Fabulous Fudge-alicious Bar's

Fabulous Fudge Bars

cookie layer:

2 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 c. butter, softened

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 egg, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly coat a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick spray.
Combine flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl, set aside.
Cream together the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until it is crumbly.  Press into the prepared baking dish, until smooth and even in thickness.
Bake for 18-20 min until light golden brown.
Remove from over and let cool for 10 minutes.
While the cookie is cooling, prepare the fudge layer:

fudge layer:

2 c. milk chocolate chips-divided

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk-divided

1 egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract 

1 c. toasted pecans, chopped (optional)

Over medium low heat melt 1 c. chocolate chips and 1/2 the can of condensed milk, stirring until creamy.  Remove from heat and the remaining chocolate chips, condensed milk, the egg, vanilla and nuts.  Stir again until smooth.
Spread over the cookie crust and return to the oven.  Bake an additional 22-25 minutes, or until set.
Remove pan to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.  Cut into 24 bars and store in an airtight container.

Easy White Bread Recipe =Failure :( for me....

One of my personal challenges for this year is to learn to make great bread.  I have never been successful with this! Anything that requires me to use yeast seems to turn out badly.
I found this wonderful recipe and thought "hmmmm, I can make this!"  Nope, it turned out sad...
The bread actually tasted great but I made flat bread instead of raised bread-lol.
But because the recipe tasted really great I want to share it with you, and I will go back to the drawing board to try again...

This is what great bread looks like

EASY WHITE BREAD

(Makes 4 loaves)

4 c. warm water (divided)

8 Tbsp. sugar

4 Tbsp. yeast

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

4 tsp. salt

7-8 c. flour

Add the sugar to 1 c. warm water, and then dissolve yeast in the sugar water.  Let the mix rest until it's doubled in size.
Pour oil into a large mixing bowl, add the yeast mixture, the remaining water and the salt.
Adding 2-3 cups of flour at a time mix together and knead until the dough is soft and not sticky.
(The dough is too sticky if you touch it and it sticks to your finger)
Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces.

Looking good so far

Set on a greased counter top, cover with a towel and let rest for 15 minutes.
Lightly knead each loaf for 1 minute, then form into loaves and places in greased bread pans.

Hmmm...not so beautiful but still hopeful

Allow to raise until doubled in size.
Bake at 350 degree's for 30-45 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Remove from oven and rub the tops with softened butter. Allow to cool in the pans for 30-40 minutes, then remove from the pan and allow to completely cool. Store in plastic bags.

WHAT HAPPENED?
What my bread turned out like.   This is sad...

Alaska- Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Cookie #2 in our "Cookie Nation"!

ALASKA!

I really liked this cookie!  Alaskans know what they are doing!
But then, I love pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin spice!
Fast to make, these were really delicious and substantial. My family had them eaten up in 24 hours.

Grade:  A

ICED PUMPKIN COOKIE'S

2 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 c. pumpkin puree

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine first 7 ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt) and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugar.  Add the pumpkin puree, egg and vanilla extract and beat until creamy.  Mix in the dry ingredients.

Drop 1 heaping Tablespoon of dough onto cookie sheets, and flatten slightly (this dough is sticky so I had a difficult time flattening the cookie down at first-but then I had a mini epiphany-I very lightly dipped a spoon in water and then pressed the cookie down slightly-no sticking!).

Bake for 15-20 min.  Cool the cookies on wire racks and drizzle with icing.

ICING

2 c. powdered sugar

3 Tbsp. milk

1 Tbsp. melted butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

combine all together, and drizzle over cookies.

Source: All Recipe's

Alabama- Grandma's Old Fashioned Tea Cake's

This is the 1st recipe in my series on  "Our Cookie Nation".
I gotta say I am not a big fan :( of this cookie...
The cookies are dry and rather plain, and definitely need a frosting or some other finish.  I did like the hint of nutmeg in the cookie, and if I were to make these again I would increase the amount slightly, and maybe sprinkle nutmeg over the cookie after I had glazed or frosted it.

Grade:  C-

GRANDMA'S OLD FASHIONED TEA CAKES

1 c. butter, softened

1 3/4 c. sugar

2 eggs

3 c. flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. vanilla

2 Tbsp. milk (this is an ingredient I added because the dough was so dry and crumbly)

In a medium bowl cream together the butter and sugar until smooth.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients together, and stir into the creamed butter mixture. Knead dough a few times on a floured surface until smooth. Cover and place in the fridge until firm.

Preheat the oven to 325 degree's.
On a lightly floured surface roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies on baking sheets.

I don't have a cookie cutter, so I improvised.-lol

Bake 8-10 minutes.  Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Note: My 22 year old son did like these cookies, he thought they were delicious with a can of Coke ;)