Home Made Butterfingers

I do not remember where we found this recipe, but it was one of the first candy recipes we learned how to make.

While the recipe is very easy to make, it is also easy to let the temperature get to high. Because of this, I changed our recipe to a slightly lower temperature so that the candy is pulled off the heat earlier and has less chance of being overcooked.

Use your favorite recipe for the dipping chocolate. While confectionery coating is okay, a good milk chocolate or dark chocolate makes the candy taste the best.

Sea Foam Candy

We discovered this candy a few years ago while browsing a candy store. Mark quickly declared it was his favorite candy ever. When looking for “sea foam”, we realized this candy comes with many different names; honeycomb candy, sponge candy, or fairy food.

For fun, we decided we needed to learn how to make his favorite treat. At first, we could not find any recipes or information about it, except in an old cookbook. However, now we can find different recipes for it in cookbooks or looking on line.

This is not a super hard recipe to make, but sometimes it turns out wonderfully and other times it is a little finicky. We have not learned why, but it is a great reason to make more.

We prefer the candy with a touch of molasses (or dark corn syrup) but it is just as good either way. However, the candy lasts longer coated in chocolate, so we highly recommend that if you want to save for longer.

Turmeric Chicken Soup

As the weather cools down, hot soup is a very easy and filling meal. This recipe has been adapted from a recipe that Mom M. gave to Angie who passed it on to me.

The turmeric is very subtle and more could be added easily without overpowering the other flavors. If you like ginger and garlic, go sparingly at first. They are not super strong, but will quickly overpower the chicken.

Serve as is with some fresh bread.

Hummus

There are so many uses for hummus! This is just a starting point recipe for reference. Adjust the seasonings, garlic and tahini to your personal taste.

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

This is an easy nut spread to make if you are just learning. It is not at thick as store bought Nutella, but it tastes very similar. It is probably a very good thing that hazelnuts are not super cheap, otherwise, we would make this a lot more often than we do.

Wonton Soup

Once upon a time, before internet and being able to find restaurants easily on a phone, a small family was traveling late at night through a strange city. A pregnant wife told her husband that she REALLY wanted wonton soup.

Sweet husband found hungry wife a Chinese restaurant and came back with a huge container of soup. Wife happily ate most of the soup, remembering to share a little.

Wonton soup has always been a favorite comfort food. I suspect it probably was because my dad would often take us for Chinese food for super special occasions.

Profiteroles- Cream Puffs

Many years ago, Andrea discovered “creamy puffs”.  After her first taste she insisted that she wanted to learn how to make them.  So, at the age of 9, Andrea learned how to make “French Profiteroles“.

Years later, Andrea still loves cream puffs and insisted that we make them to celebrate National Cream Puff Day (2 Jan).

Fill the puffs with vanilla ice cream for french profiteroles. Filling with whipped cream makes them cream puffs.  Either way is wonderful!

Gluten Free Cream Puff

If you want to make these gluten free, substitute the flour with your favorite gluten free flour*.   They do not puff up as nicely, and they did not brown the same, but they taste great!

Homemade Kahlua

Kahlua is a coffee flavored liqueur that is used in tiramisu.  I am sure that it is used in many other recipes, but tiramisu is our favorite way to use it.

Butter Toffee

Before getting married, I worked as a third grade paraprofessional.  My first year was wonderful. The teachers used me as an under teacher, working with different students and using my strengths to help the classes.   Since I am right handed, I learned to write on a chalk board and I taught cursive that year.

Since I interacted with the students so much, they spoiled me often.  At Christmas, Brianna brought me a batch of this candy.  I liked it so much, I requested a recipe.  I have made this recipe almost every year since.  Now Andrea makes this recipe also.

 

Noodles


Home made noodles are much better than store bought.  They take a little extra time but are easy and very good. We always use a noodle maker since we have one, but rolling the dough by hand does not take a lot of time.

While the recipe says to let the noodles dry, you can cook them right away if you want.  They are excellent with butter and garlic, with your favorite sauce or in chicken broth.

For colorful variety, add some pumpkin puree or spinach to the dough.  You will need to add extra flour, but the different colors and taste is fun.