Chocolate Caramel Crackers AKA "Shingles"

Chocolate Caramel Crackers AKA "Shingles"

Makes 1 cookie sheet.

A classic Christmas candy, and a traditional favorite of my husband's side of the family.  They call these "shingles," and they are addicting and delicious!
Source: The Mr.'s grandmother

~40 saltine crackers
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 11x17 baking sheet completely with foil and then line the base of the foil with parchment paper; cut to fit.

Line the bottom of the baking sheet with crackers, covering all parts.

In a saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together.  Stir over medium heat until it begins to boil.  Once it has begun boiling, let it boil for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly.  It will thicken a bit as it cooks.  Remove from the heat and add vanilla.  Quickly pour over crackers and spread it around to completely cover the crackers.

Bake for 15 minutes, watching carefully so that it does not burn.

Remove from oven and immediately cover with chocolate chips.  Let stand for 5 minutes and then spread the chocolate chips over the crackers.  Once completely cool -- speed the process up by putting the pan in the freezer -- break into pieces and store in a container.  We enjoy keeping these in the freezer and eating them straight from there!

Fall Bark

Fall Bark

Serves 6-8.

A dear friend made this and brought it over as dessert for our shared family dinner.  It was delicious and loved by all.  A beautiful and tasty autumn treat!
Source: Real Simple

• 1/2 pound white chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup miniature pretzels
• 1/2 cup candy corn
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 
  
• Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on 2 sides.
• 
  
• Heat the chocolate in a double boiler or medium heatproof bowl set over (but not in) a saucepan of simmering water, stirring often, until melted and smooth.
• 
  
• Spread the chocolate in the prepared pan and sprinkle with the pretzels, candy corn, and dried cranberries. Chill until firm, about 1 hour.
• 
  
• Remove the bark from the pan and break into pieces.

Puppy Chow

Puppy Chow

Makes 9 cups.

Quick! You have a few more days before you feel obligated to make your annual "healthy eating" New Year's resolution! :::wink!:::

My younger brother is The Best puppy chow maker ever. I don't know what his secret is, but I think it involves increasing the amounts of chocolate, peanut butter, and butter, and keeping the amount of Rice Chex as directed. His puppy chows always contains luscious powdered-sugar-covered-peanut-butter-and-chocolate glumps. And they taste amazing.

Here's the basic recipe. Increase amounts as you choose. Even made as-is, this is a spectacular, tried-and-true sweet snack.

Source: Chex.com

9 c. Rice Chex

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 c. peanut butter

1/4 c. butter

1 t. vanilla

1-1/2 c. powdered sugar

In a large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt butter, chocolate chips, and peanut butter. Stir frequently until mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into a 2-gallon resealable food storage bag.

Add powdered sugar to bag, seal, and shake to coat. Spread on wax paper to cool completely or, if you're lazy, just keep it in the bag or throw it in a container with an air-tight lid.

Chocolate Bark

Chocolate Bark

Makes about 2 lbs.

And to go with your white bark? Chocolate bark! Feel free to play around with what you add in -- after I chilled this in the fridge, I was wishing I had added peanuts or chopped pretzel pieces. Swirling in peanut butter, or adding chopped candy bars, would also be fantastic.

You can also play around with the chocolate chips -- maybe do half chocolate chips and half peanut butter chips?

Slightly adapted from: USA Weekend, November 12-14, 2010

2 pkgs. (10-12 oz. each) chocolate chips

1 T. vegetable oil

1 t. extract (peppermint, almond, etc.)

Nuts

Dried fruit

Candy bits

Melt chocolate chips with vegetable oil and extract in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir frequently. Stir in nuts, dried fruit, and/or candy bits, and spread it out in a baking pan with greased foil. Let it harden in the refrigerator for about two hours; then break apart into pieces.

White Chocolate Bark

White Chocolate Bark

Makes about 2 lbs.

This is so easy to make... you will have it done lickity-split. Granted, you need to allot for time in the fridge, but the prep is a breeze.

Slightly adapted from: Quick Cooking magazine, November/December 2005

1 T. butter

1 T. vegetable oil

2 pkgs. (10-12 oz. each) vanilla or white chocolate chips

1 c. chopped walnuts

1 c. dried cranberries

1/4 t. ground nutmeg

Line a 15" x 10" x 1" pan with foil. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Place the chips in a saucepan with butter and vegetable oil. Heat over medium-low, stirring frequently, until smooth.

Stir in walnuts, cranberries, and nutmeg. Spread into prepared pan. Chill until firm. Break into pieces.

Cookies 'n Cream Fudge

Cookies 'n Cream Fudge

Makes an 8x8 pan.

"Cookie" #9 in The Little Lady's "12 Days of Christmas Cookies

Adapted from: Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

3 c. white chocolate chips

1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1 c. crushed Oreo cookies (or similar chocolate cookie with cream filling)

1 t. vanilla

Line an 8x8 baking pan with foil; butter the foil.

In a 2-quart heavy saucepan, cook and stir the white chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk over low heat just until pieces melt and mixture is smooth. Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in crushed cookie pieces and vanilla.

Spread fudge evenly in the prepared pan. If desired, sprinkle with additional crushed cookie pieces. Cover and chill for about 2 hours, or until firm. When fudge is firm, use foil to lift if out of the pan. Cut fudge into squares. Store tightly covered up to 1 week.

Raisin Cashew Drops

Raisin Cashew Drops

Makes approximately 60 pieces.

"Cookie" #3 of The Little Lady's "12 Days of Christmas Cookies."

Source: Taste of Home

2 c. (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

1 T. light corn syrup

1 t. vanilla extract

2 c. coarsely chopped cashews

2 c. raisins

In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk and corn syrup for 10-12 minutes or until smooth, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla extract until blended. Stir in cashews and raisins.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until firm. Store in refrigerator.