Our Just Desserts...Holiday Recipe Blog Swap...

Hello and Happy Holidays to you all! Soooooooooo...are you ready to become sugar induced? hehe

My kiddo and I have started trying new things in the kitchen...namely because I hate cooking and avoid that area of the house like the plague and she's getting to the age that she wants to learn to cook so is playing the "You're the mama" card on me...*heads desk* Monday, we are gonna try our hand at home made fudge!

Now wait a second...I don't even know what a candy thermometer looks like—let alone own one...and really, there are people out there that do have these mythical things handy???

That's cool—the kiddo found a recipe that doesn't require that obscure in my life piece of equipment...she showed me this recipe and said it was something even I could do...love that brat! lmao

Soooooooooooo...here is the Foolproof Holiday Fudge (yes...yes I'm the fool lol - and this recipe is verbatim since I've yet to try it out *blushes*) with the link from where we snagged it...hope you enjoy *big smiles*

Yield: Makes 24 two-inch pieces

okay...I'd do this peppermint :)

Ingredients

Vegetable oil, cooking spray

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup heavy cream

3 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

3 cups semisweet or white chocolate chips

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy (yeah...I don't do hard peppermint candy, so we'll be substituting toffee I think *winks*)

Directions

Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with two sheets of waxed or parchment paper in a crisscross manner (one lengthwise, one crosswise) so ends overhang sides of pan; coat evenly with cooking spray.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, cook sugar, salt, butter, cream, and marshmallows, stirring, until butter and marshmallows are almost melted, 5 to 6 minutes.

Bring mixture to a boil; cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chips and vanilla; stir until chips are melted. Pour mixture into lined pan.

Let fudge cool in the pan at room temperature, 3 hours. Use edges of paper to lift out fudge; place on cutting board, and remove paper. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters, or cut fudge into bars. Sprinkle evenly with crushed candy.

Baby girl is looking forward to using the Christmas shaped cookie cutters on the fudge...lol...I'm just glad they aren't huge cookie cutters—you only need a little bit in my opinion to hit that sweet spot...*big smiles*

*claps hands together* Your turn!!!! Leave me a comment with either your fave holiday dessert recipe or a link to your fave...and...your email addy to be in the running to win my Christmas novella (see below) & a gift card from All Romance e-books...that's right—you can win both!

So come one and all (hey! I'm trying to keep this clean you know...hehe) and share your recipes and email addy...then hop on over to the other wonderful authors who are participating and enjoy theirs! *huge hugs*

~Hop Here~

Silvia Violet

Em Woods

Lee Brazil

Angel Martinez

Laura Harner

Blurb:

Ever since his brother's death, Camden doesn't do Christmas. This is exactly what he plans to tell his bigoted parents on what will be his last Christmas trip up north. But when he gets snowed-in with the eccentric and way too jolly Trace, just maybe spirits can be revived.

Available at Amazon and AllRomance e-books

Excerpt:

Camden jumped, which caused him to stagger backward onto the towel the stranger was pointing to. "Holy shit, you scared me!"

"I never understood that expression. Why would shit ever be holy? No preacher I know would bless it. You people have the strangest sayings." The stranger walked toward him and started unzipping his jacket.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Camden chattered out as he tried to push the guy's persistent hands away from him. "Stop that!"

The man ignored his protests and worked around Cam's hands to finally open up the article of clothing he was infatuated with. "You are covered in snow and soaking wet. If we don't get these off of you, pneumonia is in your imminent future. That will not do, it would make no one happy."

Cam was roughly turned around as the jacket was yanked down his arms and thrown in a basket set by the towel.

"Hmm. Your sweater is also damp, what were you doing? Making snow angels? Off with this, too."

Again, without his permission, his sweater was quickly dragged up his chest and over his head. He raised his arms last minute in fear that this psycho would actually take them off if they didn't cooperate.

"Who the hell are you? And where are you from?" Cam had noticed a unique accent that he couldn't place, not that he was an accent expert or anything.

"Shouldn't I be asking you those questions? You are standing in my parlor, after all."

Camden took a second to get a good look at this guy. Well, if nothing else came from this strange meeting, at least he was hot. Not in the ordinary make-his-jeans-drop-and-beg-to-be-done-right way… more in the interesting-to-look-at-and-study-because-did-his-eyes-just-twinkle-and-change-color way. And Cam swore they just did both. When this man walked over to Cam he distinctly had blue eyes, now they looked more lavender and they, Camden couldn't even believe he was thinking this, but they really did sparkle or something. Maybe he wore contacts.

Aside from the eyes, the man had a slightly larger than normal nose and high forehead, blond bangs hanging shaggily to the side. The rest of his blond hair was tousled and fell just below the collar of his pullover sweater. Oh, but his lips were tempting too. Camden was a sucker for a good set of lips with a distinctive cupid's bow.

The man ran his hands over Camden's chest. When his fingertips rubbed over Cam's nipples innocently enough, he had to bite his lip to stop the moan.

Cam swatted at those roaming hands again. "Fine! I'm Camden Bartels and I'm from Miami. Now does my chest pass your inspection?"

"Yes. This shirt is dry, you may keep it on."

"Well, thank you so much. Do you always treat your guests like this?"

"Technically, I never invited you in. So if we were to use your Merriam Webster dictionary's definition, then you aren't a guest. Those pants are wet, take them off."

Camden never thought that he could feel indignant about a gorgeous man wanting him to undress, but at this moment—hell yeah he could. "Not happening. And I always preferred the Oxford dictionary myself."