White Chocolate Raspberry Fudge

This one is sinful.  As in, it's a sin to eat the whole pan, but you don't care 'cuz it's that good.  :) This was our neighbor gift this year - lots of requests for the recipe - so here you go!  (Adapted from At Second Street's Cashew Fudge.)

4 1/2 Cups of sugar
1 12 oz. can evaporated milk
2 cubes of butter
2-1/2 12 oz. bags of white chocolate chips
7 oz. jar of marshmallow cream
2 t. good vanilla
1 t. raspberry flavoring
red food coloring

*In a mixer (works best in KitchenAid), put 1 cube butter, chocolate chips, marshmallow cream, and vanilla. Let sit.

*Combine sugar, can of milk, and 1 cube butter in a tall pot.  On med-high heat, bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes while stirring continuously.

*Pour hot syrup over ingredients in mixer bowl.  (Don't scrape the pan, just let as much pour out as you can...scraping can make your fudge grainy) Mix on medium until all ingredients are incorporated, and the fudge has a dull sheen. 

*Working quickly, transfer 2/3 of the fudge to a buttered 9x13 pan. Spread evenly.  Add the raspberry flavoring and 1-2 drops red food color to the remaining fudge - mix, and spread evenly over white layer of fudge.

*Refrigerate until set - about an hour or two.  Cut into 1 inch squares - just enough for a rich treat!  Store in airtight container.

Berry Baked French Toast

This is a recipe I adapted from a friend back in Idaho - she wrote a cookbook that included master mixes.  This is a variation on the one she shared - sans the mix.  We save it for once a year on Christmas - since you  make it the night before, it makes for an easy and yummy meal after all the presents have been opened!

1 loaf of day old French Bread, cubed
1/2 to 1 brick cream cheese (Joel likes less, I like more)
small pkg. mixed berries
1 banana, diced
2 C. milk
7 eggs
1 T. vanilla
1 C. sugar


Place 1/2 of the cubed bread in a greased 9x13 glass casserole pan.  Spread fruit and cream cheese (broken into small pieces) all over the bread.  Top with remaining bread.  Mix the milk, eggs, vanilla and sugar - pour over the top of bread.  Make sure all of the bread is saturated with the custard - I just use my (clean) fingers and poke it all down.  Then cover it with plastic wrap and something heavy (I use another glass dish) and refrigerate overnight.  The next morning, bake @ 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes. Cut like you would a cake and serve with regular maple syrup, or our favorite, Fruit syrup:

1 C. of fruit, pureed (I've substituted jam, works great, just super sugary...but hey, it's Christmas, right? :)
1 C. of sugar
1/2 C. water

Put all in small saucepan, bring to a boil. Serve warm. Syrup leftovers can be stored up to 2 weeks in fridge.