Chocolate Covered Caramel Pretzel Rods

Items needed:

• Pretzel Rods
• Peter’s Caramel (melted)
• Milk Chocolate (melted)
• White Chocolate (melted)

How to melt Peter’s Caramel in the oven:

• Preheat your oven to 200 degrees F.
• Place the entire 5 lb. loaf into a french oven or a large stock pot.
• Once the oven has heated, place the french oven or stock pot loaded with the caramel inside for 60-90 minutes.
• Check the caramel at 45 minutes, (because some ovens are hotter than others), and then again at 60.
• When the caramel has completely melted, remove the french oven or the stock pot from the oven.
• Place the melted caramel in the pot onto the stove top. You can drip right out of the pot!

Instructions:

1. Dip the pretzel rods into the melted caramel and place on parchment paper to set for a couple of minutes. 
2. Dip into the the melted chocolate, which ever you want as your base.  Let cool
3. Drizzle the accent chocolate over the rods let dry completely and enjoy!

Sugar Cookies

• 2 cups unsalted butter, softened @ room temperature
• 2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 ½ T milk
• ½ t salt
• 1 ½ t baking powder
• 6 cups flour

Directions:

1.    Cream butter and sugar in mixer with cookie paddle attachment. You want the butter to lighten in color, this will be about 3-5 minutes.

2.    Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs, vanilla and milk. Mix another minute or so until fairly mixed.

3.    Scrape down sides of the bowl again. Add salt, baking powder and flour. Mix slowly at first, then beat until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

4.    Dust a sheet of parchment paper or a silicone pad and dust with powdered sugar. Put ball of dough onto paper/pad and flatten with your hand. Dust top with more sugar and place a sheet of parchment paper on top and roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness.

5.    Preheat oven to 350 convection. Cut dough into desire shapes and place evenly on parchment lined baking sheet. Set baking sheet in freezer for five minutes.

6.    Place frozen sheet of dough in oven and bake 10 minutes. Check for doneness. You may need to cook it longer, depending on oven times and cookie thickness. The cookies shouldn't be browned, just barely done and the dough no longer glossy. The moment you see any browning on a cookie, take the cookies out of the oven. This will keep them soft and fresh longer. Cool cookies on a cooling rack before frosting. Store in a sealed container.

7.    Will make 4 baking sheets, or 4 dozen 3-inch round cookies.

From: Karen Hunter

No Bake Energy Bites

3/4 cup all-natural peanut butter (if your natural peanut butter is refrigerated and is thick, try popping the measuring cup of peanut butter in the microwave for 10-15 seconds)

1 3/4 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats

1/3 cup honey (or slightly more if needed to bind mixture together)

1/3 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips (I used mini)

1.    Add peanut butter to medium microwave-safe mixing bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, or until peanut butter is less solid. 

2.    Add the rest of the ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir for 2-3 minutes until fully combined. At this point, if the dough is very sticky, you can refrigerate it for a 1-2 hours or pop it in the freezer for 30 minutes to slightly firm up.

3.    Using a cookie scoop or spoon, form the dough into about 24 tablespoon-sized balls. Place on wax or parchment sheet or dish and refrigerate for about an hour before enjoying.

4.    To store, place energy bites in a Ziploc bag or storage container. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes:
Depending on the type of peanut butter you use and its thickness, you may need to add slightly more honey or peanut butter to help the energy bites come together.

From: Sierra

Coconutty Cinnamon Oats Bites

Ingredients:

½ cup Natural Peanut Butter 

½ cup OffBeat Cinnamon Bun Butter or Natural Almond Butter 

½ cup Raw Honey 

1 serving Vanilla Protein Powder 

1 tsp. Vanilla extract 

Pinch of Sea Salt 

1 ¼ cups Kodiak Cakes Cinnamon Oat Mix 

1⁄3 cup Unsweetened, Shredded Coconut

(Easily prepared in a Kitchen Aid mixer)

Directions:

1. Mix peanut butter, almond butter, honey, protein powder, vanilla extract and salt together. Mix in the Kodiak Cakes Mix and shredded coconut last.

2. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop into balls and store in the fridge or freezer.

Makes 32 servings / 1 ball per serving 

Macros: 100 calories / 5F / 10C / 4P – Clean Simple Eats

Cream Puffs

1 C Water

1/2 Butter or Margarine

1 C Flour

4 Eggs

Filling - pudding or can make mini sandwiches 

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.  
2. In a sauce pan on the stove melt butter and then add water.  Then bring to a rolling boil.  
3. Over low heat vigorously stir the flour for 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball. Then remove from heat.
4. Add eggs and beat in with hand mixture until smooth.
5. For bite size dessert: use #50 cookie scoop to scoop onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until they are puffed and golden. 
6. For mini sandwiches: Drop dough by scant 1/4 cup fouls 3 inches apart onto untreated baking sheet. Bake 35-40 minutes or until puffed and golden.
7. Cool away from draft. Then cut of tops and pull out any filaments of soft dough.
8. Fill puffs with pudding or whipped cream.  
9. Replace tops; dust with powdered sugar and refrigerate until serving time.

