My Caramel Corn

Well, I must say that Caramel Corn is my downfall - one of my MANY downfalls when it comes to sweets.  I took the liberty of customizing and ENLARGING a regular recipe to make this one.  I figure, make it once and make it BIG. :)

I'm getting ready to start my holiday baking/cooking/craziness, so I thought I'd start blogging again with this oldie but goodie.  It's probably one of my most signature "Libby" things I make.  Friends, tell me if I'm wrong.  Here you all go!  Make it and tell me what you think!

Oh, and HOPEFULLY, don't quote me on this, but my goal is to start getting some pictures up on here too.  Can you believe it?  Actually looking all professional and stuff.  I guess we'll have to just wait and see, won't we?

Caramel Corn

2/3 C popcorn, popped
9 T light corn syrup (1/2 C plus 1 T)
2 1/4 C packed brown sugar
18 T butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
3/4 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 300.  Place the popped corn in a large roasting pan.  In a medium saucepan, combine butter, corn syrup and brown sugar.  Cook and stir on medium to medium-high heat until butter melts and mixture comes to a boil.  When it comes to a boil, turn down to medium-low and boil WITHOUT stirring for 5 minutes.

After the 5 minutes is up, remove from the heat and stir in extracts and soda.  Stir to combine.  Careful, it bubbles up and gets really foamy.  Pour the caramel over the popcorn and stir to completely coat.  Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.  Stir caramel corn and then continue baking for 5 more minutes.

After the last 5 minutes, check a piece to see if it's got the crunchiness you're looking for.  If not, bake a few more minutes and check again!  Remove from oven and pour onto a counter covered with waxed paper, foil or parchment and allow to cool.  Break apart and enjoy!

You can make this a salted caramel by adding some fleur de sal or sea salt with the extracts and soda, and then by putting a small amout on the corn after you pour it on the counter to cool.

Pumpkin Biscotti

Okay friends.  So I've decided to venture into the world of fancy schmancy (yes, I said it) biscotti!  This one, I know, is not the most gourmet of flavors, but it certainly is yummy!  Any of you who usually get big plates of cookies or bags of my Christmas cookies may be getting all sorts of scrumptious biscotti this year. Here's the recipe for one of my favorite flavors - Pumpkin!  Hope you enjoy!

Pumpkin Biscotti

2 1/2 C flour
1 C sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
pinch of salt
2 eggs
1/2 C pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat an oven to 350.  In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and the spices - including the salt.  Sift together or mix very well to combine.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin and vanilla.  Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture.  Give it as good a stir as you can to generally incorporate the ingredients.  This will be a very dry, crumbly dough.

Flour your hands and lightly knead the dough.  You can do this in the bowl, or on a lightly floured surface.  Lightly grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment.  Form the dough into ONE large log, roughly 15-20 inches long, 6 inches wide, but only 1/2 inch thick.  Bake 22-30 minutes, or until the center is firm to the touch.  Mine took about 26 minutes.

Remove from oven and let biscotti cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes.  Remove from the sheet and place on a cutting board.  Cut loaves into 1/2 inch slices.

Turn oven to 300 and return the sliced biscotti to the baking sheet.  Bake an additional 15-20 minutes.  Cool completely.

I like to dip these into white chocolate or melted cinnamon chips.  Enjoy!

Blueberry Cinnamon Biscotti

Well, for back to school night I thought it would be nice to take a little something to the kids' teachers. No, it was NOT a kissing up thing either! LOL I was in a baking mood and didn't want to take cookies, so I decided to make biscotti. I found this basic recipe, tweaked it a little bit and came out with a great result. Biscotti means twice baked, which is the secret to getting crunchy little cookies! Hope you enjoy!

Blueberry Cinnamon Biscotti

1/2 c butter, softened

1 c sugar

4 eggs

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon extract

3 c flour

1 T baking powder

3/4 c dried blueberries

3/4 c cinnamon chips

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and cinnamon extracts. Combine flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in cranberries and vanilla chips. This is a sticky dough.

