Healthier No bake bars

These are ao yummy and take just a second to make :) Bailey and Charlie were licking the spoon :)

BEST Buttermilk biscuits

Our favorite biscuit recipe!!! They are delicious and remind bailey of biscuitville and Cracker Barrel :) 

2 cups self rising flour (or  you may make your own, recipe below)
1/3 cup solid shortening, I prefer Crisco
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk, shaken
melted butter

Pre heat oven to 450 degrees, and set rack in middle of oven.
Place the self rising flour into a medium size bowl. Cut the shortening in , using a pastry cutter, or two knives. Add the buttermilk all at once. Gently fold the buttermilk into the flour and shortening, until the
dough gathers together, and the flour is mixed in. I use a large wood spoon for this.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat gently into a disc about one inch thick. Do not over handle the biscuits, this will make them tough, and not tender.
Gently cut the biscuits, using a biscuit cutter or glass. Place onto a cookie sheet.
Brush the tops of biscuits with melted butter.
Make sure the oven is completely pre heated  and up to 450 when the biscuits are placed in to bake.
Bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown on top and bottom.
Makes 9- 2 1/2 inch biscuits. Biscuit yield will depend on size of cutter.

Self Rising Flour :
1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Mix together in a bowl with a fork. Store in a container or Ziploc bag until ready to use.

Easy Peppermint Fudge

This was the easiest and most delicious fudge I've ever made! Actually Bailey did everything but pour the fudge in the pan! Todd tried it and said,"you need to put this on your blog!" And if you don't like peppermint.. You can add anything to the top.. Crushed Oreos or Reese's cups! You could easily make white chocolate fudge by substituting the semi-sweet chips for white chocolate! 

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk 

Peppermints (10-15), crushed 

Combine the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in a double boiler over medium heat. Heat until melted, about 5-7 minutes. Stir until smooth, then immediately pour it into the foil-lined pan. Use an offset spatula to smooth the surface, then sprinkle on the crushed peppermints.

Refrigerate for 2 hours, then cut into small squares.

We also added

1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips 1/2 cup of chopped York peppermint parties!! 

Chocolate bread

Bread is great, chocolate bread is even better!!! :) I even feel fine eating this bread and serving it to my family with the no-oil and 2 cups of zucchini!! Yes :) please make this! Bailey was in heaven"this is way better than cookies mom!!"

- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

- 1/2 cup cocoa powder

- 1 tsp baking soda

- 1/2 tsp baking powder

- 1 tsp salt

- 1 1/2 cups sugar

- 3 eggs

- 1 cup applesauce 

- 2 tsp vanilla

- 2 cups grated zucchini**

- 1 cup chocolate chips (omit for dairy free)

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray two 9x5 pans with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In a medium bowl, beat the sugar and eggs until light and fluffy.  (About 3 min on med-high). Add the oil and vanilla.  Add to the dry ingredients along with the zucchini and chocolate chips.  Stir until just combined, and divide between the loaf pans.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the tops are cracked and springy to the touch.

** Remember when grating zucchini:  Grate the zucchini into a colander in the sink about a half hour before wanting to add it to your recipe.  Add a pinch of salt and stir it in.  The salt will help draw out the excess water.  When you add the grated zucchini to your recipe, it will keep it from adding too much moisture.  

Best French Bread!

This bread was amazing!  We all loved it!  I am not really a bread person and I couldn't stop eating it!  Todd and Bailey were in heaven, so was Charlie!  Bailey has eaten it the past 3 nights.. This recipe makes 3 large loaves!  We ate 2 loaves and froze the third!  I looked at a lot of different recipes before making this one. This one seems to combine every one's recommendation.  We will be making this a lot!! We love finding new family recipes! 

