great Memorial Day!!

Fast/Easy Chocolate or (White Chocolate) Bunny or Egg Lollipops for EASTER!

EASTER is Coming!!!! I love Easter with
the birth of all the new flowers & beauty all around..
& Spring is so tranquil..I feel like I've taken
myself into a field of flowers or commercial or
something...I love the Rebirth of everything..&
especially the Spiritual aspect of Easter.

Easter also brings back so many fond memories
of new white or Black Patent Leather shoes, a little
matching purse, bow in our hair & oh yes...Let's
not forget that White hat with pink ribbon..we have
many photos my dad took to keep that very
memorable.

Does that sound like anybody elses childhood Easter
Sunday??? Going to church, Finding our Easter
Baskets, Ham Dinner with all the extras??? Sound
familiar??? Getting hungry for mom's cooking??

Our family still does all that but little girls/boys
do grow up all too fast..I have to admit I love for
my grown kids to come home to find Mr. Easter
Bunny has indeed come & left not as much candy
but maybe earrings, or book or some surprise in
Easter Baskets for them.

I love the family ties & gatherings...even if both
of my parents are gone..I still try to keep the
traditions alive & well.

Anyway..Sorry about that..I got distracted with
fond memories..Back to the chocolate bunnies...
I had promised my husband that I would have 35
Chocolate bunnies for his students in his class the
last day of school before Easter Vacation. I had
been gone with responsibilities all day..I started
the lollipops around 11:30pm. They really are very
Fast/Easy to do & turn out really cute & fun..

What do you think??? Leave a comment & tell me..
I'd love to know your opinion..

SUPPLIES NEEDED:
For Basket
1 basket
1 piece of oasis foam
thin gage florist type wire or tape
wire cutters
1 pkg. of iridescent grass
a couple (2 or 3) of colors of curling ribbon
scissors

For Chocolate/White Chocolate Lollipops
1 candy mold (I used bunnies, eggs, & tulip mold)
1 Bag of candy melts (a bag will usually do I think
around 25-35 maybe more depending on the size
of each mold)
1 bag of (50)lollipop sticks (Walmart or Michaels)
1bag of (50) lollipop bags (Walmart or Michaels)
aluminum foil
med. microwave-safe bowl
teaspoon to stir & put melted candy into molds
Oh..Another thing..I used what I had on hand.
This is how I did the Basket..

DIRECTIONS FOR BASKET:
1) Found basket I could use..Found some old
already used (but recyclable) Oasis Floral Foam.
Took some wire (thin gage florist type..Walmart or
Michaels have) & made it so the wire secured the
foam, cut it with wire cutters & twisted until tight.
It's hard to see but that's what I did. You could
secure it tightly with florist tape (I didn't have any)
& wrap it through the holes of the basket.
SEE BELOW:

2) Arrange irridescent easter grass on top & sides

of foam (I didn't even need to secure it. It worked

out just fine. The lollipops will keep it pretty much

in place. (I cut off old ribbon with wire cutters)

This is how I did the lollipops
.

DIRECTIONS FOR LOLLIPOPS:

1) Gather supplies together..SEE BELOW:

2) Pour 1/2 bag of candy melts into microwave-

safe bowl. Microwave on full power for 45 sec.

(My microwave is 1100 watts & this works fine

for me..you may have to fine tune your own time

& your wattage maybe different than mine..just

keep checking it & stirring it & it should be fine)
Keep stirring & checking very 15-20sec. (if it's on

high) until melted. You might feel safer having it

on 50% power & checking every 30sec. or so. Do

the same with rest of candy melts (depending on

how many you need)

SEE BELOW:

3) Take a clean candy mold & with a teaspoon

fill each bunny, tulip, (whatever) with chocolate

or white chocolate (not overflowing)

4) Lay lollipop stick (inside slot provided in mold

going into the melted candy) & twist til stick is

covered with melted chocolate. You would be wise

to add a dollop of chocolate on top of that place where

you twisted the stick to make sure it is secure &

it will stay in much better. After it cools & hardens..

it will be very secure.SEE BELOW:

5) Place in refigerator or freezer for a short time

(try 10-15 min.) & keep checking them until they

"harden." Then take out of freezer or refrigerator

(I like the freezer best because it's way faster)

& turn them over & "pop" them out on to a piece

of foil. Believe it or not they do not need anything

like Pam or spray or anything to help them pop out.

