CANDY

 

CANDY

Tempering chocolate

Dark: dip @ 79 to 90/ Never hotter than 120

Milk chocolate: dip @ 79 to 88 / Never hotter 110

White: dip  82 to 84 never hotter than 105

 

Bring chocolate to 95 to 110 seed with unmelted pieces to bring down to right temperature

Work area should be 65 to 77

 

Check candy thermometer by putting it into boiling water. Water should boil at 212

 

If your thermometer boils            200                        subtract 12

                                                                201                         subtract 11

                                                                202                         subtract 10

                                                                203                         subtract 9

                                                                204                         subtract 8

                                                                205                         subtract 7

                                                                206                         subtract 6

                                                                211                         subtract 1

 

Almond Crunch

2 cups white sugar

1 pound butter

½ cup water

½ cup chopped almonds

Mix sugar, water and butter in a heavy saucepan.  Cover and bring to a boil, then remove the cover and stir.  Almonds may be added at this point or just before it’s poured onto the cookie sheet/aluminum foil.  Stir constantly and continue to cook until the mixture darkens and begins to smoke (around 290 degrees – it should be about the color of a brown paper bag).

Pour entire mixture on to a cookie sheet or aluminum foil all at once.  When it begins to cool around the edges, cut into squares.  You can eat as is or use to dip into chocolate.  (If you want to eat as is, top with milk chocolate chips while mixture is still warm and spread out the chocolate as it melts. 

Almonds, Roasted with White Chocolat 

Almonds

White chocolate, melted

Roast almonds in the oven at 300 for about 15 or 20 minutes or until almonds are roasted.  Slowly melt chocolate in an oven that is just barely warm.   Mix together and put on a try to cool.

Candy Cane Crunch 

2 pounds vanilla flavored almond bark

½ pound peppermint candy, crushed

Melt bark in microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.  Stir in crushed candy.  Line a cook sheet with waxed paper. 

 

Carmel Corn, Courtside     Lisa Prestwich

6 quarts of popped popcorn

2 Cups of packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon Salt

1 Cup Butter or Margarine

½ Cup corn syrup

Bring to a boil over med. Heat stirring constantly.  Boil 5 Minutes.  Remove from heat stir in

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract and

½ teaspoon baking soda

Mix Well:  Pour over popcorn and pour onto 2 greased 13x9x2 baking pans.  Bake uncovered at 250          degrees for 45 minutes stirring every 15 minutes. 

Cool completely, store in airtight containers or plastic bags.

Carmel Popcorn Balls

8 cups popped corn

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter or margarine

Measure popped corn into large bowl.  Combine sugars, corn syrup, water, vinegar, and salt in saucepan.  Heat to boiling over medium high heat stir.  Cook stirring constantly to 260 on a candy thermometer.  Remove from heat and stir in butter until it melted.  Pour over popped corn while stirring.  You can make 16 popcorn balls or just serve.

 

 Carmel Popcorn

2 cups butter

2 cups brown sugar

½ cup Karo syrup

¼ tsp cram of tarter

1 tsp salt

Cook 5 minutes or hard ball stage

Add 1 tsp soda

 Pour over six quarts popcorn

Bake 200 for 1 hour stir 2 or 3 times while baking. 

 

Carmel Popcorn, Easy

10 large marshmallows

½ cup butter

½ cup brown sugar

4 quarts popcorn

Melt marshmallows, butter and sugar.  Pour over popcorn

Caramels    Joann Amundsen

2 cups sugar

2 cups cream

1 3/4 cups light corn syrup

1/2-pound butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup nuts (optional), chopped 

Stir until boiling.  Put on lid for 30 to 45 sec and wash spoon.  Cook on medium heat stir occasionally.  Cook to firm ball 240 F. Add vanilla and nuts.  Pour into a buttered  9 x 9 pan.  (I use slightly larger pan) Keep heat low or will boil over.  If you need a softer Carmel under cook.  If Carmel is too hard you over cooked.

 

Cherry Cordial (Method 2)

1 ½ cups water

1/3 cup light corn syrup

4 cups sugar

Pinch of salt

Set aside a 9x13 ungreased baking pan.  In a 4-quart saucepan, combine water, corn syrup, sugar and salt.  Place over high heat and stir with a wooden spoon until mixture comes to a boil.  Wash down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush.  Remember, there is no fat in this recipe and sugar crystal will form easily if not completely dissolved.

Clip on candy thermometer.  Cook without stirring to 240 or soft-ball stage.  Remove from heat and without stirring or scraping, pour into backing pan.  Without excess movement place in refrigerator or other cool place.

When bottom of pan no longer feels warm, begin stirring fondant with a wooden spoon.  Stir until fondant sets up, usually about 15 to 20 minutes.

If fondant sets up too hard, wrap in plastic wrap, cover with a warm damp tea towel and let it rest 15 to 45 minutes.  This will cause it to soften.  When soft, use fondant immediately or place in a plastic bag and store in a cool place for up to several weeks.  To make cherry cordials, follow directions on page on page 86.  Makes enough centers for about 125 chocolates. 

Page 88. Thoroughly drain cherries on paper towels.  Cover 2 baking sheets or trays with waxed paper and set aside.

