Candy-Topped Graham Cracker Cookie Squares Recipe

How many of you know that December 26 is National Candy Cane Day? Well here's a new recipe from Betty Crocker that has crushed candy canes in it that you might want to remember.

Candy-Topped Graham Cracker Cookie Squares Recipe 
Originally uploaded by Betty Crocker Recipes

INGREDIENTS:

Graham Cracker Cookies:
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
Butter, egg and flour called for on cookie mix pouch for cutout cookies
1/4 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Topping, if desired:
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Chocolate Coating and Candy Topping, if desired:
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz)
4 teaspoons shortening
1 cup white vanilla baking chips
Crushed peppermint candy canes, if desired
Betty Crocker® colored sugar or decors, if desired
Betty Crocker® holiday candy sprinkles, if desired

DIRECTIONS:

1. In medium bowl, mix graham cracker cookie ingredients until well mixed. Divide dough in half; cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour but no longer than 8 hours.

2. In small bowl, mix topping ingredients; set aside.

3. Heat oven to 350°F. On floured surface, roll out half of the dough at a time to 12x9-inch rectangle 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 12 squares, 4 rows by 3 rows. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Prick with toothpick or fork to look like holes in graham crackers.

4. Bake 8 to 12 minutes or until very lightly browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating cookie sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. Repoke holes as necessary while warm. Cool on pan 1 to 2 minutes before removing to cooling rack; cool completely.

5. In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and 2 teaspoons of the shortening uncovered on High 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until melted; stir until smooth. In another small microwavable bowl, microwave white vanilla baking chips and 2 teaspoons of the shortening uncovered on High 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until melted; stir until smooth. Dip half of each cooled cookie into one of the melted coatings. Decorate as desired. Place on waxed paper until set.

Easy Salted Peanut Chews

Easy Salted Peanut Chews 
Originally uploaded by Betty Crocker Recipe

I'm in the mood for something sweet and salty so I'm planning on making these treats for this weekend. The photo is mouth watering and it looks so pretty on the plate- don't you think?
I was thinking... this would probably be good for a holiday gift too. If I can get them to cut as smooth as the photo shows I'll think I'll give this as a gift. I know the perfect person who goes crazy over peanuts so this should be the perfect treat.

• 1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® peanut butter cookie mix
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 egg
• 3 cups miniature marshmallows
• 2/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 bag (10 oz) peanut butter chips
• 2 cups crisp rice cereal
• 2 cups salted peanuts

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.

2. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, oil, water and egg until soft dough forms. Press dough in pan using floured fingers.

3. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until set. Immediately sprinkle marshmallows over crust; bake 1 to 2 minutes longer or until marshmallows begin to puff.

4. In 4-quart saucepan, cook corn syrup, butter, vanilla and chips over low heat, stirring constantly, until chips are melted. Remove from heat; stir in cereal and nuts. Immediately spoon cereal mixture evenly over marshmallows. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm. For bars, cut into 9 rows by 4 rows.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Increase first bake time to 15 to 18 minutes.

Find more recipes at www.bettycrocker.com.

Peanut Butter-Toffee Cheesecake Brownies

Peanut Butter-Toffee Cheesecake Brownies 
Originally uploaded by Pillsbury.com

Serve this recipe December 8th in honor of National Brownie Day. Serve in November for Peanut Butter Lovers Month. February for Chocolate lovers Month and the 3rd week in March for American Chocolate Week.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 box (19.5 oz) Pillsbury® Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix
• 1/2 cup Crisco® Pure Vegetable Oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 EGGLAND’S BEST eggs
• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1 can (14 oz) Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1/2 cup Jif® Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1 bag (8 oz) Heath® milk chocolate toffee bits
• 1 cup Hershey's® milk chocolate baking chips
• 3 tablespoons whipping cream

