Holiday Treats

The last two days I have been a baking fool! This is the first year I have actually make Holiday treats all by myself. Last night I baked a Rainbow Cake for Dave to take to his company's potluck today, along with Simples Fudge and Turtles. This morning I made Chocolate-Peanut Butter Mallow Bars and Sputniks (Doughnut). I have included all the recipes below along with a few pictures! This was the first time for me making any of these recipes but they all turned out great...and delicious!

Rainbow Cake

• 1 Pkg. White Cake Mix
• 1 Pkg. gelatin (any flavor)
• 1 (8oz) ctn. Cool Whip
• 1 cup hot water

Prepare cake mix as directed on package. Pout into 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350 as directed on package. Cool for 15 minutes. While cake is baking, dissolve Jello in hot water. After cake has cooled for 15 minutes, use a fork to poke holes in cake at half-inch intervals. Do not remove cake from pan. Pour dissolved Jello over the cake and chill 4 hours. Top with Cool Whip. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Use any color of Jello to correspond with the holiday or occasion.

Simple Fudge

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1- 5oz can evaporated milk (2/3 cup)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups tiny marshmallows
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces or chopped bittersweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional - I didn't use this time)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with foil, extending the foil over the edges of the pan. Butter foil; set pan aside. Butter the sides of a 2-quart heavy saucepan. In saucepan combine sugar, evaporated milk, and butter. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture boils (about 10 minutes). Reduce heat to medium; continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 6 minutes.

Remove saucepan from heat. Add marshmallows, chocolate pieces, walnuts, and vanilla; stir until marshmallows and chocolate melt and mixture is combined. Beat by hand for 1 minute. Spread fudge evenly in prepared pan. Score into squares while warm. Cover, chill for 2 to 3 hours or until firm. When fudge is firm, use foil to lift it out of pan. Cut fudge. Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Turtles

I don't really have an exact recipe for this but my old manager explained to me what she did to make these. It's supper easy just be careful not to melt the caramels too much or they will expand too big and too thin. I only used about half the bag of caramels and only made 24 pieces and used 4 squares of chocolate. Feel free to make as many as you want they taste just like the ones you buy in the store.

• 1 Pkg. Caramels
• 1 Pkg. pecans
• Chocolate Almond Bark

Place caramels on a baking sheet, bake until melted but not bubbling. Take out of oven and place 4 pecans in each caramel piece while hot. Then wait until cool and the caramels have firmed up. Melt 2-3 squares in microwave at a time in 30 second intervals until almost all the way melted. Stir chocolate until smooth and either dip caramels/pecans in chocolate or put a spoonful in top.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Mallow Bars

• 1 Pkg. devil's food cake mix (I used a double chocolate mix I already had in the pantry)
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2/3 cup cold milk, divided
• 1 jar (7 oz.) Marshmallow Creme
• 1/2 cup salted peanuts
• 6 squares Baker's semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used leftover chocolate chips)

Heat over to 350. Mix dry cake mix, butter and 1/3 cup milk until blended; press two-thirds onto bottom of 13x9 inch pan. Bake 12-14 minutes or until center is almost set; cool 3 minutes. Mix peanut butter and remaining milk (I found a fork worked best); spread onto crust. Top with spoonfuls of marshmallow creme and remaining cake mixture. Sprinkle with nuts and chocolate; press gently into cake mixture. Bake 18 minutes or just until center is set. Cool before cutting into bars.

Note: You can make ahead! Prepare as directed; cool completely. Wrap tightly; freeze up to 1 month. Thaw before cutting into bars

Sputniks - (Drop Doughnuts)

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 2 tsp. baking powder

Mix together all ingredients well. Heat cooking oil (350 degrees is the best temperature). Drop dough into oil by teaspoonful. When brown on one side, turn over (sometimes they will roll over on their own). When brown on all sides, roll in sugar or powdered sugar (I also rolled in cinnamon and sugar). Note: If oil is hotter than 350, they cook too fast. If cooler than 350, they don't cool all the way through.