Christmas Carmels

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup white Karo syrup
1 large can evaporated milk
1 cup pecan pieces

In 3 qt. saucepan, put first 3 ingredients, sugar, butter and vanilla, stirring constantly with wooden spoon until it boils. Add milk very slowly so boiling doesn't stop. Cook and stir, test in cold water to soft ball stage, about 235 degrees. Remove from heat and add vanilla, and nuts. Pour into buttered pan (not margarine) 9x13 or smaller. Cool, remove, cut in squares, wrap in wax paper.

Source: Jolinda McCook

STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE TRIFLE

2 qt. Strawberries sliced
1 C. sugar divided
2 8oz. pkgs. cream cheese softened
3 T. orange juice or lime juice (I prefer lime squeezed fresh)
3 C. whipped Whipping Cream
1 loaf (10 oz.) pound cake cubed (Sara Lee in the freezer section works great)
1 large chocolate bars grated
chocolate swirls and strawberries to garnish

1. Toss strawberries with ½ C. sugar. Allow to chill in refrigerator until juicy. (About an hour)
2. Cream together the citrus juice, cream cheese and the remainder of the sugar. Add whip cream and blend until creamy. (Make sure you blend the cream cheese, citrus juice and sugar first, or the acid will curdle the whipped cream.)
3. Drain juice off the strawberries and drizzle onto the cake cubes.
4. Layer in trifle bowl as follows:

½ cake cubes on bottom
1/3 cream cheese mixture
½ strawberry mixture
chocolate shavings
the rest of the cake cubes
1/3 cream cheese mixture
the rest of the strawberry mixture
chocolate shavings
the rest of the cream cheese mixture
chocolate shavings
Strawberries to Garnish

Source: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=204&sid=10534454

Never-Fail Toffee

In a COLD electric skillet:

1 lb butter (Do Not use margarine) cut in pieces
2 cups sugar
2 Tbs Karo Syrup (white or dark)
1/4 ts salt

Plug in skillet 400 degrees. Add 6 Tbs hot tap water. Stir with wooden spoon until color of deep tan, about 10 minutes. Candy should follow spoon as you stir and be very thick. Cold water test must form a hard ball. Pour into large sheet pan, sprinkle with 12 oz package of chocolate chips, spread as they melt until entire surface is covered with chocolate. Sprinkle nuts on top of chocolate (I like pecans or almonds chopped very fine)

Source: My mom :)

Cranberry Jello Salad

2- 3 oz raspberry jello
1 can crushed pineapple drained
1 can whole cranberry sauce
2 cups hot water
3/4 cup fruit juice (reserve from canned pineapple)
1 cup nuts

Dissolve jello in hot water and add ingredients. Refrigerate jello until firm. Add topping and nuts. Note: if you double this recipe do not double the fruit juice.

Topping
1/2 pint sour cream
1 package of cream cheese
Mix in food processor.

Source: Mom & Grandma