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray 13x9-inch pan with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray.
2. In medium bowl, stir brownie mix, oil, water and eggs 50 strokes with spoon. Spread batter in pan; set aside.
3. In large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add milk and peanut butter; beat until smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the toffee bits. Spoon mixture over batter; spread evenly.
4. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until cheesecake layer is set and edges are light golden brown. Cool on cooling rack 30 minutes. Refrigerate 40 minutes.
5. In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and cream uncovered on High 40 to 60 seconds or until chips are melted; stir until smooth. Spread over cheesecake layer. Sprinkle with remaining toffee bits. Cool completely, about 1 hour. For brownies, cut into 6 rows by 6 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

Oatmeal Raisin Cheesecake Crumble

Oatmeal Raisin Cheesecake Crumble 
Originally uploaded by Pillsbury.com

Keep an eye out guys. This is just one of the recipes you'll find in my blog for a great sweet treat for the holiday season. This recipe is one of the prettiest bar desserts you'll ever make too.


2 or 3 years ago... a friend of mine made these (what she called brownies) and we ate them for lunch. I thought it was the best thing I ever put in my mouth. So in honor of National Brownie Day which is celebrated on December 8- I'm passing on this wonderful pillsbury recipe. I know your going to love it like I do. :)


I think this recipe is considered a bar cookie. Bar cookies consist of batter or other ingredients that are poured or pressed into a pan (sometimes in multiple layers), and cut into cookie-sized pieces after baking. In British England, bar cookies are known as "tray bakes". This is truly a beautiful holiday recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 package (16 oz) Pillsbury® Big Deluxe™ refrigerated oatmeal raisin cookies (12 cookies)
• 2 cups Fisher® Chef's Naturals® Chopped Pecans
• 2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 can (14 oz) Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 EGGLAND’S BEST eggs
• 1 cup Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup cold LAND O LAKES® Unsalted or Salted Butter
• 3/4 cup Hershey’s® cinnamon chips
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. In bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch pan, press cookie dough rounds evenly for crust. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the pecans; press firmly into dough. Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until golden brown.
2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add milk, vanilla and eggs; beat until well blended. On low speed, beat in 1/2 cup of the flour. Pour over crust; spread evenly.
3. In medium bowl, mix brown sugar and remaining 1/2 cup flour. Cut in butter, using pastry blender or fork, until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in cinnamon chips, raisins, oats and remaining 1 cup pecans. Sprinkle over cheese mixture.
4. Bake 35 to 45 minutes longer or until set. Cool completely, about 2 hours. To serve, cut into 4 rows by 4 rows. Store in refrigerator.

Pocky Day In Japan

November 11 is Pocky Day in Japan! Most Americans are not familure with this food holiday but since Pocky is gaining more and more followers; Pocky Day is starting to be celebrated in the United States too. Lots of people don't know what Pocky is so here's a good photo of a few flavors. Pocky is a Japanese snack food produced by the Ezaki Glico Company of Japan. And I have to tell you  I buy them every time I see them in America.

Pocky
Originally uploaded by Laura Bento

History
Pocky was first sold in 1966, and consists of a biscuit stick coated with chocolate. It was named after the Japanese onomatopoetic word for the sound Pocky makes when bitten, pokkin (ポッキン). The original was followed by "Almond Pocky" in 1971, with an almond coating, and "Strawberry Pocky" in 1977. Today, the product line includes such variations as milk, mousse, green tea, honey, banana and coconut flavored coatings, and themed products such as "Decorer Pocky," with colorful decorative stripes in the coating, and "Men's Pocky," a dark (bittersweet) chocolate and "mature" version.

World distribution
Pocky is popular in Japan and was a hit among teenagers. In bars it is sometimes served with a glass of ice water. It also has a significant presence in other East Asian countries such as China as well as South Korea (although a similar product known as pepero is one of copy-products by Lotte; not a renamed product of Pocky). In Europe Pocky was renamed Mikado. Mikado can be found at most supermarkets, as well as at many international food stores. In Malaysia Pocky was renamed Rocky to avoid sounding like "pork". The original Pocky-branded versions can still be easily obtained in Malaysia from import stores, usually located within shopping complexes. In the United States and Canada Pocky can be found in Asian supermarkets and the international section of most large supermarkets, such as World Market, HEB, Wegmans, at select f.y.e. stores, Walmart (in the Asian foods aisle), Borders bookstores, some Target stores, some Walgreens, Meijer, and anime convention dealers' rooms. In the United States Pocky is marketed both by LU (in chocolate and peanut butter flavors) and by Ezaki Glico's American division, Ezaki Glico USA Corporation (in chocolate and strawberry flavors). In Australia Pocky is usually sold in Asian convenience markets along with other Asian foods and products.

