Tucci's Table

Homemade Candy Bars (Snickers)

Prep Time: 10 minutes                  Cook Time: 45 minutes

Serves: Makes about 20 bars

Ingredients:

24 oz. chocolate candy coating (I used Hershey’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate. You can use whatever is your favorite!)

½ Stick Butter

1 Cup Granulated Sugar

¼ cup Evaporated Milk

7 oz. Marshmallow Crème or Fluff, I could only find Crème

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1/3 Cup Peanut Butter, Chunky or Peanut

14 oz. Soft Caramel, unwrapped

1.5 cups roasted, salted Peanuts

Procedure:

First Line a 9X13 pan with Aluminum Foil. This will help with the removal of the candy bars.

Melt your Chocolate coating in a double boiler. If you don’t have a traditional one, you can use of microwave safe bowl in a pot of water.

Melting Chocolate

Spread a thin layer of chocolate on Aluminum Foil and place in freezer to set while you prepare the next step. Set aside remaining chocolate for later.

Thin layer for Non-Stick

In a medium sauce pan, combine butter, sugar, and evaporated milk over medium-high heat until everything dissolves. Then boil concoction for four minutes stirring continuously.

Nougat

Make sure the peanut butter, marshmallow crème/fluff and vanilla are ready to go before you start the boil. When the mixture has boiled for four minutes, remove immediately and add p.butter, marshmallow, and vanilla. You must add quickly or the nougat will start to set.

Stir until fully integrated then layer over top of chocolate. Place in Fridge while doing the caramel step.

You are going to melt the caramel in the same fashion as the chocolate. Again, if you don’t have a double boiler, a microwave safe bowl will work. Add a few tablespoons of water to the caramel to help soften. The softer it starts, the less water you will need to add.

Melting Caramel

Once melted, add peanuts and coat fully.

The next step can get messy. It is hard to layer the caramel/peanuts with a utensil so I wet my hands and pushed it into the nougat mixture by hand.

Press on to Nougat layer

When you get a nice even layer, return to fridge for about 45 minutes. You don’t want it to be too hard, just enough that it doesn’t ooze when you cut them.

Finally cut your bars to desired size and check your chocolate coating. If it has started to set, then you need to reheat it until it is creamy and smooth. Then dip bars in chocolate with fork. Let excess drip off and place on wax paper!

I wouldn’t recommend these treats for trick-or-treaters, but if you are having an office or home Halloween party, these homemade treats are sure to be a crowd pleaser!

It looks messy, but tastes GREAT! Enjoy!

The Original Post came from: www.ohnuts.com/blog/2011/01/how_to_make_homemade_candy_bar.html

O’Shea Style Baked Beans

Prep Time: 30 Minutes                  Cook Time: 2-4 Hours                    Serves: 8

Ingredients:

1 Pound Ground Chuck

1 Pound Bacon

1 Large White Onion

2 16 Ounce Cans Pork and Beans

1 16 Ounce Can Butter Beans

1 16 Ounce Can Dark Red Kidney Beans

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1/4 Cup Regular Sugar

1/2 Cup Ketchup

1/2 Cup BBQ Sauce

1/4 Cup Mustard

2 Tablespoons Molasses

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lay bacon in  a single layer on a oven safe cookie sheet.  Bake for twenty min or until done.  Slice onion into bite sized pieces. In a large skillet over high heat, brown the ground chuck with half of the onion.   Once finished place into a large crock pot on low heat.  Add the remaining onion to the crock pot.   Once the bacon is finished and cooled, cut into bits. Add bacon to crock pot.   Add all cans of bean and their juices, except for the butter beans.  They should be drained before adding.  Stir in the sauces and spices and allow to come together for at least one hour on low.  Eat with chips or on its own.

Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots

Prep Time: 5 min.                                            Cook Time: 20 min.                         Serves: varies

Ingredients:

Tater Tots (Thaw)

Bacon

1 pk. French onion soup or other seasoning

Procedure:

Cut bacon in half. Rub bacon with seasoning or soup. For our first attempt, we used French Onion Soup. It gave the bacon and tots a very unique flavor, but it was VERY salty. The next time we attempt these we will try powder Ranch or a BBQ type rub.

Rubbing Bacon with soup mix

Wrap the bacon gently around thawed tater tots.

Wrapping!

Place on a baking rack, or something that the grease can drip through, seam side down so the bacon doesn’t roll away. Bake for about 20 minutes. You are looking for thoroughly cooked tots and crispy bacon.

Pre Baking

These can be used for dippers at a party or we put them on our burgers for a different twist on Bacon Cheese Burgers. They are not healthy for you in any way, so I wouldn’t recommend making them a staple! Just a treat now and then or a good finger food for a party!!

Enjoy!

Candy Krispies

Prep Time: 0                                                      Cook Time: 5 min.

Ingredients:

¾-1 stick butter

1 bag marsh mellows (I prefer the minis)

6 cups Rice Krispies

1 (movie size) box of your favorite candy

Procedure:

In a large stock pot melt butter. If you have a candy with a hard outer shell, ex. Reese’a Pieces, add before marsh mellows. When butter is fully melted add in all marsh mellows.