I have used these again & again & have never had

any problem with them not popping out of their

molds.The detail is amazingly clear on them.

SEE BELOW:

6) I like to put mine in one of the lollipop bags

(they are the perfect size) & tie some curling ribbon

around the stick to secure bag in place.

SEE BELOW:

7) Curl ribbon with scissors edge & your thumb.
(Careful not to hurt yourself)SEE BELOW:

8) Stick each one in the oasis in the basket &

look at them...They look like a little bunch of

bunnies in an egg field or bunny & egg patch..

(like Linus'...pumkin patch in Charlie Brown)

SEE BELOW:

AREN'T THEY CUTE????? Have fun & let me

know how they turned out for you...Enjoy..

Homemade Samoa Girl Scout Cookies

Oh my Gosh..Oh my Gosh..Oh my Gosh..
Wow!!! These are so good you'll think your dreaming.

Since this is March & Girl Scout Cookie Month..
I thought I would bring you the BEST "HOMEMADE"
version for these cookies I could find. And I
think I may have found it.

I also will be doing a homemade version of
Thin Mints, & Tagalongs (Shortbread, Peanut
Butter & Chocolate in a few days)....
so keep checking back with us!!!

If you Love the Girl Scout Samoas (a.k.a. caramel
delights) like I do....then you are going to want to try
these out for sure. I found this on Baking Bites from
a few years ago.

This version has a buttery shortbread cookie base,
Coconut/Caramel topping (I used Werther's Chewy
Caramels because that is all the store had..but I found
that they have the best flavor..using real butter &
cream) topped off by the perfect balance of
chocolate on the bottom & drizzle on the top
making it The Best Cookie ever! I knew I had
to hurry up & try these out so I could share
them with all of you. These take some time
but are well worth the LOVE & EFFORT!!
Hope you all Enjoy!!!!
*** If you would like to try a similar recipe but
less time consuming try my Samoa Bars click here.

RECIPE
(shortbread cookie dough) or you could buy
3 dozen shortbread cookies from the store to
save time & not make the base of the cookie
from scratch...
1 c. butter, soft
1/2 c. sugar
2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Do not use unless to dry (up to 2 Tbsp. milk)
I did not need to use any!

(Coconut/Caramel Topping)
3 c. shredded coconut
12oz. good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. milk

(Chocolate drizzle/bottom)
8 oz. semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)

DIRECTIONS:
Pre-heat oven t0 350F. Bake for 11-13 min.
(keep watch..ovens vary..mine went 13)

1) In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter
& sugar. Mix in flour, baking powder & salt at a low
speed, followed by the vanilla. Milk is optional only
to make the dough stick together Add flour if your
dough is too sticky. The dough should come together
into a soft, not-to-sticky ball. SEE BELOW:

2) Roll the dough (working in 2 or 3 batches) out
between 2 pieces of wax paper to about 1/4-inch
thickness & use a 1 1/2"cookie cutter to make rounds.
NOTE: you may have trouble taking the
excess dough around the cookie shape
because it is so soft..See picture below
where I use a small turner which worked
beautifully & save excess and roll out to
make more cookies. SEE BELOW:


3) It was easier for me to flip the (turner with cookie)
on to my hand & then flip it over on to the cookie sheet
because the dough is so soft & buttery. SEE BELOW:
TIP: I also used a straw to make the hole in the middle
of the cookie...However..if you look at the next picture
after they have cooked, the hole seems to have filled
up because the "spread" of the cookie as it baked.
SEE BELOW:
4) So, I used a straw AFTERWARDS (When they
came out of the oven and were still warm & it
worked out great!) Set aside to cool completely.
SEE BELOW:
TOPPING
Pre-heat oven to 300F.
1) Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined
baking sheet (preferably one with sides) & toast
20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut
is golden brown. Cool on baking sheet...set aside.

2) Unwrap the caramels & place in a lg. micro-safe bowl
with milk & salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping
to stir a few times to help caramel melt. SEE BELOW:
3) When Smooth & creamy fold in toasted coconut
with a spatula. SEE BELOW:

TIP: Below are "offset" spatulas which are the

BEST Kitchen Tool for Spreading anything I think.
SEE BELOW:

4) Using an offset spatula, spread topping on cooled

cookies, using about 2-3 tsp. per cookie. Reheat

caramel for a few seconds in the microwave

if it gets too firm to work with(it did for

me many times)SEE BELOW:

5) While topping sets up, melt chocolate in a small

bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 sec.

intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching.