1 (1/4 ounce) envelope quick-rising yeast                                                  

2 1/2 cups warm water (I did around 125)                      

7 cups Better for Bread Flour                     

2 tablespoons sugar                      

1 tablespoon salt                                                  

1/4 cup cornmeal

 

Dissolve yeast in very warm water.  (I did 125 because I was using my kitchen aid bowl which is always cold) Stir well.  Let proof for 10 minutes.  (If your mixture doesn't have a "yeast smell" and doesn't look a little foamy, start over. 

 

To your Kitchen-Aid bowl...Stir in 2 cups of the flour, sugar and salt until mixture is smooth; gradually beat in enough of the remaining 5 cups flour to make stiff dough.

Turn out onto lightly floured pastry cloth or board and knead 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic, adding only enough more flour to keep dough from sticking.

Return to bowl; brush top with soft shortening or oil and cover with clean towel or plastic wrap.

Let rise till double in bulk in warm place away drafts (approximately 45-60 minutes). 

Punch dough down; cover; let rise again for 30 minutes (again in warm place away from drafts) or until double in bulk.  (I put mine in the refrigerator and got out 2 hours before dinner)

While dough rises, make boat shaped baking pans as follows:.Tear off 3 twenty-inch-long sheets of heavy aluminum foil.  Fold in sides of foil approximately 1"-1 1/2" on all 4 sides to form baking pan, this will allow the bread to rise up and not spread out into a flat shaped loaf by folding the short ends together to seal, pressing thumb inside to round slightly (shape into boat)with shortest ends slightly rounded.  Spray with PAM and sprinkle lightly with corn meal.  (Just make rectangular boxes)

Punch dough down, knead 1 minute on lightly floured pastry cloth or board.  Divide dough into thirds. 

Roll out with the palm of your hands to a rope approximately 18 inches long; place in prepared foil pan.  Repeat with remaining two-thirds dough.  (once the warmth from your hands softens it, it will roll out easily). 

Make 3-4 evenly spaced shallow cuts diagonally in the top of each loaf; brush with warm water and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Cover with clean towel and let rise in warm place away from drafts till double in bulk (approx. 30 min).

Preheat oven to 450º

Place dish (I use a pie plate) on lower shelf of oven and fill half way with hot tap water.  Slide loaves on shelf above water.

Bake for 15 minutes in 450º oven; reduce heat to 350º and bake 30 minutes longer.

Bread is done when tapped and gives a hollow sound.  Remove immediately from pans and let cool on cooling racks.

Serve with softened butter, I usually don't add butter to bread anymore, but the salted butter really makes this bread!

Mississippi Mud Brownie Pie

The only reason this is called "Brownie pie" is because we made it in a pie dish.  We cut the entire recipe in half.  Next time I will make it in the normal 9x13 pyrex or I might make them in muffin tins, cute single servings! These were really rich, in a good way!  Bailey really had fun making them! 

 Lady Brownies (Bake according to directions)
3 cups mini marshmallows
1 stick melted butter
1/3 cup cocoa
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 box xxx sugar, sifted

While Brownies are cooking combine cocoa, evaporated milk, vanilla and xxx sugar using an electric mixer, set aside.

When Brownies come out of the oven, evenly place 3 cups of mini marshmallows on top.  Put brownies back into the oven for 2 minutes. 

Pour icing over warm brownies!  Give the icing a little time to set up before eating!

Double Marshmallow Rice Krispie Treats

We made these for Libby's Lemonade Sale.  They were so good and so easy to make.  The mini marshmallows made them extra special!

• 4 tablespoons salted butter, plus more for greasing
• One 10-ounce bag marshmallows
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups rice cereal
• 1 bag mini white marshmallows
• Rainbow sprinkles, to decorate

Thoroughly grease a 9- by 13-inch pan with softened butter.

In a large pot, melt the butter. Stir in the regular marshmallows until they're totally melted. Stir in the salt. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Pour in the cereal, folding gently the whole time until all combined. Then pour in the mini marshmallows and gently fold in. Turn into the buttered pan and press flat. Immediately top with rainbow sprinkles.

Let cool completely, and then cut into squares.