It’s that time of the month again, time for the Crazy Cooking Challenge.
This month’s challenge: Fudge

While searching the blogosphere for a recipe that piqued my interest and tempted my tastebuds, I came across this Nutty Fudge Day recipe on my friend Cindy’s blog – Skip To My Lou. If Cindy endorses it – I’m in. I, of course, tweaked the recipe a tad.

This fudge recipe is delicious, decadent, easy, rich and not overly sweet – which for me, is key, I don’t like super sweet fudge.

Butter – Dark Chocolate Chips – Sweetened Condensed Milk – Vanilla Bean Paste – Salt & Walnuts – that’s it.

In a large microwave safe bowl – I used my 8 C glass measuring cup – put the chocolate chips, butter, condensed milk, salt and vanilla bean paste

I love the pretty specks of vanilla bean in those vanilla bean paste drizzles

Microwave on half power about 2-5 minutes – I microwaved for 1 1/2 minutes on half power, stirred. Microwave another 1 1/2 minutes – stirred again. Just keep doing this until everything is melted – this is not a creamy smooth melted mixture – it’s thick.
Stir in the walnuts

Pour all of this into a foil lined and sprayed 8X8 glass dish – I cover my dish with foil going horizontally and vertically – that way when the fudge is done chilling, I just lift the foil out of the dish and peel it off the bottom of the fudge – easy peasy!

Refrigerate until the fudge is set, remove from the dish, slice and enjoy! This is perfect cut into bite size pieces with a cold glass of milk.

Visit the other participants and feel free to vote for this Dark Chocolate Walnut Fudge if it calls to your tastebuds

Dark Chocolate cookies with a candy cane kiss swirl topping

Y’all have been so patient about waiting for this recipe!  It’s been such a busy week and weekend – phew!  Thanks for waiting, y’all!

These cookies are ridiculously delicious with the combination of rich dark chocolate and the cool zing from the creamy, delicious candy cane kisses. YUM.  They were devoured by my family (Nathan even gave me a high five) and the staff at the school loved them and were begging for the recipe, too!

These aren’t a quick-throw-together cookie, they require melting and chilling, but they are SO worth it.

In a saucepan place butter and dark brown sugar with a bit of water – stir frequently until the butter is melted

Add in dark chocolate chips and stir frequently until almost all the chocolate is melted; remove from heat and continue to stir until the chocolate chips are full melted, add 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste to this and stir well. Pour into your large mixing bowl and let cool for about 10 minutes – stirring it around a couple of times to help the cooling process.

While the chocolate is cooling off: Sift 3 Cups of flour. From the sifted flour carefully measure out 2 1/2 Cups of flour and add it to a large mixing bowl. To the flour, add 1 1/4 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt – sift together.

When the cooling off time is over for the chocolate mixture (sounds like it’s been in trouble, doesn’t it?) beat in one egg at a time on high speed.
Reduce speed to low and add in dry ingredients, mixing until just blended – don’t forget to scrape the sides.
Chill the dough for about an hour in the fridge
While the dough is chilling, unwrap a bag of candy cane kiss candies (having the kids help do this is fun, but beware of sneaky candy cane kiss devourers)
Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.
Roll dough into 1/2″-ish balls and place on un-greased cookie sheet or parchment lined cookie sheet about 1 1/2″ to 2″ apart.

Bake about 7 minutes or until a piece of uncooked spaghetti  comes out clean (depends on your oven, could be up to 9 minutes) Do NOT overbake (you might want to test cook two cookies to see the timing in your oven)

Place a candy cane kiss in the middle of each hot out of the oven cookie

After about 5 minutes, take a tooth pick and lightly swirl the kiss on the cookie, it will just melt down onto the cookie in a pretty swirl pattern

Remove these cookies from the cookie sheet, place on a baking rack and place in the fridge to chill and set the candy cane kiss swirl.

Serve straight out of the refrigerator or at room temperature – delicious either way!

Also, Today I’m featured over on Love, Feast, Table’s Holiday Cookie Exchange with another family favorite recipe!

Can’t wait to see what deliciousness y’all have to link up this week!
Link up a recipe post from your own blog – not someone else’s
Link back here in your recipe post
Visit at least 3 other participants – you won’t regret it!
Happy Monday, y’all!

Did y’all survive the Thanksgiving Feast? Are you still nomming away on leftovers?
I’m actually brining my *leftover* Turkey right now and we’ll be devouring my Poblano Turkey this week

This dessert was one of the highlights of our Thanksgiving table (well, this and the sock cake – more about that later)

I also took this to the school for the Staff Thanksgiving Luncheon and I think it was one of the first to disappear.
This cake is moist – and rich and delicious and when topped with the Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting – Oh. My. Holy. Tonguegasm, y’all!!!!

I can’t wait to see what y’all have to share with us today!
Remember that you can only link up a recipe from your own blog!!!
Link back here in your recipe post so that others can find the Mouthwatering Fun!
Visit at least 3 other participants – you won’t be sorry!
Happy Mouthwatering Monday, y’all!!