Yield: 30 dessert size cream puffs or 12 cream puffs - sandwiches

Rice Krispy Treats

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Butter
16 oz (10 cups) Mini Marshmallows
6-7 cups Rice Krispies
1/8 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk

Instructions:
Melt butter then add marshmallows and melt.  Add condensed milk then rice krispies cup by cup.  Mix together and place into dish to set.  Note: Don't pack into dish you want them to be fluffy.

Raspberry Jam Tartlets

Ingredients:

• Pie Crust (uncooked)
• Water
• Flour
• Raspberry Jam
• Sugar

Directions:

1. Set oven to 450. Lightly flour counter & rolling pin.  Gently roll the dough 1/8 inch thick.
2. Cut rounds place half on the cookie sheet and put jam in the center of each.
3. Prick the remaining circles and place on top of the rounds with jam on the cookies sheet. Then seal the edges. 
4. Bake 10-12 minutes.  Sprinkle with sugar as soon as they come out from the oven.

From Emily Park

Universal Truth Cookies

Ingredients:

 1 cup Brown Sugar

½ cup sugar (melted to soft)
½ cup butter
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/8 cup flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 Tbs water
2 cups chocolate chips (Ghirardelli)
1 cup caramel baking chips (Ghirardelli)

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare pans with parchment paper

2. Combine sugars and butter with mixer until creamy. Add eggs, vanilla, and water and mix 1.5 minutes.
3. In separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet. Mix by hand until combined.
5. Stir in Baking chips.
6. Form 1 ½ inch balls and place on prepared pans. Bake for 11 minutes and add 2 minutes if needed or until edges are brown.

Muddy Buddies

9 C Rice Chex or Crispix
1 C Semisweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 C Peanut Butter
1/4 C Butter
1 tsp Vanilla
1 1/2 C Powdered Sugar

Measure out the cereal and set aside in a large bowl.

Melt the butter then add chocolate chips and the peanut butter together, either in the microwave or on the stove top. Be careful not to burn it. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal and stir until it is evenly coated. Pour into 1-2 gallon resealable gallon size bags.

Add powdered sugar to bags. Seal bag and shake until the cereal is well coated.

Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

Candy Apples

 
Items Needed:

• Granny Smith Apples
• Caramel Apple wraps
• Almond Bark Chocolate: Milk Chocolate & White
• Crushed Candy: Butterfingers, Snickers, Heath
• Other Toppings: Graham Cracker Crumbs, Oreo (any flavor), Crushed Pretzels, Mini Chocolate Chips, Crushed Shortbread Cookies

Directions:

1. Wash Apples and pull out stem.  
2. Follow the directions on the back of the Caramel Apple Wraps.  
3. Allow Caramel to cool then dip in melted chocolate.  
4. Before the chocolate hardens add crushed candy or other toppings.  
5. Allow chocolate to harden, cut and enjoy!

Simple Favorite Combinations:

Caramel + Milk Chocolate + Butterfingers + White Chocolate Drizzle
Caramel + Milk Chocolate + Snickers + White Chocolate Drizzle
Caramel + White Chocolate + Oreo + Milk Chocolate Drizzle
Caramel + White Chocolate + Cinnamon Sugar + Milk Chocolate Drizzle

*Can substitute milk chocolate for semisweet chocolate.

Fancy Flavor Combos:

Apple Pie: Caramel + White Chocolate + Graham Cracker Crumbs (mixed with a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon).

Salted Caramel Pretzel: Caramel + White or Milk Chocolate + Crushed Pretzels + Mini Chocolate Chips or Toffee Bits + Chocolate Drizzle

Twix: Caramel + Milk Chocolate + Crushed Shortbread Cookies + Chocolate Drizzles

Tropical Squares

Ingredients:
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups Kelloggs Special K cereal
1 cup flaked coconut

Directions:
Combine corn syrup and sugar in a 3 quart pan.  Cook over medium heat stirring occasionally until mixture bubbles.  Remove from heat stir in peanut butter.  Add cereal and coconut.  Stir until well coated press evenly into the bottom of the buttered 8x8 pan. Let stand in coll place till firm.  Cut into squares using a pizza cutter.

(Using a whole family size box of Special K cereal times all the ingredients by 5.  Instead of using an 8x8 pan use cookies sheets.  It will make 1 and 1/2 cookies worth.)