Flavors and Variations
Pocky can be found in dozens of varieties such as chocolate, strawberry, and almond. Some of the more unusual flavors include the seasonal flavors of honey (spring) and kiwifruit mango (summer). The bittersweet version of chocolate Pocky is known as Men's Pocky. Regional flavors of Pocky include grape (Nagano), yūbari melon (Hokkaidō), giant mikan (tangerine, sold in the Kyūshū region), powdered tea azuki bean (Kyoto), Kobe wine (Kobe), and five-fusion berry (Goka). There are also such flavors as banana, coffee, caramel, marble royal milk tea, melon, milk, honey and milk, cream cheese, berry, sweet potato, coconut, crush (crunchy cracker pieces in chocolate), pineapple, pumpkin, hazelnut, kurogoma (black sesame), kinako (soy bean flour), marron, Brazilian pudding, mikan, blueberry, apple yogurt, mixed berry and green tea.

Special variations of Pocky include Decorer Pocky (which features extra decorative icing) and Mousse Pocky (which features extra thick, "creamy" mousse-like icing and is more exclusive). Unlike other Pocky variations, Mousse Pocky packages contain fewer pieces than regular Pocky, with only nine pieces per pack.

Dessert Pocky features Pocky sticks covered in a generous helping of cream. These flavors include: Double Chocolate, Tiramisu, Chocolate Banana, Marron White, Chestnut, Strawberry Shortcake, and Orange. Dessert Pocky usually comes with five packets in a box with three in each sleeve.

Other variations include: Pocky G (marketed as being "hard and rich"), Giant Pocky (Strawberry and Chocolate flavored; each box contains 20 individually wrapped sticks with real dried strawberry; each stick is about 10" long, and approximately 3 times the diameter of a normal Pocky stick), Reverse Pocky (cracker on the outside with the filling in the middle), Fortune-Telling Pocky (each stick contained a "fortune") and Pocky Cake (a literal cake shaped to look like a Pocky stick. Each cake contained, according to its packaging, raisins, chocolate cream, orange peel, and an Italian cake batter).

A related product is Pretz, which is an unglazed version of Pocky, featuring flavors like tomato, pizza, and salad, as well as sweet flavors such as French toast.
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resources: official website of pocky / wikipedia / gone-ta-pott.com /thefreedictionary.com
links: how to make your own pocky / original chocolate pocky /

Halloween Chex Mix Recipe

Halloween Chex Mix Recipe
Originally uploaded by Pillsbury.com

This Halloween Chex Mix Recipe is in honor of National Candy Corn Day which is celebrated every October 30th & Halloween.

If your looking for a treat that's loaded with the traditional Halloween colors of brown, orange, yellow and white; then this recipe is for you. I've fixed this myself and I have to tell you it's absolutely beautiful in a bowl or bagged as a gift.


INGREDIENTS:

• 8 oz white chocolate baking bars, coarsely chopped
• 4 cups Corn Chex or Rice Chex cereal
• 2 cups bite-size pretzel twists
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 cup candy corn
• 1/4 cup orange and black candy decors

DIRECTIONS:

1. In large microwavable bowl, microwave chopped baking bars uncovered on High 1 minute 30 seconds to 2 minutes 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth.

2. Gently stir in cereal, pretzels and raisins until evenly coated. Stir in candy corn and decors.

3. Spread on waxed paper or foil until cool and chocolate is set, about 30 minutes. Break into chunks. Store loosely covered.
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Deep Fried Mars Bar Recipe

Photo: Deep Fried Mars Bar

A deep-fried Mars bar is...
an ordinary Mars bar normally fried in a type of batter commonly used for deep-frying fish, sausages, and other battered products. The chocolate bar is typically chilled before battering to prevent it from melting into the frying fat, though a cold Mars can fracture when heated.

