dark chocolate peppermint fudge

Ingredients

• Servings: 16
• 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips (such as hershey's® special dark)
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure peppermint extract
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies, or more to taste

Recipe

Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 5 mins Ready Time: 1 hr 15 mins


• combine chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, butter, peppermint extract, and salt in a large microwave-safe bowl.
• heat in the microwave on medium-high until chips are melted, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.
• pour chocolate mixture into an 8x8-inch silicone baking dish; top with crushed peppermint candies. lightly press candies, using the back of a spoon, into chocolate mixture. refrigerate until set, 1 hour.

Turkey Soup With Dressing Dumplings

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 1 roast turkey carcass
• 6 quarts water
• 4 medium onions
• 6 medium carrots
• 5 stalks celery
• 6 cups leftover stuffing
• 6 egg whites
• cooking spray
• 1 cup peas
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 1 cup cubed turnips
• 1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed
• 1 (16 ounce) can jellied cranberry sauce
• 1 (16 ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce
• 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning, such as bell's
• salt and pepper to taste

Recipe

Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ready Time: 4 hrs


• set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler. remove all meat from cooked turkey carcass and set aside. arrange bones in a roasting pan and broil until browned on both sides.
• transfer browned bones to large stock pot and cover with 6 quarts of water. trim, peel, and chop the onions, carrots, and celery; add peels and ends of raw onions, celery, and carrots to the stock pot and reserve the cleaned vegetables for the soup. simmer bones and vegetable scraps for 1 hour. turn off the heat and allow stock to cool for 20 minutes. strain the stock, discarding the bones and vegetable scraps. remove the fat from the stock by refrigerating the stock overnight and removing the hardened fat layer from the top or by skimming the fat from the top of the liquid with a ladle.
• combine leftover stuffing and egg whites in a large bowl. form the stuffing mixture into small balls and place on a microwave-safe plate. microwave the dumplings on high for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. add the dumplings and cook until the are golden brown on all sides. remove from pan and set aside.
• add the reserved and chopped turkey meat, onions, celery, and carrots to the strained soup stock; simmer for 1 hour. stir in the peas, corn, green beans, and turnips; simmer until the vegetables are tender. pour in the jellied and whole berry cranberry sauces, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper; stir. when the cranberry sauce has dissolved into the soup add the cooked dumplings and heat through.

Bacon-wrapped Pineapple Bites

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 2 (16 ounce) cans pineapple chunks, drained
• 1 (10 ounce) jar sweet-and-sour sauce
• 2 pounds bacon
• 1 box toothpicks

Recipe

Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 20 mins Ready Time: 8 hrs 45 mins


• place the pineapple in a large bowl, and toss with sweet and sour sauce. cover, and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
• to prevent burning, place toothpicks in a small bowl of water and soak 10 minutes.
• place a paper towel over a microwave-safe dish and arrange part of the bacon on the towel; cover with another paper towel. cook the bacon in a microwave oven on medium just until partially cooked and still pliable, 2 to 3 minutes. repeat with remaining bacon. cut bacon strips in half.
• preheat oven to 350 degrees f (175 degrees c). lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside.
• wrap half a bacon strip around each pineapple chunk. secure bacon with a toothpick, and place on baking sheet. repeat with remaining bacon and pineapple chunks.
• bake in preheated oven until bacon is crisp, 20 to 30 minutes. cool 5 minutes before serving.

cake pops

Ingredients

• Servings: 24
• 1 (12 ounce) package colored candy coating melts, divided
• 24 plain doughnut holes
• 24 lollipop sticks
• 1 tablespoon multicolored candy sprinkles (jimmies), as desired

Recipe

Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 10 mins Ready Time: 1 hr 40 mins


• place about 1/4 cup of candy melts into a small microwave-safe bowl, and melt in the microwave at 40 percent power for 30 seconds; stir the candy coating, and continue to heat for 30 second-intervals until the coating is just warm and completely melted.
• poke a hole halfway through a doughnut hole with a lollipop stick, then dip the end of the stick into the melted coating and reinsert into the hole. this holds the doughnut hole firmly on the stick. stick the doughnut pop upright into a block of plastic foam, and set into refrigerator for 1 hour to firm up.
• when pops are firmly attached to their sticks, melt the remaining candy coating dots in a microwave-safe bowl on 40 percent power for 1 minute; stir, and melt for 30-second intervals until the coating is warm and smoothly melted. dip the doughnut hole into the coating, covering it completely. hold the dipped pop over a bowl, and sprinkle with colored candy sprinkles. return the decorated pops to the plastic foam block to set.

peanut butter bars i

Ingredients

• Servings: 1
• 1 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 4 tablespoons peanut butter

Recipe

Preparation Time: 25 mins Ready Time: 1 hr 25 mins


• in a medium bowl, mix together the butter or margarine, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners' sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
• in a metal bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. spread over the prepared crust. refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.

savory corn muffins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 1 (14.75 ounce) can creamed corn
• 2 cups yellow cornmeal, divided
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 8 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Recipe

• adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. put a 12-cup muffin tin (with standard-sized molds of 12-cup capacity) in oven to heat while preparing batter.
• microwave creamed corn in a 1-quart pyrex-type measuring cup to a full boil (or in a medium saucepan over medium heat). stir in 1 cup of the cornmeal to make a very thick, pasty mush. if the mush is not stiff, microwave an additional 30 seconds or so. whisk in buttermilk, then eggs and finally butter.
• mix remaining cornmeal with flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and soda in a medium bowl. pour wet ingredients into dry and stir until just combined.
• remove muffin tin from oven; coat with non-stick cooking spray. divide batter evenly among cups (a spring-action ice cream scoop works well).
• bake until golden brown on sides and bottom, about 15 minutes. turn a wire rack; let cool 5 minutes. serve.

gingerbread ii

Ingredients

• Servings: 1
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
• 1 lemon, juiced

Recipe

• cream 1/4 of the butter and the brown sugar until fluffy. beat in egg and molasses.
• mix flour with cinnamon, ginger, and baking soda. add to creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk. pour batter into an 8 or 9 inch microwave safe glass pan.
• microwave for 4 to 5 minutes on medium. rotate 4 times while cooking. microwave 2 to 3 minutes on high. cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. serve warm or cold with lemon sauce.
• to make lemon sauce: combine the white sugar and cornstarch. stir until well mixed; add water. microwave 2 to 3 minutes. stir every 30 seconds, until mixture has thickened and boiled for 30 seconds. watch carefully so that it does not boil over. add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice. serve warm or cold.