Amy’s English Toffee
1 c. butter (laid side by side in the frying pan)
1 c. sugar (poured over the butter)
3 Tbsp. water (poured over the sugar)
Put ingredients into a stainless steel 10″ or so frying pan (not non-stick–I use my old Club aluminum pan). Let the butter melt and incorporate the sugar into it without much stirring at all over medium-high heat (I use a 7 out of 10 on my electric burner). Once it’s melted, you can stir MINIMALLY (once around the edge, wait a minute or two, then again in a zig-zag through the middle so it doesn’t burn, and repeat). It will bubble and mix together, and you’ll know if it separates because the butter will float to the top–then you have to start again. OH–use a wooden spoon, not metal or non-stick. Keep cooking and stirring this way until the toffee turns a warm maple/oak wood color–it usually takes 10-15 minutes. You want it to be at a slow, rolling boil the whole time. You can test if it gets to a hard crack stage by dropping a little into a small bowl of ice water–then taste it. If it crunches, you’re good to go, if it’s still a little chewy, keep cooking a little more.
Once it’s ready, remove from heat and stir in 1 tsp. vanilla. When that’s mixed, quickly pour onto a jelly roll pan (sided cookie sheet) and use a rubber scraper to spread thinly over the whole cookie sheet–it should take up almost the whole space. You have to move fairly quickly because it cools quickly and then it stays where it is!!
Put on top:
3 Hershey chocloate bars, broken up into sections and put evenly over the candy.
Once the chocolate is melted, use the back of a spoon (regular eating one) to spread it around until the candy is covered.
Sprinkle chopped pecans on top, using about 1/2 c or whatever you like. Cool in the refrigerator until you want to break it apart!
It looks complicated, but really isn’t. I only stress the right tools and stirring as it can be a little touchy and you don’t want to have it separate.
Lori’s Cupcakes
1 stick margarine
1/2 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 tsps baking soda
1 tsp ( I use 2- 3tsp) vanilla ( I use Mexican real vanilla)
2 cups flour
1 cup hot water
cream 1st 3 ingredients, add eggs, blend, add milk and vanilla, then baking soda and flour. mix well, add hot water, and mix until blended.
bake at 350*, until top springs back, about 25 min for 13×9 (greased/floured pan)
Lee’s Strawberry Cheesecake
1, 9” cheesecake
Bake at 450 deg for 10 mins, then 250 deg for 1 hr 20 mins. (put on top of cooks sheet for spillage).
1 1/3 c. graham cracker crumbs
¼ c. sugar
6 T butter (melted)
Combine above, press mixture evently on bottom and halfway up side of lightly buttered 9” springform pan. Chill.
3, 8oz. cream cheese (room temp)
1 ¼ c. sugar
2 T flour
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
2 tsp. vanilla
3 T heavy cream
Beat cheese until smooth; blend in sugar and flour. Beat with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs and yolk one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla and whipping cream. Pour onto crust; smooth top. Bake.
Topping:
8 oz. sour cream (room temp)
1 tsp vanilla
2 T sugar
Put on top of cake and return to turned off oven for 30 mins. Keep oven door ajar.
Slice hulled strawberries and place on top of cheesecake, top with strawberry glaze. Chill.
Sandy’s Cream Puffs
1 c. water
1 stick butter
1c. flour
4 eggs
2 sm pkgs instant vanilla pudding
3 ½ c. milk
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. cool whip
Topping:
1 c. chopped salted nuts (if desired)
chocolate syrup (can)
Bring water and butter to boil and add 1 c. of flour. Put 4 eggs in mixer bowl and add flour mixture and beat until well blended. Put in jelly roll pan, 10×15, (well greased). (9×13 works fine too). Bake 30 mins at 400 deg. Cool. Combine 2 pkgs instant vanilla pudding, 3 ½ c. milk. Add 8 oz. cream cheese. Top w/ 8oz. cool whip and chopped nuts. Dribble with chocolate syrup.
Stacey’s Strawberry Angel Food Cake
1 – 12 oz. container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 – 8 oz. container sour cream
1 – 9 inch angel food cake
1 – 3.4 oz. pkg instant cheesecake flavored pudding mix
1 pint fresh strawberries sliced
Directions:
In a medium bowl, fold sour cream and unprepared pudding mix into the whipped topping.
Cut the cake in half and spread 1/3 of the pudding mixture onto the cake half and add half of the sliced strawberries.
Put the other half of the cake on and spread the rest of the pudding mixture all over the cake and add the additional sliced strawberries.
Refrigerate until serving.