Remarkable Fudge

4 C sugar

1 1/3 C evaporated milk

1 C butter

2 C (12 oz) semi-sweet choc. chips

7 oz dark chocolate candy bar (Dove works very well!), chopped

7 oz. marshmallow crème

1 tsp vanilla

Line a 13x9x2 inch pan with foil, extending foil over the edges of the pan.  Butter the foil; set aside.  Butter sides of a heavy 3 quart saucepan.  Put sugar, evaporated milk, and butter into saucepan.  Cook and stir over med-high heat until mixture boils.  Reduce heat and continue cooking and stirring for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Add chocolate chips, candy bar, marshmallow crème, and vanilla.  Stir until chocolate melts and mixture is combined.  Beat by hand for 1 minute.  Spread in prepared pan.  Score into 1" squares while warm.  When fudge is firm, use foil to lift it out of pan.  Cut into squares on the score lines.  Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator.  Makes about 4 lbs. of fudge.

Peanut butter chocolate fudge:

Prepare as above except substitute 1 C peanut butter for the butter, add 1 C peanuts, and leave out the candy bar.  

Here is another one that we have made at Christmas time to add to our Christmas Candy Plates that we like to give out to friends.  The Dove Chocolate Bars make this the best fudge Mommy has have ever had!

Love Always, 

Mommy

Marbled Mint Candy

Mommy Modified

1 C. semi sweet chocolate chips

1 lb. vanilla candy coating (vanilla bark)

¾ C. finely crushed candy canes or round peppermint candies (app. 30 round)

Line a large baking sheet with wax paper and set aside. 

Crush peppermint candies to very small pieces.

Melt candy coating in a double boiler over medium heat, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat and stir in crushed peppermint candy.  Pour mixture onto baking sheet.

Heat chocolate chips in a double boiler over medium heat, stirring constantly until melted and smooth.  Remove from heat.  Drizzle the melted chocolate onto the peppermint mixture.  Gently zigzag with a butter knife through the layers to created a marbled effect.

Chill candy 15-30 minutes or until firm.  Use wax paper to lift candy from baking sheet.  Break into pieces and store tightly covered for up to 2 weeks on the counter or freeze for several months.

This has been a Team Southerland Christmas Candy Tradition since Hannah was a baby.  Every year the children and Mommy make this and truffles.  It makes a great present for friends.  I love the traditions that we have and Mommy enjoys making this with the children every year.

Love Always,

Mommy

Chocolate Cake with Snow Peak Icing

This recipe is from Mother Smith who was Paw Paw’s mother.  Paw Paw was GrandMommie’s (Diane Southerland) Daddy.  So this cake recipe is from Daddy’s great grandmother!

2 C of sugar
2 tsp baking soda
2 C of flour
2 (heaping) TB cocoa
½  C of butter milk (or reg. milk & 1 tsp vinegar)
2 eggs, beat thoroughly
½ C butter, softened

 
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray and flour 2 round pans.  In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients in bowl- set aside.  Mix wet ingredients in bowl.  Combine  the two bowls together and blend.  Add 1 cup of boiling water.  Pour into pans.  Bake around 30-40 min. or when you stick a toothpick in it and it comes out clean.  Let cool and top with Snow Peak Icing.

Snow Peak Icing

This is Grandmommie’s (Diane Southerland) recipe.  Daddy’s mommy!  :)

1 ¼ C corn syrup

2 egg whites

Pinch salt

1 tsp vanilla

Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form when beater is raised.  While eggs are beating, in a small saucepan, heat corn syrup over medium high heat until boiling.  Add salt to egg whites.  Slowly pour in syrup, continuing to beat until frosting is fluffy.  Fold in vanilla.  Frost cooled chocolate cake!

This is a Southerland Family favorite!  Daddy often requests this cake for his birthday and I know that Uncle Michael's family has this for birthdays frequently as well.  I just made this for Daddy's birthday and it looks and smells yummy!!!  GrandMommy used to make this for the children's birthdays.  Anytime it snowed in Texas Daddy used to say, "It looks like chocolate cake with white icing!"  (Only Texas snow looks like that!  Real snow is all white!  Not white with dirt showing through!)  :)
 
Love Always,
Mommy

Cake Hints

Mommy took a cake decorating class in Utah with Julie Hale when Daniel was a baby.  She learned so valuable tips for making cakes.

One is a recipe to use to coat the cake pans so the cake won't stick. Mix up the following ingredients:

1 part Crisco

1 part vegetable oil

1 part flour

Generously grease the cake pans.  Use a lighter coat along the edges and a heavier coat on the bottoms and corners of the pan.

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To make a light and fluffy cake, substitute whole milk for the water in a boxed mix.

Grandma Durst's Chocolate Frosting

Velma Durst
Darrel Durst
RaShell Southerland
Team Southerland children

1/4 C. butter, softened 

2-3 C. powdered sugar
6 TB cocoa
3 TB evaporated milk
2 tsp. vanilla

Combine the powdered sugar and cocoa. Beat in softened butter and milk. Add additional evaporated milk until desired consistency is reached. Stir in vanilla.

Mommy usually double this to frost a cake. We need leftovers for graham crackers- our all time favorite way to consume this delicious treat! :)  Hannah has mastered the art of making a white cake and this frosting.  She has quite the reputation at Veritas Baptist Church and there are some folks who request that she make this on a regular basis.  

Love Always,

Mommy

Shell's Granola

Mommy modified recipe

1 C. butter
1 C. honey
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
7 C. oatmeal
1 C. wheat germ
1 C. raisins
1 C. golden raisins

In a large dutch oven pot melt the butter.  Stir in the honey and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes being careful not to burn the mixture.

Add the salt and cinnamon and stir well.  Remove mixture from heat.  Stir in oatmeal and wheat germ and coat well.  Spread granola on a large baking sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Stir and let cool.

Add both types of raisins and store in an airtight container.

We usually eat this over cereal or yogurt.  This is an easy recipe to make but so yummy.  It's our favorite granola recipe.
Love Always,
Mommy

Best Pancake Batter

Crystal Paine from Money Saving Mom

3 cups flour 
3 Tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 beaten eggs
3 cups milk plus 1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
6 Tablespoons oil
2 tsp. vanilla

Combine dry ingredients in a pitcher. Add wet ingredients. Stir together, digging deeply to get all the flour moist. 

Cook on a hot, lightly greased griddle (375 degrees) or heavy skillet.  Pour batter from pitcher onto griddle.  Flip when the top is all bubbly.

Makes approximately 20 standard sized pancakes.

There is no other pancake batter for Team Southerland!  Mommy found this recipe from Crystal Paine years ago when she ran the website Biblical Womanhood Online.  She now runs Money Saving Mom.  This is a fantastic recipe to make along with bacon, eggs, and homemade hashbrowns for Breakfast for Dinner.

Love Always,

Mommy