Golden Treasure Meatballs

This is a dish my mother made years ago.  It is sort of reminiscent of Porcupine Meatballs.

Printable Recipe

1 1/2 pounds hamburger
1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs (bread torn or cut into small cubes)
1/3 cup chopped green pepper
1/3 cup ketchup
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

16 (3/4-inch cubes) American cheese * (see note)
3-4 (8-oz) cans tomato sauce for cooking the meatballs in
about 2 tbsp oil for browning the meatballs in

hot, cooked rice


Mix together the hamburger, bread crumbs, green pepper, ketchup, egg, garlic salt, salt,  and pepper.  Shape into 16 meatballs.  Form around one cube of cheese and set meatballs on a sheet of waxed paper until all meatballs have been formed.

In a large skillet, working in batches, brown the meatballs in hot oil, being careful not to break them apart, until they are browned on all sides.  Once all the meatballs are browned, place them all in the skillet and pour the tomato sauce over all and cover the skillet and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until they are cooked through, maybe up to 25 minutes, depending on how lean your meat is.  Be careful not to overcook them, or they will become dry and tough.  You want them to be tender and the cheese to melt.  Serve over hot rice.

* You can find American cheese in 8-oz packages vacuum sealed like you would find Mozzarella, or Colby cheese.  You don't have to use something like Velveeta anymore.

Printable Recipe

Muddy Buddies using Vanilla Chex cereal

Printable Recipe

I've adapted this recipe from Housewife 2 Hostess

Naturally, any flavor of Chex cereal will taste good, but the Vanilla Chex is very good.  So far, that is the only variety I've used.  The added vanilla is very good, but not necessary.  The milk chocolate chips, in my opinion, are better than the semi sweet that the original recipe calls for.

7 cups Vanilla Chex cereal
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Put the cereal in a large bowl and set aside.  In a microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan over low heat, melt together the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter until smooth.  Stir in the vanilla extract and our over the cereal, stirring until well coated.  Stir in the powdered sugar until the cereal is well coated.  Sometimes I add some extra powdered sugar.  Chelsey advises spreading the Muddy Buddies onto a large cookie sheet and placing in the freezer.  She says it keeps the powdered sugar nice and white.  Each time I've made these, I've done so.  I put them in an extra large cake pan, and place a sheet of waxed paper on top, before placing in the freezer.  She says to keep them in the freezer for 5 minutes, but I always seem to get busy and lose track of time, so they end up staying in there for about an hour.  If that happens to you, no worries, they will be fine.

Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches

Printable Recipe

There is a real good restaurant close by that makes a Hawaiian Chicken sandwich, and I wanted to try to replicate it at home. I found this recipe on AllRecipes.  I changed a few things, and I'd have to say that it comes pretty close.

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups bottled Teriyaki sauce (I use Kikkoman)

Sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
a few drops Worcestershire sauce

mixture of cornstarch and water, stirred

6 slices pineapple (use fresh, if you're able, otherwise, canned will work fine)
thinly sliced Monterey Jack cheese
9 or 12 grain bread, buttered on one side


Pound the chicken breasts between sheets of waxed paper or in a heavy-duty ziplock plastic bag to an even thickness.  Marinate the chicken in the Teriyaki sauce in ziplock bags placed in a large glass bowl or cake pan, for up to 8 hours.

I usually use chicken that I've bought from Sam's club, and since they are so huge, I make additional sauce.  I like to have some to dip the sandwiches into on the side, too.  You just want equal parts of the brown sugar, soy sauce and pineapple juice.  I add a few drops of Worcestershire to cut down on the sweetness from the sugar and the juice.  A few drops is all you need, or else you will change the flavor of the sauce too much.  Bring the sauce to a boil and stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook until it has nicely thickened.

Preheat the gas grill to 350 degrees and oil the grates, if desired.  With the lid closed, cook the chicken about 4-8 minutes per side, depending on the size of the chicken breast.  Baste with the sauce starting right away.  Since it cooks for such a short time, you can put some on the top of the chicken when you first place it on the grill and then again when you flip them halfway through.

At some point, if you're using fresh pineapple slices, place those on the grill to sort of caramelize them.  Just before you pull the chicken off the grill, turn the gas off and place a slice of pineapple on top of each piece of chicken, and top with some Monterey Jack cheese.  Baste with some more sauce.  Close the lid again and let stay in there for a few minutes until the cheese has melted but has not browned.

