Here are some last minute treats to make.
Bunch of crunch
1 C dark Karo syrup
1 C peanut butter
6 C rice Chex cereal
1 C sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 C cocktail peanuts
Put cereal and peanuts in a large bowl. Line a 13×9 pan with foil. Bring Karo syrup, sugar and peanut butter to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Boil for one minute. Add vanilla and stir well.
Pour over cereal and nuts. Stir to coat as it will set quickly. Pour into foil-lined pan. Cool. Break or cut into chunks. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days.
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Chocolate peanut butter truffles
1 8-oz. pkg. Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 regular size jar of your favorite peanut butter
1 bag of melting chocolate/chocolate bark
1/2 C Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/4 C powdered sugar
nuts (optional)
Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and peanut butter in a mixer and whip together using paddle attachment (you can hand mix if you would prefer) until fully incorporated. Once combined, use your hands to create little balls, about an inch/inch and a half each. Roll each ball in Graham Cracker Crumbs, and then press them into each ball with your fingers (you don’t want loose crumbs). Place each ball onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze for 1-2 hours (or until solid, if you can wait that long).
Place melting chocolate or bark in a bowl and microwave for 90 seconds. Stir and, if needed, heat an additional 15 seconds until it’s smooth and creamy. Watch it closely and keep stopping to stir. It burns easily if you use this way! I recommend using a double boiler since it’s easier and you always get perfect melting chocolate.
Using a fork, dip balls into melted chocolate. Tap your fork on the side of your bowl to remove excess. Place back on parchment-lined sheet. Refrigerate until it’s time to serve.
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Pecan monkey bread
2 tubes Pillsbury Grand Biscuits, cubed
1 C organic sugar
3 TBS organic brown sugar
3 tsp. cinnamon
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cubed
1/2 C pecans, whole
1/3 C butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a Bundt pan and set it aside. In a large bowl, mix together both sugars and cinnamon. Add 1/2 sugar mixture into a smaller bowl and set aside.
Add chopped apples into smaller bowl and stir to coat. Set aside. Cut biscuits into cubes (I cut each biscuit into 16 cubes). Add to large bowl and stir to coat. Place pecans in bottom of Bundt pan. Carefully add half of biscuits over pecans.
Stir apple mixture and then spoon over biscuits. Add remaining biscuits on top of apple mixture. Pour melted butter over top of biscuits. Bake for approximately 37-40 minutes. Remove from oven and turn over on a serving dish. Let cool for 10 minutes.
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She said, “Doctors are saying that each piece of bacon eaten takes nine minutes off your life. Based on that math, I should have died in 1732.”
If you would like to share a recipe with me, just send it to the J-T or email it to me.
(Melanie Behrens – melb@marysvillejt.com)