On an ungreased baking sheet, divide into 3 portions. With lightly wet hands, shape each into a 10x2 rectangle. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes.

transfer to a cutting board and cut diagonally with a serrated knife into 1/2-inch slices. Place cut side down back on the ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, flip to the other side and bake for 5 to 8 more minutes, or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container.

For an easy glaze, take the remaining cinnamon chips and put them in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each, to melt the chips. Pour into a zip top bag and snip a little bit of one corner off. Drizzle over the cooled biscotti. If you don't want to drizzle, simply dip the ends in the melted chips. Happy baking!

Back to School Monster Cookies

HOLY COW! It's been since JANUARY? You've GOT to be kidding! Well, will you guys, you few followers, keep me on my toes about posting? Please and thank you.

Well, school starts tomorrow, and that's got me thinking about things. This is going to be the year, like I say EVERY year, that I have fresh cookies for the kids after school. This is the year where they get fantastic lunches and they eat everything without complaining (not that I'd hear the complaint at school anyway). This is the year I really complete my transformation to SUPERMOM!

Now that the twins are starting all-day kindergarten, I can maybe keep my house clean? MAYBE?! If nothing else, I'll be able to get back to all the baking I used to do and enjoy my kitchen a little more frequently.

As for this post, my friend Leslie gave me a wonderful Monster Cookie recipe. We're starting a moms of preschoolers group at our church, and THIS is the go home treat for the first one. It's called m&m - for "mommy and me". If you can't make it this Friday, the 10th of Sept, then make these yummy big batch cookies for yourself! By the way, that IS lb's and there is no flour in this recipe. :)

Happy Monstering!

Les's Monster Cookies

1 c butter

2 c sugar

1 lb brown sugar

6 eggs

1 1/2 lb crunchy peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

3 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 T maple syrup (real maple syrup please)

9 c quick oats

1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

14 oz plain m&m's

Preheat your oven to 350. In a VERY large bowl, cream together butter and both sugars. Mix in the eggs, peanut butter, vanilla, baking soda and maple syrup. Stir in the quick oats, mixing well. Stir int he chocolate chips and m&m's, making sure it's well combined.

Drop large cookies onto a baking sheet and bake for approximately 12 minutes. Remove from sheet to rack to cool. This recipe makes 6 dozen cookies! Great to make ahead and freeze!

Chocolate Oatmeal Caramel Bars

I have to admit, I'm a sucker for almost anything that says 'caramel' or 'peanut butter'. Although this one is just the caramel, it blends some of my most favorite baking flavors - chocolate, oats and caramel. I made them tonight for a meeting I have tomorrow afternoon. You have to make sure to continually stir the milk mixture so it doesn't burn, but other than that, it's a piece of cake! The recipe calls for Dutch process cocoa powder, which has a deeper chocolate flavor than regular cocoa powder, but either will work. Yummy and comforting. Happy cooking!

Chocolate Oatmeal Caramel Bars

1 1/4 C old fashioned oats

1 C flour

1/2 C plus 2 T brown sugar, divided

2 T unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder

3/4 C butter, melted

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

1/3 C butter

1/2 C chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, mix together oats, flour, 1/2 C brown sugar and cocoa powder. Mix together thoroughly and then mix in 3/4 C melted butter. Stir to combine. Reserve 1 C oat crumb mixture, and press the remaining into an ungreased 8x8 pan. Bake for 15 minutes to set the crust.

In a medium saucepan, combine sweetened condensed milk, butter and reserved 2 T brown sugar. Cook and stir on medium heat until thickened and pale in color, about 10 minutes.

Cool milk mixture slightly until thickened; spread evenly over baked crust. Let stand 5 minutes or until set. Mix chopped pecans into reserved crust mixture and sprinkle over caramel layer. Press lightly into caramel.

Bake 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.