Homemade Ice Cream Toppings

Today I tried two recipes for homemade ice cream toppings. Yum!! I'm thinking these would make some nice gifts for teachers, neighbours and maybe even the bus driver!

Caramel Sauce

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup evaporated milk
• 1 tbsp vanilla

Combine butter, brown sugar, water and salt in a medium sauce pan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Bring to boil for 3-5 minutes depending on thickness desired. (The longer is boils, the thicker the sauce). Remove from heat and stir in evaporated milk and vanilla.

Sauce will be quite thin. Thickens to a nice, but pourable, consistency when cooled. If using right away, you may want to only put in half the evaporated milk to create a thicker sauce.

Hot Fudge Sauce

• 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 ounces of chocolate (whatever type you prefer - I used milk chocolate)

Put all ingredients in a heavy saucepan and cook over low heat until sauce is smooth and creamy. Let cool slightly and spoon into jar.

Candy Bar Cheesecake

• 2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 5 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 Butterfinger candy bars (2.1 ounces each), frozen and chopped

TOPPING:

• 1 Butterfinger candy bar, frozen and chopped
• 2 tablespoons butterscotch ice cream topping

In a small bowl, combine the wafer crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom and 1-1/2 inches up the sides of a greased 9-in. springform pan; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar til smooth. Beat in the cream and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in chopped candy bars. Pour into the crust. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 325 for 60-70 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate over night.

Remove sides of pan. Sprinkle chopped candy bar over cheesecake; drizzle with butterscotch topping. Refrigerate leftovers.

Tiny Mini Kisses Peanut Blossoms

These don't last long around my house of peanut butter lovers.
- 1/2 cup softened margarine
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- mini kisses

Cream margarine, sugars and peanut butter. Beat in 1 egg, milk and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually blend into creamed mixture. Shape dough into 3/4 inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 5-6 minutes or just until set. Remove from oven and immediately press one mini kiss in centre of each cookie.

*Oops! I forgot to roll these in sugar. Oh well, they were still delicious!

Whipped Shortbread

A favorite around Christmas.
- 1 cup butter (not margarine)
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch

Whip butter with beaters until fluffy. Add sugar and cornstarch. Whip. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time. Roll dough into balls (will be very soft) and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Using a fork dipped in four, make cross marks if desired. Bake at 325 for 12-15 minutes.
* Colored sprinkles or crushed candy canes make a nice touch.
** Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Gingerbread Boys

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law Jessica, who is the cookie baking queen, much to her nieces and nephews delight. My five year old's request:

• 1 box butterscotch pudding mix (not instant)



• 1/2 cup shortening



• 1/2 cup brown sugar



• 1 egg



• 1 1/2 cups flour



• 1 1/2 tsp ginger



• 1/2 tsp cinnamon



• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Cream shortening and sugar, add egg and mix well. Add dry pudding mix, flour and spices. Mix well. Roll dough 1/8 to 1/4 inch think and cut with cookie cutter. This dough is easy to work with. Bake on greased sheet at 350 for 10 minutes.* Cool and add icing.**

* I baked these for 7-8 minutes so they were still a little chewy
**It's best to add m & m's or whatever you're using to decorate, before you bake these.

Ribs, Round 2

I made ribs for, I think the 2nd time in our marriage (3 years :).  This time, they turned out, mostly.

I found this recipe online, Guy Fieri approved recipe.  Not his recipe, just approved by him.  So I figured they had to be good, because he is the expert in bbq-ish type stuff.

My modifications:
** I followed the recipe for Spicy Pork Ribs to a tee.  Put the rub on the ribs. Then I let them sit for a bit. Then placed them in a slow cooker. And the veggies on top. 3 hours on high, 3.5 hrs on low. At this point, they were pretty much fall off the bone, but at least I could still remove them from slow cooker without falling apart. I placed them on a baking sheet with parchment. Slathered them with bbq sauce. Turned the oven on broil, rack up to second highest position. Let them broil until they started getting crusty and the bbq sauce was bubbly. Pretty good.

**We had costco Pork Back Ribs, 2 racks. The recipe worked well for that amount.

**Wasn't really that spicy, which was ok for our liking. The one thing I would change is to be very generous with the bbq sauce, I was a little light on it. And, next time try an actual rib house sauce, like Montana's or Tony Romas (we had Bullseye Guinness).

**After those veggies were in the slow cooker that long, I chose not to serve them, kinda mushy.

**I also didn't pay attention to that slaw recipe below it, I see it now and does that ever look delightful, next time.

Spicy Pork Ribs with Tangy Slaw

Ingredients:

Spicy Pork Ribs:

6 racks baby back ribs

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon paprika

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 (12-ounce) bottle of light beer 

1 lemon, zested

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced

1/2 yellow onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Tangy Slaw:

2 limes, juiced

2 avocados, diced

1 cabbage head, shaved

1 cucumber, seeded and shaved

1 fennel bulb, shaved

1 jalapeno, diced

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 red onion, shaved

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Direction:

For the ribs: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the ribs in a deep pan and rub with the cumin paprika, red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons salt and 2 teaspoons black pepper. Let sit 30 minutes.

In the meantime, whisk together the beer, lemon zest and tomato paste. Pour over the ribs. Scatter the ribs with the tomatoes, bell peppers, onions and garlic. Cover tightly with foil and bake 3 hours.

While the ribs are cooking, make the slaw: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the lime juice and avocado until the avocado is just broken up. Add the cabbage, cucumber, fennel, jalapeno, cilantro and onions and season well with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.

To prepare: 

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Remove the ribs from the oven and finish on the grill until the outside is crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve the ribs with the slaw on the side.

Cream Puffs

I was wondering what to serve for dessert for our harvest crew, my Mom suggested cream puffs. I've never made them before, but she assured me it was easy and I'd wonder why I'd never made them before. She was right. :)

• 1/2 cup butter/margarine
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 eggs

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a baking sheet. In a saucepan, combine butter and water. Bring to a boil. All at once, beat in flour and salt. Continue cooking, beating hard until mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Then add, one at a time, 4 eggs. Beat hard until smooth and glossy after adding each egg. Chill the dough.* Drop batter from spoon onto baking sheet. Bake at 375 for about 25-30 minutes or until light and golden. Turn off oven and let dry in oven. Cool. Fill with sweetened whipped cream.

* I skipped the step about chilling the dough and they turned out fine.