Dip the base of each cookie into the chocolate &

place on a clean piece of parchment paper or

(I used) wax paper & spread the chocolate on

each bottom with an offset spatula (that was a lot

easier & to speed up the cooling process of the

chocolate, I put in the freezer til set. SEE BELOW:

6) To finish..Transfer all remaining chocolate

(or melt a little additional chocolate, if necessary)

into a piping bag or a Ziploc bag with the corner

snipped off & drizzle finished cookies with chocolate

in a back & forth motion for desired effect. Your Done!!

SEE BELOW:

Happy St. Patrick's Day with Fast Girl Scout Cookie recipe

Ahhhhhh...Girl Scout Cookies...whether it's
The Minty ones..The Chocolate-Coconut ones
(For recipe click here....) The Peanut Butter
ones...The Lemon ones..The New Cranberry
ones..THEY ARE ALL THE BEST! Your mouth
is probably watering right about now!!

When you can't get the real thing...You can try
these..They are not exactly the same, but taste
nice & minty, chocolaty & the sugary crunch of
the cookie is similar to The Girl Scout Minty one.

This really is an easy/fast recipe..a little messy
but everybody seems to like these cookies... It
came from Taste of Home...

RECIPE

18 Nabisco Nilla Wafer Cookies
4 oz. Chocolate Bark
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract

Directions:
1) Place candy coating & extract in microwave-safe
bowl. Microwave uncovered, on high for 30-60 sec.
or until smooth, stirring every 15 seconds.
SEE BELOW:

2) Put a wafer in coating (top side first)

SEE BELOW:

I used a Big fork to take cookies out of the melted
chocolate & let excess drip off.

Place on wax paper..
3) The end result..Minty delight!!! *****2nd idea for St. Patrick's Day might be Chocolate-Mint

Walnut Brownies...for recipe click here

Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

Who can resist a Chocolate Peanut Butter
Brownie???? These are actually very similar to
the Chocolate Mint Brownies click here we
did a few months ago.

These turned out to taste really good...They
are a little rich but you can control that by the
the size you cut each one. Hope you like
them.. P.S. These would be a great addition
to any Super Bowl Party.
RECIPE
Bottom Layer:
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. sugar
4 lg. eggs, beaten (FYI: the original recipe in
Cooking Light replaces 2 of these 4 eggs with
1/2 c. egg substitute...that's what I did for this
recipe)
1/4 c. butter, melted
2 Tbsp. water
1 tsp. vanilla
8oz. chocolate syrup (1/2 of a 16oz. can)

Peanut Butter Layer
2 c. powered sugar
1/2 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. peanut butter
2 Tbsp. milk (I used non-fat, but you can
probably use whatever you have)

Chocolate Glaze
3/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips
3 Tbsp. butter

Directions:
TO PREPARE BOTTOM LAYER:
Combine flour & salt..whisk set aside.
Combine sugar, 1/4 c. melted butter,
2 Tbsp. water, vanilla, eggs & chocolate
syrup in a medium bowl; beat with mixer
til smooth. Slowly add flour mixture to
chocolate stirring until blended.

BATTER WILL BE THIN! Pour batter
into 13 x 9 inch baking pan coated with
cooking spray.

BAKE at 350F. for 23 min. or until a
wooden toothpick inserted comes out
almost clean. COOL completely in pan
on wire rack.

PREPARE PEANUT BUTTER LAYER:
Combine powdered sugar, 1/2 c. melted
butter, peanut butter, & milk. SEE BELOW:

Make sure bottom layer is completely COOLED
before frosting..
Frost bottom layer with Peanut Butter filling as
seen BELOW:
TO PREPARE CHOCOLATE GLAZE:
Combine the chocolate chips & 3 Tbsp. melted
butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl.
MICROWAVE ON HIGH for 1 minute or
until melted.(stirring every 30 sec) Let stand
2 min.

Spread chocolate mixture evenly over the top.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cut & Serve...and Enjoy the delicious taste.