Oatmeal Carmelitas

One of my sister-in-laws favorite dessert is Oatmeal Carmelitas.  If you like caramel, you will love these!!!

 Stir together first 5 ingredients in a large mixing bowl. 

Add butter, stirring until mixture is crumbly.  

Press remaining half of mixture into bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch pan. Sprinkle evenly with chocolate morsels, and, if desired, pecans.

Melt the caramels and half-and-half over medium heat until smooth.

 I think I could just eat the caramels like this :)

  

 Pour evenly over chocolate morsels. Sprinkle evenly with reserved crumb mixture. 

 Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Oatmeal Carmelitas

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats

1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, melted

1 (12-oz.) package semisweet chocolate morsels

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional)

1 (14-oz.) package caramels

1/3 cup half-and-half

Preparation

1. Stir together first 5 ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add butter, stirring until mixture is crumbly. Reserve half of mixture (about 2 3/4 cups). Press remaining half of mixture into bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch pan. Sprinkle evenly with chocolate morsels, and, if desired, pecans.

2. Microwave caramels and half-and-half in a microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 3 minutes. Stir and microwave at MEDIUM 1 to 3 more minutes or until mixture is smooth. Let stand 1 minute. Pour evenly over chocolate morsels. Sprinkle evenly with reserved crumb mixture.

3. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Sand Tarts

One of my family's favorite cookies to make at Christmas is Sand Tarts.  These cookies only have a few ingredients and are great with your favorite coffee.

In a large bowl beat the butter, vanilla, and 1/2 cup sugar on medium speed until smooth.

  Next, reduce speed to low; gradually beat in flour just until blended, occasionally scraping bowl.

 With a spoon stir in the pecans and in our household you can never have too many pecans!

 With your hands, roll dough into balls roughly two inches. 

 This part is a little time consuming, but worth it. 

 Bake at 350 for 25 minutes until lightly browned.  Remove from oven and then roll the cookies in the remaining sugar.  I usually do this twice to make sure the cookies are completely covered in confectioners' sugar!

 

Sand Tarts

1 c. butter (2 sticks), softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. confectioners' sugar
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. pecans, finely chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.

2. In large bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat butter, vanilla, and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in flour just until blended, occasionally scraping bowl. With spoon, stir in pecans.

3. With floured hands, shape dough by level measuring tablespoons into about 2" balls. Place balls, 2 inches apart, on 2 ungreased large cookie sheets.

4. Place cookie sheets on 2 oven racks. Bake about 25 minutes or until edges are lightly browned, rotating cookie sheets between upper and lower racks halfway through cooking. With metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire racks set over waxed paper. Immediately sprinkle remaining confectioners' sugar through sieve over cookies to coat well. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

5. Store cookies in tightly sealed container, with waxed paper between layers, at room temperature, up to 2 weeks or in freezer up to 3 months.

Red Velvet Cake Balls

For my office Christmas party this year I decided to make cake balls.  I love cake balls, especially red velvet one and I thought they would be perfect for Christmas. Plus I had some sprinkles I wanted to use :)

Start with 1 box red velvet cake mix.  Bake the cake according to package directions, then, when it’s completely cool, crumble the cake into a very large bowl.

Next, make a cream cheese frosting or you can use store bought frosting.  If you want to make the frosting it pretty simple. Just cream together 1/4 cup softened butter with 4oz 1/3 cream cheese until smooth. Beat in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, then 1 cup powdered sugar.

Add the icing to the cake crumbles then incorporate it with a spoon or your hands. I tend to start with a spoon, but find that your hands really work better!

Using a spoon, scoop the cake into balls and then roll the balls between your hands. Place them on a wax paper-lined baking sheet then stick them in the fridge for 1-2 hours to firm up.

Once the cake balls are firm, you get to start the fun part, dipping them in chocolate.  I usually use Almond Bark for this part, but I only had half a package so I also used Baker's semi sweet baking chocolate. I had never used Baker's before, but it worked perfectly, maybe even better than Almond Bark!

For the chocolate part, melt it in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between increments, until smooth.

Use two forks to dip each cake ball in the melted chocolate. Pass the cake ball from fork to fork once or twice and then place back on the wax paper.

Lastly, top with colored sprinkles, who doesn't like sprinkles!  Make sure you add the sprinkles right after you dip the cake balls, or they won't stick!

Refrigerate the cake balls until the chocolate has hardened and then enjoy the deliciousness!!

Red Velvet Cake Balls

Makes 50 cake balls

Ingredients:

1 box red velvet cake mix (plus ingredients required on back of box)

16oz Baker’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate

colored sprinkles (optional)

For the cream cheese frosting (could use store-bought):

1/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature

4oz 1/3-less fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Bake red velvet cake according to package directions. Let cool completely then crumble into a very large bowl. In a separate large bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla then beat until combined. Add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, then beat until combined. Incorporate half the cream cheese frosting into the cake crumbles, then add more frosting until the cake crumbles just come together. Scoop by the Tablespoon then roll into balls and place on a wax-paper lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cake then refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Melt semi-sweet chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30 second increments, stirring between increments, until smooth. Dip cake balls in chocolate using two forks, then place back on wax paper. Sprinkle with colored sprinkles, if desired, then refrigerate until chocolate is hardened. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Roaring out of the 20's

My 30th birthday was this weekend and I wanted to do something special. I decided to have a Roaring out of the 20's birthday party.  Everyone came in their best flapper, gangster or silent screen star outfit. 

 

For the food, I had brisket sandwiches, meatballs, vegetable dip, Charleston dip and  cake chocolate cake!

Dolled Up Brisket Sandwiches

Charleston Dip

Speakeasy Vegetable Dip

Flapper Cake

Prohibition Punch and the Roaring Catherine(my special drink for the night!v)

I set up a photo booth, with several props that was a lot of fun!

Alex and his ladies!!!

Tacky Christmas

On November 30 I had my second annual Tacky Christmas party and let me tell you it was a blast.  This year I decided to have a chili bar, which consisted of "Top a Potato, "Build Some Nachos", "Make Chili Cheese Fries" and "Frito Pie"  It really turned out well and everyone really loved the chili cheese fries. 

I made food tags with ornaments as holders.

After we ate, it was time for fun and games.  I found several minute to win it games that brought out the competitiveness of all my guests!

Game 1: Christmas Tree Unicorn
The object of the game is to stack 7 cakes on your forehead.  They must stay there for 3 seconds.  (We keep the trees in the packages, because they are too good to waste!!!) 

Game Two: Tear it Up
Shooting rubber bands at toilet paper attached to an empty soda can.  First team to break the toilet paper wins.
The boys competed in this event and it got pretty intense! 

Game 3: was for the ladies:Junk in the Trunk
Attach an empty rectangle tissue box around the waist and fill it with 8 ping pong balls or golf practice balls (since I'm a golfer that's what I had on hand).  Contestant must shake their rump to get all the balls out in 60 seconds.  

Game 4: Christmas Cliffhange
Blow standing Christmas cards across a table and get one to hang over the edge.

Alex got three cards at once!
Game  5: A Bit Dicey
Contestant must balance 6 die on the popsicle stick held in their mouth.  Stack must stay for 3 seconds.

In the end it was a great night of food, friends and fun.  I'm already planning next years party!!