Microwave Fudge

I have to have chocolate recipes on the blog! For a delicious treat that's fast and easy, use your microwave to make fudge.

1 lb. powdered sugar (1 small box)
1/2 c. cocoa
1/4 c. milk
1 stick butter (I use Parkay.)

1 tbsp. vanilla (real, no fake!)
1/2 c. chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)

In microwaveable bowl (glass is good), blend sugar and cocoa. I make a well in the middle and add milk and butter. Cook 2-3 minutes in microwave. Stir til moist.

Now quick! Add vanilla and nuts and mix and a pinch of salt if you want. Pour into a greased dish (8 in. pan or even a pie pan) and refrigerate 1 hour - or as long as you can stand it.

I'd say to keep it in the fridge because it's a soft fudge, but who has leftovers? This last time I made it, I used half and half instead of milk. The fudge came out firmer, but just as good. This fudge is so easy that you can experiment all you want. Add coconut or peanuts or marshmallows. Great to make when you're in a hurry and an easy way to make a homemade gift for someone. Put the pieces in a pretty box or tin with a bow.

Warm Pineapple Sauce for Ham

This year, I decided to make a sauce to dip the Coca-Cola Ham in or pour over.

Mix:

1/4 c. water
1 1/2 c. dark brown sugar
2 tbsp. ketchup
1 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. mustard (I used honey dijon.)
1 can crushed pineapple with juice
Onion powder - 1/2 tsp?? I don't know. I add to taste.

Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

Dissolve:

1/2 c. water
1 tbsp. cornstarch

Add to sauce. Cook stirring until clear.

I put mine in a fondue pot to keep it nice and hot. I have a teeny crockpot some place, but couldn't find it, but that would work well, too. Dip or slather. Enjoy!

Donna's Stuffed Celery

Now isn't that a clever name? I fix this for parties and holidays.

Cut celery into pieces about 2-3 inches long. Soak in ice water to crisp.

Mix together:

One package Cream Cheese, softened
One Cup Miracle Whip (Must be Miracle Whip - NOT mayonnaise)
Chopped Walnuts (I like a lot of these!)

Dry celery well, fill with cream cheese mixture. Enjoy!

Frankfurter Fanfare

We don't call hot dogs frankfurters any more, but I like the alliteration. :)  Great appetizer for parties. The longer they simmer, the better they get.

Mix:

1 C. Grape Jelly (My favorite is Smucker's.)
1/2 c. French's Yellow Mustard

Heat in crockpot or fondue pot.

Add:

1 lb. Frankfurters cut into bite-size pieces.

Let simmer at least 1/2 hour.

These are simple, but a favorite around my house. If you like the sauce even sweeter, you can use honey mustard. I cut the hot dogs on the diagonal, but to tell you the truth, I don't think anyone notices! They're too busy eating them.

Double Chocolate Brownies - No Guilt!

I have not tried these yet, but I could hardly wait to share the recipe. No guilt chocolate brownies - no, wait, double chocolate brownies! Enjoy!


Double Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (semi-sweet) – I used the standard size, I didn’t have any of the mini sized on hand.
Butter-flavored cooking spray


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8×8 inch non-stick cake pan with spray.

In a medium mixing bowl, using a sturdy whisk or spatula, mix the applesauce, vanilla, egg whites and sugar until they are well combined.

Add the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir the mixture until it is just combined and no lumps remain. Pour it into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the chips evenly over the top. Bake the brownies for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry (a few crumbs are okay).

Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and allow them to cool 5 minutes. Cut into 12 equal brownies. Makes 12 (1 brownie) servings.

Each brownie has: 88 calories, 2 g protein, 19 g carbohydrates, 1 g fat, less than 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 133 mg sodium

Traditional Double Chocolate Brownies have: 260 calories, 3 g protein, 37 g carbohydrates, 12 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 165 mg sodium

From Devin Alexander Recipes; Recipe Source: Tammy - Cookin' At Home, CWAHM Recipes Forum Moderator

Tammy owns and operates two work at home websites, a work at home forum, a recipe site and three blogs. She offers free work at home job leads for the job seeker, business work at home articles, tips, and more. You can visit Tammy at http://www.onestopwebemployment.com and http://www.cookin-at-home.com