Whiskey Caramel Marshmallow Bacon Bark

16 oz of semi-sweet chocolate
4 cups of mini marshmallows
1/4 cup whiskey

1 cup caramel (recipe follows)
8-10 slices spiced bacon crumble (recipe follows)

1) Place chocolate in a bain marie or in a heat-proof bowl above simmering water. Heat on low until chocolate is melted. Pour half of melted chocolate into parchement-lined pan. Then using an offset spatula, spread chocolate until smooth. Transfer pan to freezer to chill for about 5 minutes or until melted chocolate becomes solid.

2) Place marshmallows in a large saucepan and heat until marshmallows starts to just melt and forms web-like strands when stirred. (See picture). Remove from heat and add in 5 tablespoons of whiskey; stir to combine. Spread marshmallow mixture over solid chocolate layer. (To easily spread the marshmallow to an even layer, spray offset spatula with non-stick spray.)

3) Pour caramel on top of marshmallow layer. Then, using an offset spatula, spread caramel until smooth. Transfer pan to freezer to chill for about 5 minutes or until caramel becomes slightly hardened. Pour remaining half of chocolate over caramel layer and, using an offset spatula, spread chocolate until smooth. Sprinkle and gently press bacon crumble into chocolate, Return fully assembled bark to refrigerator to chill for 20 minutes or until bark becomes solid. Bring bark to almost room temperature before cutting.

BACON CRUMBLE:
8-10 slices bacon
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoon water
1 egg white
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1) Cook bacon and set aside to cool completely. Once cooled, coarsely crumble bacon with hand; set aside and heat oven to 300 degrees F.

2) Place sugar and water in a pot and heat until sugar is dissolved. Toss crumbled bacon in sugar syrup to coat. Pass coated bacon through a strainer to drain excess sugar syrup.

3) Add egg white to a bowl and beat until fluffy and foamy. Add in black pepper and cayenne. Whisk to combine. Add in crumbled bacon and toss to coat.

4) Spread coated, crumbled bacon on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool, then crumble bacon one last time.

CARAMEL FILLING:
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons water
4 tablespoon butter
7 tablespoon heavy cream

Add sugar and water into a saucepan over medium low heat. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Use a wet brush to remove any crystals that form on the side. Once sugar has dissolved increase heat to high. Now and then, using the handle, give the pot a swirl to keep the mixture moving. Do not stir the mixture directly. The mixture will start to bubble after a minute. As the mixture darkens to a medium amber color, approximately 5-7 minutes, add the butter and heavy cream to saucepan. The mixture will bubble wildly. Whisk to combine (bubbles will subside upon cooling). Set aside to cool completely.

Makes 1 8×8 pan | Preparation: Line pan with parchment or wax paper with a one-inch overhang on each side.

Autumn Brittle

1 cup almonds
1 cup cashews
3/4 cup pumpkin seeds

2/3 cup dried cranberries
2 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. butter

1) Heat the sugars, honey, water and salt in a large pot over a low-medium flame. Use a pot that is larger than you would think necessary because when the mixture begins to boil it will foam up and increase in size. Stir every five minutes or so. Using a candy thermometer, continue to heat the mixture until it reaches a temperature of exactly 302 degrees Fahrenheit. This is very important because this is the temperature at which sugar hardens into a rock-like state after it cools. Pay close attention not to go very far above 302, otherwise you will burn the sugar. It can take up to an hour for the mixture to reach that high of a temperature, so don't get too worried if 15 minutes go by and the thermometer is still at 175.

2) While the sugar mixture is boiling, place a sheet of parchment paper on top of a shallow pan, about 9 x 13 inches in width and length, and grease the parchment paper. Set aside. Once the sugar mixture reaches 302, immediately remove it from heat and stir in the butter, cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries until they're coated in the mixture.

3) Immediately pour the mixture onto the parchment paper and spread it out into a large rectangle using a rubber spatula. Try to keep the surface relatively even and about 1 inch in height. Place the pan in the refrigerator and allow the brittle to cool for one hour.

4) Once it has finished cooling, remove the sheet of brittle from the parchment paper and break the brittle into pieces using a meat tenderizer or clean hammer. Arrange the pieces on a serving platter and serve. Store excess brittle in a cool dry place.

Country Fried Peach Pies

Ingredients:
2-¼ cups All-purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Salt
½ cups Lard Or Shortening
½ cups Milk (more Or Less)
1 can Peach Pie Filling (Or Other Fruit), 21 Ounce Can
1 cup Oil, For Frying
1 whole Egg, Beaten With A Splash Of Water

Directions:
To make the crust: Mix together flour and salt with a whisk. Cut in the lard using a pastry cutter until the mixture looks crumbly. Mix in the milk until a ball of dough is formed.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/8″ thick.