Almost fully melted

Stir constantly until melted smooth. Remove from heat and add rice krispies. Stir together and add candy. I used Sno-Caps! Finish mixing and transfer to a greased 9X13. Smooth krispies into pan, to keep from sticking to your hands, wet your hands just a little. Let cool and serve!

Enjoy!

Roasted Potato Soup

Prep Time: 15 Minutes                  Cook Time: 1 Hour             Serves: 6

Ingredients:

8 Medium Sized Russet Potatoes

8 Oz Smoked Ham – Cubed

3/4 Cup Green Onion – Chopped

1 Quart Chicken Stock

1/2 Quart Water

16 Oz Half and Half

8 Oz Cream Cheese

8 Oz Sour Cream

2 Tablespoons Cooking Oil

2 Tablespoon Thyme

2 Teaspoons Sage

1 Tablespoon Seasoned Salt

2 Teaspoon Oregano

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 400 Degrees.  Wash potatoes and slice into bite sized pieces.  Place potatoes in a baking dish; mix in cooking oil, and half of the salt, oregano, thyme, and sage.   Mix well and allow to bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

In a large stock pot, combine chicken stock and water over medium high heat.  In a skillet, warm a sliver of butter over medium heat.  Add ham cubes and sauté for 15 minutes.  Once ham is browned, remove from heat, and take ham out of skillet. Save drippings in the pan for later.  When the chicken stock is hot add cream cheese, sour cream and the rest of the spices. Stir until all is melted.  Add ham to stock pot.  When potatoes are cooked, add to stock pot along with green onion.   Once everything is in, take the left over skillet and make a roux (50% butter, 50% flour) or use a cornstarch and water slurry to thicken soup.

Starting to thicken!

Serve with your favorite choice of bread, and top with shredded cheese, croutons, bacon bits or more green onion.

Enjoy!

BBQ Thai Stir Fry

Prep Time: 10 Minutes                           Cook Time: 15 Minutes                                 Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

10 Oz Skirt Steak

3 Cups Frozen Mixed Vegetables

1 Tablespoon Peanut Butter

3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

3 Tablespoons Spicy BBQ Sauce (vinegar based is best, you’re looking for thinish sauce)

1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger

2 Teaspoons Parsley

1 Tablespoon Canola Oil

2 Cups Minute Rice

1 Cup Chicken Broth

1 Cup Water

Salt/Pepper to taste

Procedure:

Cut steak into small strips.  In a large skillet or wok, heat oil over medium high heat.  In a smaller pot, add chicken stock and water, set over high heat. When oil is hot, but not smoking, add meat.  Once water/chicken stock is boiling, stir in minute rice and remove from heat. Cover and allow to rest.  When the steak is almost done, add vegetables.  When vegetables are heated through, add soy sauce, peanut butter and BBQ sauce.  For best results use a BBQ sauce that is vinegar based.  The sauce will be thin, just check the label for list of ingredients.  Stir well to coat steak and vegetables, add ginger and parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.   Serve over rice.

ENJOY!!

Cinnamon Swirl Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

1 Package sugar cookie dough (If you can find a roll not completely frozen that helps. Sometimes after thawing, they won’t roll out as easily)

¼ stick of Butter

Cinnamon

Brown Sugar

Procedure:

Roll the cookie dough flat so that it is a uniform rectangle. Generously cover dough in butter. Then layer on the cinnamon and brown sugar to liking.

Roll the cookie dough back up in a long tube shape.

Rolled out with Cinnamon and Brown Sugar

Wrap cookies in foil or plastic and freeze for 45 minutes. When the cookies have hardened (but not too hard to cut through) take them out and cut cookies according to size on sugar cookie package. Bake to specs on package.

Rolled

Cut

I originally found this recipe at www.mamalovesfood.com/2010/07/cinnamon-roll-sugar-cookies.html

If you check out the link, you will also find a recipe for DELICIOUS glaze! I didn’t make any because I was getting Very Sleepy!! Enjoy these delicious cookies anytime! I can’t wait for Cinnamon Swirl Sugar Cookies and Coffee!!

Baked, Enjoy!

I found this recipe on the internet and wanted to try it TERRIBLY. Unfortunately, life sometimes gets in the way of the best laid plans! I hope to try this very soon and get up some pictures! And get to EAT it, it looks sooo YUMMY! I am putting the original link on the bottom but I am adding the Ingredients below in US measurments! If you make this and the pictures turn out, send them in a comment and I will post them!! Enjoy

US Measurements

1 Cup Milk

8 Oz Cream Cheese, cubed and softened

6 Egg Yolks

2 Oz Butter, softened to room temp

2 Oz Cake Flour

¾ Oz Corn Flour

1 Lemon Zest

6 Egg Whites

¼ tsp Cream of Tarter

4.5 Oz Caster Sugar

http://en.christinesrecipes.com/2011/02/japanese-cheesecake-fluffy-creamy.html