Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk (Throwback Thursday)

Sweetened condensed milk is so expensive. And lets be honest, do you ever actually use the entire can? I rarely do because I am always cutting recipes in half or fourths because it is just my husband and I eating the scrumptious desserts. This recipe could not be easier. It is so cheap. And I always have all the ingredients on hand already. If you need some sweetened condensed milk in a recipe, give this a try. Delicious, takes five minutes (or less), and incredibly inexpensive.

I have seen tons of sweetened condensed milk recipes that you have to cook on the stove. Who wants to do that? And in the reviews, they always say it gets clumpy and what not. This stuff NEVER clumps and you never have to cook this. PERFECT!

I have used it in things I have baked (like these Ooey Gooey Peanut Butter Brownies) and things that I have refrigerated (like this Peanut Butter Pie). It works great in both facets.

This makes approximately 1 1/2 cups or the equivalent of 1 (14 ounce) can.

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 cup dry powdered milk or 2 cups instant dry powdered milk (my grocery store only has instant so that is what I use)
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon real butter

Directions
1. Put water and butter in a microwave dish and let it come to a boil in your microwave; about 45-60 seconds (keep an eye on it).
2. Put sugar and powdered milk in a blender or magic bullet. Add the boiling water butter mixture. Blend until combined, scraping down the sides if needed.
3. Use just as the normal sweetened condensed milk from a can.

Cadbury Caramel PB Cup Cookies

You all know how much I LOVE these Turtle Cookies! These are a spin off of those. Caramel in cookies in my new favorite thing. So why not pair it with some of my other favorite candies. DELICIOUS! This cookie base is so good! Words cannot even describe it! Seriously, these cookies with ice cream while hot .. UNREAL!


Ingredients
12 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cups Cadbury mini eggs (found around either Easter or Christmas)
1/2 cup caramel bites
1/2 cup Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, chopped

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Beat butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.
3. Add vanilla, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and egg. Continue to beat until everything is incorporated.
4. Mix in the flour until everything is fully incorporated. Stir in the Cadbury mini eggs, caramel bits, and chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
5. Scoop cookie dough onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12 minutes or until edges are lightly brown (center will not be set but continue to cook after being pulled from the oven. Let cool for five minutes on tray (if you can wait) before serving.

Maple Walnut Fudge

I LOVE fudge but that stuff is PRICEY! I honestly have NO CLUE why. The ingredients used to make fudge are very inexpensive. So, why not try this recipe and enjoy your own homemade fudge that is just as good as the stuff that they let you sample at Costco or the fudge they sell at the BYU bookstore. And an added bonus ... it couldn't be easier ... a fool proof recipe!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups miniature marshmallows

1 (12 ounce) package white chocolate chips

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons maple flavored extract

50 walnut halves or pieces

Directions

1. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with foil.

2. Combine butter, evaporated milk, sugar, and salt in a medium, heavy-duty saucepan.

3. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly, over medium heat. Boil, stirring constantly, for 4 1/2 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Stir in the marshmallows, morsels, nuts, and maple flavoring. Stir vigorously for 1 minute or until marshmallows are melted. Pour into prepared baking pan.

5. On top of fudge, place nut halves in rows spacing about 1/2 inch apart. Press into fudge (work fast so your fudge doesn't crack). Cut into squares with 1 nut half per square.

Pecan Caramel Rolls (Logs)

I am not going to lie to you; this is not the easiest candy to make. But in the end, it will DEFINITELY be worth it. This is something totally different and surely will impress anyone. It is one of my best friend's family recipes and I am so glad that I gave it a try! This will now be a Christmas staple for my family!

Ingredients for the White Caramel
2 cups white sugar
2 Tbsp. white Karo syrup
1 cups whipping cream
142 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla (add this after cooking)

Directions for the White Caramel
1. Mix sugar, cream, syrup and salt together in a mixing bowl. 

2. Grease a heavy kettle with butter or margarine on the sides. Add sugar/cream mixture.

3. Cook and stir on high heat until it comes to a boil. Turn heat down to medium and cook to a soft ball stage* (230-232 F). 

4. Pour out onto a buttered platter (baking sheet) and add vanilla. Don't stir. Cool for about 22 minutes. 

5. Put mixture into a greased bowl. Beat with a wooden spoon (or if you are smart and realize we are in the 21st century, use a mixer) until it loses its gloss and it sets up (about 20 minutes). Put into a plastic bag and get all the air out of the bag. Refrigerate it and let it sit overnight.

Ingredients for the Dark Caramel
2 cups sugar
2 cups light Karo syrup
2 sticks butter
2 large cans of evaporated milk, divided
2 tsp. vanilla
1 bag of pecans (you might need more or less)

Directions for the Dark Caramel
1. Mix sugar, syrup, butter and one can of milk. Bring to boil and cook until slightly thick and brown, stirring constantly. 