Meanwhile, fry up the bread on the stove in a dry skillet on one side.  You can either serve the bread on the side, or serve the chicken on the bread, sandwich style.  Be sure to serve a bit of the sauce on the side to dip your chicken or bread into.

This is a great summer meal served with fresh fruit.

Chocolate Steamed Pudding

This is a moist, dense, chocolate cake. It is a very good, and an old-fashioned recipe. It is my dad's and brother's favorite dessert, and usually, someone will make it for them on their birthdays. It requires the use of a 4-cup mold of some sort. You can use one like is in the photos, or you can simply use a small casserole dish. You will want to cover it with a double layer of heavy-duty foil if you don't have a cover for the mold, so no steam gets inside.

Place the mold on top of a rack, inside a large stock pot. I used a metal steamer basket.

Allow cake to cool for about 10 minutes inside the mold, then remove it and allow to cool on a wire rack.

See how creamy the hard sauce gets? I don't know why it is called hard sauce, because it is actually a very thick frosting - almost tastes like the frosting on wedding cakes. At any rate, this stuff is so good!

Printable Recipe


1 egg
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp butter, softened
2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup milk

Cream the egg, sugar, butter and chocolate, until fluffy. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, soda and cream of tartar. Beat into the chocolate mixture, alternately with the milk. Beat until smooth. Pour into a greased 1 - quart mold, or casserole dish.

Cover the mold or casserole dish, very tightly, with foil, Place inside a large pot, on top of a rack. Add enough water so that it is halfway up the mold. Bring water to a quick boil, then reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and steam for 2 hours. You may have to check to make sure there is still water in the pot, during the cooking time. When done, loosen the edges with a knife, and cool in dish for at least 10 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack. Serve with Creamy Hard Sauce.


This doesn't make a whole lot, so you might want to double this

Creamy Hard Sauce

1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup pwd sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp milk

Cream the butter, thoroughly. Slowly add the pwd sugar, and beat until it is as light as whipped cream. (Note: this will take a while, and you might think it will never fully incorporate, but it will, with time.) Beat in the vanilla and milk, drop by drop, until light and fluffy.

Peppermint Pattie Brownies

Printable Recipe


I found this recipe on How Sweet It Is.  The pictures on Jessica's site are gorgeous, and I knew mine would pale by comparison, but I was pretty sure that they would taste almost as good as hers looked ... and I was right.  The filling is downright velvety, smooth and just melts in your mouth and the ganache is scrumptious, too.

I probably over baked the brownies somewhat, so next time, I will take them out of the oven just as soon as they are set.  Otherwise, you can't really go wrong with this recipe.  Thank you Jessica, because of you, I have found a new family favorite!

This recipe is made in an 8 x 8" baking pan, but I doubled the recipe, making it in a 9 x 13" pan.

Brownie Layer
 1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup chocolate chips (I used semi sweet)

Peppermint Pattie Layer
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tbsp butter, softened
3 tbsp evaporated milk
1/4 tsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp peppermint extract

Ganache Layer
 3 1/2 oz dark chocolate, finely chpd (since I doubled the recipe, and I used a 4 oz bar of dark chocolate, I also used 3 oz of semi sweet mini chocolate chips)
2 1/2 tbsp heavy cream


To make the brownies
 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8 x 8" baking pan. (Next time I will line the pan with parchment paper, as well.)

In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla extract and using a whisk, combine until almost smooth.  Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, and whisk until completely smooth.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder salt and baking soda.  I would suggest sifting it all together first.  Stir into the batter with the whisk, just until combined.  Using a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips.  Spread into the prepared pan and bake 350 degrees, 25 - 30 minutes until set.  Let cool.

To make the peppermint pattie filling
Combine the powdered sugar, butter, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and peppermint extract and beat with an electric mixer until smooth.  Add more evaporated milk if desired. Spread evenly over the brownies.  Chill in pan in the refrigerator until set, about 30 minutes.

To make the Ganache
Place the chopped chocolate in a glass bowl.  Heat the heavy cream and pour over the chocolate, stirring for a few minutes until smooth.  Spread evenly over the peppermint pattie layer.  Refrigerate until the chocolate is set.  I stored these in the refrigerator.  These were gone in just a couple of days!

Homemade Almond Joy Candies

So, here are the Almond Joy Candies.  Sorry that this picture isn't the greatest, but it will give you a closer look.  

