http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/orange-semolina-cake-recipe/index.html

http://veganyumyum.com/2007/02/mini-donut-test-kitchen/

They’re baked as opposed to fried, mostly for the so, because he’s health-conscious.

I also do the obligatory cookies and cupcakes, especially the chocolate mint ones from “vegan cupcakes take over the world.”

This year my goal is really to find desserts that my SO likes – and there are not many great desserts for the Middle Eastern Israeli set. I’m still looking in that regard.

2 cups of powdered sugar
4-5 tablespoons of coco powder (to taste)
1 cup of milk (or, if you’re me, half&half or heavy cream)
1 tablespoon of butter (or more)
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract (the good stuff)
couple pinches of salt

Combine sugar and coco in a medium pot. Mix it well so that there aren’t any clumps of coco. Add cup of milk/cream, bring to boil. Add butter to mixture as soon as it will melt (I always use more butter than is technically necessary). Heat to a boil, then simmer for a little bit. I was originally told to do this for as long as you can stand it before you have to eat a sundae, but I’ve found that basically just heating it up and simmering it for a while works–enough so that all the solids are totally blended, basically.

Add the vanilla and the pinch of sugar at the end. I’ve used high quality and low quality vanilla extract in this, and I can really tell the difference, but my partner can’t at all. So I suppose it depends on how intense your relationship with hot fudge it (mine is very, very serious).

Keep in a jar in the fridge. It doesn’t freeze well. I have no idea how long it keeps, though it does keep for a long time. It’s always been gone awfully quick in my experience. Reheat it in the microwave, but be careful because it will burn quickly.

My partner eats this with a spoon because he doesn’t care for ice cream, and it’s basically fudge. The best (EVER) is to get a frozen waffle, toast it, put a couple scoops of ice cream on top, smother that shit in hot fudge, and put some whipped cream on top. SERIOUSLY.

This isn’t actually a holiday recipe–I made this fudge on Thanksgiving this year, but I cannot stand my family’s holiday BS so there are no fun traditions. Well, except for the monumentally delicious pierogies that my grandmother makes for Christmas eve, but I can’t give you that recipe because she’s like, “Put some flour in a bowl. A good amount but not too too much. I use my green bowl. Then add some water and a couple of eggs until it gets to the right consistency.” Apparently old Polish ladies don’t use measurements.

But the fudge would work for basically any holiday gathering, really.

Thank you for the corn fritter recipe. I might not get to them this season, but they sound amazing any time of year.

Jessica: Duh, I typed then deleted it. A standard stick of butter in the US is a quarter-pound, or 1/2 C, so a total of 1 C of butter.

And AmBam, although I don’t want to eat them (too much sweet for me; I love the savory, spicy, or salt-sweet combos best, so those cheese biscuits of Plum-Pie are making me drooooool), I want to say the words “Corn Toads” approximately 1000 times.

Corn toads. Corn toads. Corn toads. Corn toads. Corn toads.

A harder cookie good for dipping in milk. Chocolately and cinnamony (the combo is delish!)

1/2 C butter
1 C sugar
1 egg
2 squares chocolate (I use Cocoa and oil per the on the box substitution).
2 T. milk
2 1/2 C flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla
1/2 C chopped walnuts

Mix in the usual way for cookies. Then make in one of two ways: either drop by spoonsfuls onto cookie sheets (the quick way) OR (the traditional way) shape into a long roll about the size / shape of a small rolling pin, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate. When chilled, slice thin slices off and bake.

For either way, bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 375 degrees for about 5 minutes or more, depending on thickness of cookies.

My favorite are CORN TOADS – they sound weird and look worse, but they are delish! My mom got the recipe off a corn flakes box in the 60s and they are a family tradition. They are basically a no-bake cookie made from corn flakes and hot, melty peanut butter/sugar/corn syrup goo.
Combine 1 cup corn syrup and
1 cup white granulated sugar in a sauce pan, bring to rapid boil (don’t let it scorch!)
Remove from heat
Add 1 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter, mix in to sugar goo.

Pour peanut butter/sugar goo over 8 cups corn flakes, mix, drop in balls on wax paper. Try to let cool before devouring (you won’t be able to make it)
Eat until you vomit…or half the recipe and don’t make so much…but what’s the fun in that?

Also – Magic Cookie Bars! Graham cracker/butter crust (enough crushed up crackers to cover a baking sheet with raised edges mixed with a stick of butter)topped with sweetened condensed milk and whatever goodies you desire (chocolate chips, chopped nuts, coconut are standards – but we like to mix it up with butterscotch chips etc). Pop in the oven at 350 just until everything gets toasty and melty (15 min tops!). This was always a fun one as a kid because we could help layer on our favorite goodies.