6-Minute Caramel

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup water
½ cup heavy cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (optional)
A pinch of salt (to balance out the sweetness)
Directions:

In a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pan, combine sugar and water. Make sure the sugar is evenly moistened.
Place the pan over medium-high heat. Let the sugar dissolve completely without stirring.
Once the sugar has dissolved, watch as it starts to bubble. The syrup will turn amber in color after 4-5 minutes.
Immediately remove from heat and slowly pour in the heavy cream, whisking continuously.
Whisk in vanilla extract and a pinch of salt until smooth.
Serve over desserts like ice cream or pancakes.

Peaches and Cream Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients:

For the Bars:

1 can of peach pie filling (21 oz)
4 eggs
1 cup softened unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
For Cheesecake:

2 teaspoons vanilla essence
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper.
Cream butter and sugar until light. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
Mix flour and salt. Blend into wet ingredients.
Spread half the batter in the pan. Set aside.
Whisk cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and egg. Spread over batter.
Top with peach pie filling. Drop remaining batter in dollops.
Bake 30-35 minutes until golden. Cool completely.

Pineapple Rum Cake With Rum Glaze

Ingredients

Pineapple Rum Cake

• 15.25 ounces yellow cake mix
• 3.4 ounces instant vanilla pudding
• 20 ounces pineapple tidbits drained well with juice reserved
• ½ cup reserved pineapple juice
• 4 large eggs
• ½ cup canola oil
• ½ cup dark rum

Rum Glaze

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ¼ cup reserved pineapple juice
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup dark rum

Instructions

Pineapple Rum Cake

• Preheat oven to 325°F. and prepare a 10-inch Bundt pan by generously spraying it with a floured baking spray. You can also generously butter it and sprinkle with flour.
• Drain pineapple tidbits in a colander placed over a medium bowl to reserve the juice.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the cake mix and instant vanilla pudding mix.
• Place the pineapple into a small bowl and toss with two tablespoons of the cake/pudding mixture. Coat completely.
• Into the cake mix, add the eggs, 1/2 cup pineapple juice, canola oil, and 1/2 cup of rum. Mix completely.
• With a rubber spatula, fold in the coated pineapple tidbits.
• Gently pour batter into pan and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Rum Glaze

• Into a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, sugar and pineapple juice. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup of dark rum. Mix well.

Glazing the Cake

• Remove cake from oven and let sit for 5 minutes.
• While still in the pan, poke holes with a skewer all the way around the bottom of the cake. Using 1/3 of the glaze, gently brush the bottom of the cake, allowing the glaze to soak into it.
• Let cake sit for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a cooling rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet.
• Gently brush the remainder of the glaze all over the cake, pausing at times to give the cake time to absorb it. Using two hard spatulas, slowly and gently transfer the cake to a serving plate. Cool completely.
• If serving the next day, cover top with toothpicks and gently cover with a tent of aluminum foil when completely cooled.
• Cake can be frozen for up to a month. Cool completely, wrap in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil.

CHOCOLATE BILLIONAIRES

1 package (14 ounces) caramels

3 tablespoons water

1-1/2 cups chopped pecans

1 cup crisp rice cereal

3 cups milk chocolate chips

1-1/2 teaspoons shortening Line two baking sheets with waxed paper; grease the paper and set

aside. In a large heavy saucepan, combine the caramels and water;

cook and stir over low heat until smooth. Stir in pecans and cereal

until coated. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto prepared pans. Refrigerate

for 10 minutes or until firm.

Meanwhile, in a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir

until smooth. Dip candy into chocolate, coating all sides; allow

excess to drip off. Place on prepared pans. Refrigerate until set.

Store in an airtight container. Yield: about 2 pounds.