                            

Years ago, my aunt Dorothy made candies similar to these.  They were lovingly named Do-Do Balls, and she was quite famous for them.  She rolled them into balls, rather than forming them into logs.  I don't recall that they had almonds in them.

These candies are so good and taste much like the real thing, only better, since they are so FRESH!  I found the recipe at Cooking with K

I admit that they are time consuming, since they make a lot of candies.  The somewhat difficult part it dipping them in the chocolate.  I would advise that you keep a bowl of the chocolate over very warm, simmering water, to keep the chocolate melted so that it does not cool off so much that it begins to set up.  I found a tip on Pinterest, suggesting that when dipping candies in chocolate, that you heat up water and then put it in a crock pot and set the bowl of melted chocolate over that.  I don't know if you'd want to set it to high, or low, but that would probably be a good idea and is should keep the chocolate melted the entire time.  I will try it the next time I make these.

I suggest making them small.  When pressing the almond on top before dipping, don't press down too hard, because you want to be able to see the almond underneath the chocolate.

Printable Recipe

2 (14-oz) bags sweetened shredded coconut
4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

2 (24-oz) packages chocolate almond bark
1 - 1 1/2 cups whole almonds, roasted (I used Blue Diamond Roasted Salted Diamonds)

In a large bowl, blend the coconut, powdered sugar, butter, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.  You can do this with a heavy-duty spoon or you may have to actually combine it by hand.  At Cooking With K, she uses a stand-up mixer with the paddle attachment and combines the ingredients a little at a time.  The mixture will be thick.  Chill it for about 30 minutes or more for easier handling.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Remove the coconut mixture from the refrigerator and form them into logs, about 2 inches long and 3/4 of an inch thick.  I actually prefer them smaller than that.  Press the coconut mixture together well, so that they don't fall apart or crack while being dipped.  Place the candies on another parchment-lined cookie sheet and continue until all the coconut mixture is gone. You will need to periodically rinse off your hands as they will get sticky from the mixture.  Press an almond in the center of each candy, but not down too far, because you want the almond to be visible underneath the chocolate.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave or in the top of a double boiler until it is completely melted and smooth.  Place a candy on a meat fork and dip the bottom into the chocolate.  Using a spoon, scoop the chocolate over the candy until covered.  Gently tap the fork onto the sides of the bowl to release the extra chocolate.  Using a toothpick, gently slide the candy off of the fork and onto another parchment-lined cookie sheet.  Chill once again until the chocolate is hardened.  If the chocolate sets up too much and hardens, place the bowl into the microwave for about 20-30 seconds.  As I suggested in my notes above, place the bowl of chocolate over a crock pot of very warm to hot water and set the crock pot to low (or high) to keep the chocolate melted during the entire process.  When I made these, I did not do this, and I had trouble keeping the chocolate melted long enough.  I will try this trick the next time.  This is the part of the process that is so time consuming, but be patient and get someone to help you if you can.  They are very worth all the work.

Store at room temperature in an airtight container with waxed paper separating the layers.  They also freeze well.

Reese's Peanut Butter White Chocolate Bark

I made all of these candies for Christmas gifts, and still had plenty left over for dessert (this doesn't even show how much I put away in the freezer).  I made Reese's Peanut Butter White Chocolate Bark, Homemade Almond Joy Candies and Nut Goodie Bars.  I will be posting the rest of the recipes over the next few days.

Let's start with the Reese's Peanut Butter White Chocolate Bark.  I found this recipe on Sally's Baking Addiction.    It's very easy to make and goes together quickly.

Printable Recipe

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

16 oz white almond bark

1/2 cup Reese's Pieces candies
1/4 cup peanut butter chips

Line a 9x13" pan with parchment paper and set aside.

In a ziplock bag, crush the Reese's Pieces and peanut butter chips with a rolling pin and set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together the peanut butter, powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and salt until smooth and creamy.  Set aside.

In another bowl set over a bowl of simmering hot water, melt the white almond bark until melted and smooth.  Pour half into the parchment-lined pan and spread out evenly.  Chill for a few minutes until set.  Spoon the peanut butter mixture over the bark layer and spread evenly.  Pour the remaining white bark over on top and spread evenly.  Sprinkle with the crushed candies and peanut butter chips.  If desired, if you have any leftover melted bark, drizzle over on top of the candies.  Chill until set and cut up into pieces.