No Bake Day

I recently had strep throat and let me tell you, I know I'm getting older now because my body cannot recover from it like it used to. I watch my daughter, who has it now, bounce around and still play with her brother and sister while having a 101 fever and it gives further evidence to my old body theory.

I have missed cooking and baking so much since I've been sick, I woke up this morning wanting to make something delicious for the family. Since I'm still recovering, but not running on all cylinders I knew I needed something easy, but decadent. I'm sharing two of my favorite no bake pies with ya'll today. Neither require baking, unless you bake your own pie crust. Today, I will refer to you as an overachiever if you do make your own crust. Yes, I'm jealous that you have energy and I don't. 

The first pie is called a Butterfinger Pie. My cousin shared this recipe with me and I could literally sit and eat the whole thing myself. The other pie is a Chocolate Cream Pie and it comes into my dreams sometimes and tells me I need to make it. It's just that good.

Butterfinger Pie

The Cast:

6 regular size Butterfinger candy bars, crushed

1 8 oz. package cream cheese

1 12 oz. carton Cool Whip

1 graham cracker crust

Directions:

Mix first three ingredients together.

Spread into pie crust.

Chill until set.

Top with crushed Butterfinger bits

Easy Peasy Chocolate Cream Pie

The Cast:

8oz. softened cream cheese

1/3  cup plus 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream

½ cup sugar

½ sifted cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Graham cracker crust or cookie crust

(In this pie, I made a graham cracker crust and added cocoa powder. I also baked it in a springform pan.)

Whipped topping:

1 cup ice cold heavy whipping cream

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

3 tbsp granulated sugar

Chocolate Shavings or semi-sweet morsels (optional)

For filling:

Whip cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add in sifted cocoa powder and vanilla and whip until creamy. Spread into pie crust and refrigerate while making the whipped topping.

For Topping:

Combine all ingredients and whip on 4 in your KitchenAid mixer until fluffy peaks appear. Spread over chocolate mixture and sprinkle with chocolate shavings or chocolate chips if desired.

Mexican Hot Chocolate

I recently stumbled upon a fabulous concoction called Mexican Hot Chocolate. My first thought when I heard the name was, "Do you put jalapeños in the hot chocolate?" Yuck. 

I found a recipe on Pinterest that explained how to make Mexican hot chocolate and how it got it's name. Being the hot chocolate enthusiast I am, I had to try to make it myself. I have a homemade hot chocolate that I make often every winter, so I just changed it up a bit to give it a bit of South of the Border flavor. Cinnamon (I grind cinnamon sticks for this recipe) Nutmeg and a pinch of Cayenne takes this hot chocolate to the next level.  Fresh ground cinnamon will give you a stronger flavor and more spice, but you don't have to be an overachiever like me. 

The Cast and Crew:

1 cup water
4 tablespoons cocoa powder 
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups of whole milk
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon of Mexican vanilla
pinch of cayenne pepper
Mini Marshmallows or Coconut Whipped Cream to garnish

Begin by heating 1 cup of water to a boil. Add in the 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder (I sift mine so there are no lumpies). Yes, I said lumpies. Continue to stir until the cocoa is fully melted into the water. Add in the 1/2 cup of sugar and continue to stir. Add in the cinnamon, nutmeg, Mexican vanilla, and cayenne pepper. Continue to stir. You will stir A LOT with this recipe. 

Once all of the spices are combined into the mixture, remove from heat and add in you sweetened condensed milk. It will become thick at this point, but it will thin back out once you add the whole milk. Add in the 2 cups of whole milk and stir. Once the milk has warmed up slowly by mixing with everything, you can return the hot chocolate to the burner on a low heat setting. Do not heat the milk up quickly or you will cause it to curdle. You can allow it to heat for as long as you need on low and stir occasionally. 

Ladle the chocolate into your favorite mug and top it with marshmallows or something I like to call a little spoonful of heaven- Coconut Whipped Cream (recipe below).

Coconut Whipped Cream

The Cast and Crew:

1 can of Coconut Milk (not light)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Refrigerate your can of coconut milk overnight or freeze it for about an hour. This will cause it to separate and the cream will rise to the top, so make sure to not shake the can up when you remove it from the fridge. Open the can and scoop out the delicious cream off of the top of the liquid. 

Mix on medium speed in a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer until soft peaks form. 

Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla to taste and continue to whip the mixture. You can adjust the sweetness to taste. You can store this whipped cream in a covered dish and it will keep for several days in the fridge. 
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Homemade Peanut Butter Toffee Fudge

Do you ever have dreams about desserts? I seem to have these sort of dreams around a few times a week. I'm not sure if it means my addiction to food and cooking has gotten out of hand, but frankly I don't care. My name is Julia and I am a foodie.

Two nights ago, I dreamed of my grandmother's fudge. Maybe it was the impending Christmas holiday that led me to dream about it, I'm not sure. Every year my granny made homemade fudge at Christmas time, along with all of her other goodies. Today, I was experimenting with her fudge recipe and all roads led me to throwing peanut butter into the mix. I have a love affair with peanut butter and when you mix it with chocolate, magic happens in my soul.

Here's the cast that you'll need to experience this magic:


9x9 greased square pan
2 cups of granulated sugar
3T light corn syrup
1T unsalted butter
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup Heath bar toffee chips
2T Hershey's cocoa
Crushed walnuts (optional)


Mix sugar, corn syrup, butter, and evaporated milk together in a large saucepan and stir until boiling. 


After the mixture is nice and bubbly (takes around 5 min.) switch to low heat, add in the cocoa and toffee chips and continue to stir for another 5 minutes while constantly stirring. Is your arm getting tired yet? Mine too.


Remove from heat and add in the cup of peanut butter. Slowing stir until the peanut butter is fully blended into the chocolate mixture. The mixture will be shiny at first, but after everything begins to blend perfectly it will become dull. Now it's time to transfer it to your pan so it can set up. 


After pouring the mixture into your greased pans, lightly (or heavily) sprinkle crushed walnuts over the top and lightly press them down into the fudge. Some like to add the nuts in while they're still mixing the fudge, I like to put them on top for a delicious crust. Cover and refrigerate for around 2 hours or until fully cooled and firm. Then, you can either 1) Cut it into squares and share with your loved ones or 2) sit with the whole pan in your lap and devour it all yourself. 


*Note- #2 is only an option and should only be attempted by trained professionals such as myself ;)