Terribly Terrific Toffee

There's something magical about brown sugar and butter that creates such a buttery treat such as toffee. This is doubly good because it adds the saltiness of a cracker that meets up to the rich bettery taste.

1 cup unsalted butter (no margarine allowed) 1 cup brown sugar 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 40 saltine crackers Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a 15x10-inch jelly roll pan or a 12x17-inch cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Lay a flat layer of crackers out on the foil. Melt the sugar and butter until a boil is reached. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5-6 minutes or until mixture is thickened and sugar is completely dissolved. Pour this mixture over the crackers and spread to coat evenly. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the toffee becomes bubbly. After removing the pan from the oven, let it sit for 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle on the chocolate chips, let them soften and melt, and then spread them into an even layer. (You can add nuts, cracker crumbs, or whatever else floats your boat at this point.) Let cool and, if desired for expediting purposes, refrigerate until hardened. Break into pieces the size of your choice. I personally prefer a hand-sized chunk. 2 DIP crackers in chocolate mixture, turning to completely coat each cracker. Carefully scrape off excess chocolate. Place crackers in single layer on waxed paper-covered baking sheets; sprinkle with crushed candy. 3 REFRIGERATE 30 min. or until chocolate is firm.

Potato Chip Fudge

If you're like us, you've got a weakness for snack food like potato chips and pretzels. And when they're added to creamy rich fudge, they taste like expensive chocolate-dipped pretzels and chips like the ones we see in fancy candy stores.

1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups coarsely crumbled potato chips (See Note) What To Do: In a medium saucepan, melt chocolate chips over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Be careful not to burn. When chocolate is melted, reduce heat to low and add sweetened condensed milk and vanilla; stir until well blended. Remove from heat and immediately add crumbled potato chips. Stir gently to blend and pour into an 8-inch square baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray. Cover and cool in the refrigerator until set.

Tiger Butter Fudge

I have some fantastic candy recipes that wont keep you in the kitchen all day maki ng them. I am all for that since I am not a baker at all, candy is so pretty packaged up at Christmas time to give out to friends and family.

Makes: 2 Pounds Fudge What You'll Need: 16 (1-ounce) white chocolate baking squares, finely chopped 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips Combine white chocolate and peanut butter in a microwave-safe 2-quart bowl. Microwave at HIGH 2-1/2 minutes or until melted, stirring twice. Pour into a wax paper-lined 10- x 15-inch rimmed baking sheet, spreading evenly. Microwave chocolate chips in a microwave-safe 2-quart bowl at HIGH 2-1/2 minutes or until melted, stirring twice. Pour over white chocolate mixture; swirl gently with a knife. Chill until firm. Break into pieces. Store candy in an airtight container in refrigerator.

CARAMEL APPLE DIP

This recipe is so easy and when you dip apples in it, it really does taste like a caramel apple (without the hassle of trying to eat a whole apple off a stick without getting sticky sweet caramel all over yourself--not that that has ever happened to me). To make this yummy fruit dip you will need: 1 8oz. package of cream cheese, softened (I used 1/3 reduced fat cream cheese) 1/2 cup of your favorite caramel sauce, room temp Whip the cream cheese and caramel sauce together in a bowl with a hand mixer (you can use a stand mixer if you want, but I find you have to scrape the bottom far too many times and still hand mix some unless you use a hand mixer). Serve with sliced apples, or any other fruit you have on hand. I am also a huge fan of this dip with sliced pears! Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container (if you happen to have some leftovers). One of my favorite parts about this dip is that it is still creamy and usable right out of the fridge, while a regular caramel sauce hardens and needs to be heated. Gotta love the magical powers of cream cheese!

Candy Cane Joe-Joe Ice Cream Cake

If you're looking for creative Christmas dessert recipes or just want to get in the winter spirit, try this recipe for Candy Cane Joe-Joe Ice Cream Cake. No bake dessert recipes don't get much easier than this one, and it's both attractive and tasty. With ice cream, cookies, hot fudge, whipped topping and more, this dessert casserole is like the ultimate winter ice cream sundae in disguise. 1 package Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Joe-Joes or Candy Cane Oreos 1 jar of Hot Fudge About 1.5 quarts Vanilla Ice Cream 1 container Cool Whip Drizzle of Chocolate Syrup A few small candy canes, crushed Place Joe-Joes (or Oreos) in a ziploc bag and beat with a rolling pin or mallet until crushed. Dump them in a 13x9x2 inch pan and press down. Warm up a jar of hot fudge (you can do low cal or reduced fat) as per jar instructions and spread over Oreos. Then, spoon soft ice cream, your flavor of choice, until you reach your desired thickness. (I put about 1 inch) This works best with soft ice cream. Don’t be afraid to press it down with your hands. Spread a container of Cool Whip on for the next layer. Add a drizzle of chocolate syrup and a few crushed candy canes. Freeze overnight. Enjoy!

Crispy Mint Thins (Ritz Crackers)

The following recipes are the most simplest recipes, yet one of them is another version of a famous cookies that we all love; Girl Scout Thin Mints. This will be a popular recipe at Christmas time with the colored candies crushed on top. What's so hard to put chocolate on top of Ritz crackers and then crushed colorful peppermint candies on top..?? I will say...nothing. You will appreciate that crispy chocolate treat later. Ingredients 1 pkg (8 squares) baker's semi-sweet chocolate, melted, slightly cooled 1/4 tsp peppermint extract 1 sleeve ritz crackers (36 crackers) 1 candy cane (6 inch), crushed Directions 1 MIX chocolate and extract. 2 DIP crackers in chocolate mixture, turning to completely coat each cracker. Carefully scrape off excess chocolate. Place crackers in single layer on waxed paper-covered baking sheets; sprinkle with crushed candy. 3 REFRIGERATE 30 min. or until chocolate is firm.

Butterfinger Blondies

That name "butterfinger" draws you that nothing else can. I dont know about you, but it's my favorite candy bar. If your a occasional baker or even you know some terminology, you know that blondies are brownies that don't have any chocolate. But's thats fine to me. The picture here and the creamy topping on top it's a definite A1 dessert in my book. Ingredients 1 cup butter 1 cup light brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 tsp vanilla 2 eggs 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp coarse sea salt 2 cups coarsely chopped Butterfinger Bars (approx 16 “Fun Size” bars) Instructions Preheat oven to 350° Cream butter and sugars in mixing bowl. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix until incorporated. On low add your dry ingredients (flour, salt and baking soda) until just combined. Stir in your chopped Butterfinger. Spread in a 9×13 baking dish and bake for 25 minutes until center is JUST set. Remove from oven and cool completely. Butterfinger Buttercream: Ingredients 1/2 cup room temp butter (1 stick) 1/2 cup vegetable shortening 2 1/2 – 3 cups powdered sugar 1/2 cup chopped Butterfinger Bars (approx 4 “Fun Size” bars) Instructions Cream the butter and shortening together until smooth. Add in you powdered sugar on low speed. Turn speed up to medium and mix until smooth Stir in your chopped Butterfinger. (I sprinkled mine on top rather than stirring them in!) Spread on your cooled blondies.