Using a salad bowl or something else about 6 ” in diameter, cut out as many discs of dough as you can.

To make pies: Spoon a large dollop of pie filling into each disc, leaving about an inch of dough all the way around.

Brush the edges with egg wash and fold dough over. Seal the edges with a fork and poke a hole in the middle of the pie so it can vent.

Heat oil in a large skillet. When oil is hot (you’ll know when a drop of water of dough sizzles), fry each pie until both sides are golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.

Serve hot, cold, or room temperature and enjoy!

Rainbow Jell-O Cups

Directions:
You’ll need one small box of jello for each color you want… so in this case, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. And one large tub of cool whip.

Prepare purple (or whatever color you want on the bottom) jello as directed, using the “quick chill” method, meaning add some ice. Pour jello into glasses, (or a 9′x13′ baking dish sprayed lightly with cooking spray), reserving about 1/3 of the liquid jello. Put glasses, or dish in the refrigerator and chill for 15-30 minutes, or until slightly set. Mix about 1/3 cup of cool whip into the remaining purple jello. Pour the jello/cool whip mixture on top of the slightly set purple jello already in the glasses (or dish).

Repeat process for each color.

I’ve seen recipes that use sour cream, or yogurt in place of the cool whip, so feel free to do that if it saves you a trip to the store.

Once set, top with some additional cool whip and sprinkles if desired.

Strawberry Torte

Ingredients

• • Unsalted butter, for pan
  • 8 extra-large eggs, room temperature, separated
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
  • 2 teaspoons sifted baking powder
  • 1 pint heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, plus more for work towel
  • 1 quart strawberries, washed, dried, and hulls removed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and line a rimmed 15-by-10-by-1-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar together until light in color, about 1 minute; stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Add cake flour and baking powder; stir until well combined.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into flour mixture.
4. Pour cake batter in prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake until cake springs back when touched, about 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, set 6 strawberries aside for garnish. Thinly slice remaining strawberries. Place heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium speed. Slowly add remaining teaspoon vanilla and 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar. Continue beating until soft peaks form. Set half of the whipped cream aside. Gently fold sliced strawberries into remaining half; set aside.
6. Lay a clean kitchen towel flat on a work surface with one of the short ends facing you. Generously sprinkle dish towel with confectioners' sugar. Flip cake onto towel, remove baking sheet, and peel off parchment paper. Using the dish towel, roll cake away from you; let cool.
7. Unroll cake. Evenly spread strawberry whipped-cream mixture over surface of the cake and re-roll. Transfer cake to a serving plate and evenly spread top and sides of cake with reserved whipped cream. Cut reserved whole strawberries in half lengthwise and place on top of cake for garnish.

Chocolate and Hazelnut Roulade with Raspberries

Ingredients:


butter, for greasing

½ cup of plain chocolate

4 eggs
½ cup of caster sugar (plus extra for dusting)
2 cups of fresh raspberries

FOR THE FILLING:
½ of a vanilla pod
1 tbsp Coole Swan liqueur (adjust to your taste)
1 ¼ cup of cream
½ cup of Wicklow fine food luxury chocolate and hazelnut spread
icing sugar (to decorate)

Method:
Grease a 33 x 23cm (13 x9in) Swiss roll tin, line with greaseproof paper and then grease the paper. Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water.

Separate the eggs and whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until very thick and pale in color. Beat in the egg whites until stiff, and then fold into the chocolate mixture.

Pour into the prepared tin and spread out evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes until well risen and firm to the touch.

Turn the sponge out onto a sheet of greaseproof generously sprinkled with caster sugar. Carefully peel off the lining paper. Cover the roulade with a warm, damp tea towel and leave to cool.

To make the filling, split the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds. Place the cream in a bowl and stir in the Cool Swan liqueur and vanilla seeds. Gently whisk with an electric mixer until stiff, and then spread the chocolate and hazelnut spread over the cold roulade, followed by the cream mixture. Using the paper to help, roll up the roulade to enclose the filling.

To serve, transfer the roulade on to a serving plate and dust with icing sugar, then cut into slices and arrange on serving plates with the raspberries.

Enjoy!

Bourbon Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes

Makes 2 shakes
2 cups vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup cream or half and half
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup pureed pumpkin
1/2 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
2-3 ounces of bourbon
frosting + sprinkles (or cinnamon sugar) for glasses
Add all ingredients to a blender and mix until combined. Rim glasses with a light coating of frosting then dip in sprinkles. Pour in shake and sprinkle cinnamon on top. Top with whipped cream if desired. Serve!