2. Add the other can of milk about 1/4 at a time so the mixture never stops boiling (this helps to prevent curdling). Cook until mixture forms a hard ball in cold water** (about 235 F) and it should take about an hour. 

3. While this is happening, cover one large buttered baking sheets with pecans. 

4. Add vanilla into the caramel mixture and pour onto the baking sheets. Let them cool completely (this could take awhile). 

Directions for Assembly

1. Once the caramel is cooled, cut the white caramel into about 5 equal pieces (if you put them in the bag and push it all down to one end, this should be super easy) and make sure they are shaped like snakes (the same size as the caramel). 

2. Place one strip onto the dark caramel. Roll the dark caramel around the white caramel and cut where the seem meets. Roll out so the seem seals together.

3. Cut into two inch long ropes. Roll in extra chopped pecans. 

4. Wrap with wax paper.

5. Repeat with the remaining caramel.

6. Store in the refrigerator.

Cashew Macadamia Nut Crunch Candy

This is one of my all time favorite treats during the holidays. My sister introduced me to it a few years ago and now I make it EVERY YEAR! This holiday candy MIGHT just change your life! It is really that good! And it has an incredible long shelf life.

Ingredients

3/4 Cup Chopped Cashews

3/4 Cup Chopped Macadamia Nuts

1/2 Cup Sugar

1 Stick of Butter2 Tbsp. Corn Syrup

1 Package Milk Chocolate Chips

Directions

1. Spread chocolate chips evenly across the bottom of a greased 8 X 8 foil pan.

2. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, melt the butter, sugar, corn syrup together.

3. Add the nuts and stir constantly unil the mixture begins to come together and turn light brown.

4. Spread over the chips and let cool.

5. Once cool, refrigerate until hard and then break into chunks (does not need to be stored in the refrigerator).

Caramel Turtles

I have a SERIOUS problem! I buy dessert recipe magazines far too often! But at least you get some benefit from it :). I LOVE turtles but have never made them until today. You must give these simple delicious candy treats a try. Great for gifting for Father's Day or blended up in some vanilla ice cream to create some chocolate caramel ice cream. I halved the recipe when I made them but am giving it to you in full. Halving this recipe will give you about 18 turtles so you can see this is a rather large recipe.

Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup butter
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups pecan halves (or any other nut you like such as cashews)
1 pound chocolate-flavored candy coating, melted (also known as chocolate appeals)

Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, combine sugars and corn syrup. Cook mixture, stirring frequently, over medium-high heat, until mixture reaches 242 degrees on a candy thermometer.


2. Add butter, stirring until melted (As the butter continues to melt, the caramel base will thicken and become difficult to stir and incorporate but once you add the heavy whipping cream, everything will come together nicely).
3. Stir in the cream, and cook until mixture reaches 235 degrees.
4. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla and pecans. (I divided my mixture in half and did part of the turtles with cashews and part of them with pecans. If you do this, you must work a little quicker though).
5. Drop mixture by teaspoonfuls, 1 inch apart, onto parchment paper. (Use two spoons to scoop the sticky mixture onto the parchment paper; it is far to warm to use your finger!)


6. Line another baking sheet with parchment paper. (To melt the chocolate, make a double broiler by place some water in the bottom of a pan and set a bowl on top. Make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl, or your chocolate will not cook properly. Cook the chocolate on medium heat so you don't scorch it.)


7. Dip each turtle into melted chocolate using a fork (or other two pronged utensil). Allow excess chocolate to drip off and place on the prepared baking sheets to cool.


8. If your house is fairly warm, especially in the summer, just place them in the fridge to harden up the chocolate. (or if you are in a hurry to eat these up!)

My Grandma's Famous Caramels

At first, my grandmother did not want me posting this recipe. It is so DELICIOUS and everyone always rants and raves about it! She didn't want everyone to know how simple it was to make. It is a family secret that I have convinced her to let me share. If you love caramels, you will go CRAZY for these! My grandma makes them for every holiday, during any injuries, and for all special occasion: I still can't get enough of them!

Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
1 3/4 cups corn syrup
2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
1. Line the bottom of a 9x13 greased pan with parchment paper (if you don't do this, it will be much harder to get out)
2. In a LARGE pot, combine sugar, butter, corn syrup, and 1 cup heavy whipping cream. Bring to a boil.


3. Slowly add the other cup of heavy whipping cream. Boil until soft boil stage. Don't be afraid to overcook it. (The more it cooks, the harder the caramels. If you don't have a candy thermometer, drop a little bit of the caramel in a cold cup of water to get a general idea of how hard it will be when it cools.)
4. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix, then pour into the lined pan. Refrigerate until hardened.
5. Remove from the refrigerator and cut into small squares. Wrap each individually with wax paper like a present (I rip off about 3-inch strips and then cut them in thirds).