It's History
It is said to have been invented in the Haven Chip Bar in Stonehaven, near Aberdeen on Scotland's northeast coast, in 1995. The first recorded mention of the food was in the Aberdeen Evening Express following a tip off phone call to their journalist Alastair Dalton that a chip shop in Stonehaven had been deep frying Mars Bars for local kids. The Evening Express article included a quote from Mars spokesperson who said this was the first time they had heard of this being done with their product.

Did You Know?
(MRC Social & Public Health Sciences Unit) surveyed around 300 Scottish fish and chip shops: 22% sold deep-fried Mars bars, while an additional 17% of those surveyed had sold them in the past. Of the shops selling deep-fried Mars, three-quarters had only been selling them for the past 3 years. Average sales were 23 bars per week, although 10 outlets sold between 50 and 200 bars a week.  wikipedia
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This recipe for the deep fried Mars bar illustrates a typical procedure. The ingredients in the dish's variations may vary indefinitely, but the procedure will remain more or less the same. For authentic flavor, fry the treat in beef drippings rather than vegetable oil (it is worth noting the high saturated fat content this method of cooking involves).

Ingredients

• 1 Mars Bar or 1 Milky Way Bar
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon oil or fat

Procedure

• Chill, but do not freeze, the Mars bar by leaving it in a fridge for a short time.
• Mix the milk, flour and egg in a bowl.
• Whisk together to create a creamy batter.
• Heat the oil.
• Coat the Mars bar completely in batter.
• Lower into hot oil (around 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit, 175-190 Celsius) and fry until batter is golden brown. (Note: be careful to lower it gently; otherwise the batter may come off)
• Serve.

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Join our conversation:
What's your favorite greasy food?
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 Live everyday like a Holiday is the official blog of www.gone-ta-pott.com.
Visit our site for celebrations and holiday information.

• This post is in honor of: National Greasy Foods Day. 
• Cool Food for Kids Month
• National Dessert Month

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Peanut Brittle Day

Mummy's Microwave Peanut Brittle
Originally uploaded by GirlieErin

January 26th is National Peanut Brittle Day. I think peanut brittle is not only the choice for Peanut Brittle Day but it's popular for Halloween parties and Thanksgiving get-together's too. I know my Mother always made it the week of Thanksgiving every single year and shared it with any family or friends that came to visit. 

For this post I've picked a recipe for traditional Peanut Brittle by the Nut Factory. Peanut Brittle goes way way back and will forever be given as homemade food gifts.

Follow link for microwave peanut brittle.

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups raw Spanish peanuts
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 2 tsp. baking soda

Heat and stir sugar, syrup and water in a heavy 3-quart saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Add salt. Cook over medium heat to soft ball stage (234 degrees). Add peanuts at 250 degrees. Cook to hard crack stage (290 degrees), stirring often. Remove from heat.

Quickly, stir in butter and soda. Beat to a froth for a few seconds. Pour at once onto 2 well-buttered 15-1/2x10-1/2x1-inch pans, spreading with spatula. If desired, cool slightly and pull with forks to stretch thin. Break up when cold.

Yield: About 1-1/2 pounds of peanut brittle.
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Peanut Butter Pumpkins

Peanut Butter Pumpkins
This great Photo is by gina64 of flickr.com

Peanut Butter Pumpkins
Originally uploaded by gina64

This recipe is just perfect for November because not only is it National Peanut Butter Lovers Month but it's Thanksgiving as well. This recipe is peanut butter all the way and you cant go wrong with pumpkins in November either. What a great recipe to serve at your Thanksgiving dinner.

Hey.... put this recipe on your Halloween list too! At Halloween you know how everybody is looking for food that has great visual appeal and this is one treat that just perfect for all the fall Holiday's.

Recipe:
Melt one package of Reese's peanut butter chips and mix with a can of vanilla frosting. Add food coloring. Separate a little bit of the dough and color green for stems. Refrigerate for one hour. Roll into balls, score with a knife and squish them a little between thumb and forefinger. Poke holes in top of pumpkin with a toothpick. Make stems from the green dough or use pretzels and stick 'em in the top.
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