Place half the set-up fondant in the top of a double boiler. Place over medium heat and stir gently with a wooden spoon as fondant melts.  Clip on candy thermometer.  Stirring gently, melted fondant to about 150.  When fondant has completely melted, use a dipping fork, fondue fork or table fork and drop cherries 1 at a time into fondant; dunk the cherry under the fondant to coat completely.  Using fork, remove cherry and place on waxed paper-lined baking sheet.  If fondant appears too thick, thin with 1 tablespoon maraschino cherry juice.  This also adda a pretty color to the fondant.  Continue dunking each cherry until about ½ of the melted fondant is used.  Add remaining fondant and hear to 150.  Continue with remaining cherries.  Cherries need to cool for several;  minutes until the heat from the fondant has left before being dipped in tempered chocolate.  Makes about 125 cherry chocolates.

 

Chewy Coconut Centers

1/2 cup light corn syrup

12 large fresh marshmallows

1 3/4 cups coconut

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Line a pan with waxed paper.  In a heavy 2-quart saucepan, combine corn syrup and marshmallows.  Place over medium heat and stir with wooden spoon until marshmallows are melted.  Remove from heat and using a wooden spoon stir in coconut, vanilla, and almond extract.  Refrigerate 10 minutes or until mixture is cool enough to handle.

Butter hands and shape.  Press in a roasted almond into each ball if you want almond joys or plain in you want mounds.  Dip in chocolate.

 

Chocolate Truffles (Bavarian Mints)

1 1/2 pounds (4 1/2 cups) melted chocolate

1 cup whipping cream

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Oil of peppermint

Line an 8-inch square baking pan with plastic wrap set aside.  Placed melted chocolate in medium size bowl.  In a 1-quart saucepan, scald cream.  Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.  Stir in vanilla. And peppermint.  Beat chocolate with an electric mixer.  Stop mixer and our cream all at once over chocolate.  Continue beating cleaning sides and bottom of bowl several times with rubber scraper, until mixture is smooth and well blended  this takes no more than 1 to 2 minutes.  (If chocolate and cream look curdled or rough simply beat in more milk or cream.  It does not need to be heated and my take anywhere from 2 tablespoons to 1/2  cup  continue beating until the mixture is smooth)   Pour into prepared pan and refrigerate 6 hours or until firm.  Cut into 1-inch squares and dip in melted chocolate.

 

Cracker Candy

Melt over medium heat:

2 cubes of butter

1 cup brown sugar

When it starts to boil, boil for three minutes.

Pour immediately over cookie sheet with tin foil over it and saltine crackers laid out.  Spread butter mixture over cracker and cook at 350 for 5 minutes. 

Pour any kind of chip (chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter etc.) over top of brown sugar/butter mixture.  Let melt, spread and freeze for a few hours.  Overnight, the longer the better.  Break apart and enjoy. 

Crunch

6 cups golden gram cereal

6 cups Rice Chex

1 cup coconut wide or regular

1 cup cashew nuts

1 cup slivered almonds

Mix together in a bowl and set aside

¾ cup Karo syrup (white)

¾ cup sugar

¾ cup butter or margarine

Boil together 3 minutes and pour over mixture.  Spread on wax paper

Edra’s Butter Mint

3 cups sugar

1 cup water

1 cube butter

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Bring water and butter to a slow boil on medium heat.  Add sugar and stir in one direction until dissolved.  Wipe pan clean with a wet paper towel to remove all crystals.  Boil until candy thermometer reads exactly 255 F Pour onto a slab and add 3 drops of peppermint oil, or 1 teaspoon mint.  Stretch as soon as you can possibly pick it up.  Pull until you feel candy change and go dull.  Pull out long and cut into pieces.  Work fast.  If you want the mints a color add the color you want with the water.  Do not do this candy on a rainy or over cast day.  If it fails you can add 1 cup of water and try again.

 

English Toffee Lisa Prestwich

3 cups sugar

2 cups butter (Never margarine or substitutes)

1/3 Cup light Karo Syrup

1/3 cup water

Combine and cook in a heavy pan over heat.  Bring to a boil and let cook approximately 4 minutes.  Pour hot candy syrup through a trainer into another heavy-duty pan and use a clean spoon.  (This will eliminate sugar crystal that could ruin your candy) Bring to a boil and turn heat down to low.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the candy reaches 290 degrees on a candy thermometer.  This is a little more than soft crack but not all the way to hard crack.

In the meantime, prepare a buttered Jelly Roll pan.  After buttering the pan, put in whole or chopped roasted almonds.

Pour hot candy over the nuts and sprinkle with a bag of chocolate chips. Let cool for 5 minutes. Spread the melted chocolate chips over the candy to coat it. With a pizza cutter, cut warm candy into bite size pieces. Sprinkle more nuts over the warm, scored chocolate. Let cool and enjoy.  Keep cool and dry. 

Roasted almonds- Pour bag of whole almonds onto a pan.  Put into a warm 300 oven and cook approximately 30 minutes.  They should be light brown inside, not brown or white.

Fondant, Cream

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup light corn syrup

4 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup mazetta or marshmallow cream. 

Cook to exactly 238 F.  Remove from heat and without stirring or scraping pour into baking pan.  Without excess movement place pan in fridge or cool on counter until bottom of pan no longer feels warm.    Begin stirring fondant with a heavy wooden spoon.  You don't have to stir rapidly just keep the mas moving.  If desired 15 minutes. of stirring add 1/2 Mazzetti or marshmallow cream.   If you are making only one flavor out of this batch you can add flavorings and nuts.  Stir until fondant becomes very stiff and loses its gloss.  At this point it has set up. 

If the fondant is too stiff to handle break off small pieces and work them in your hands.  This should cause it to soften.  Or wrap the fondant in a plastic wrap and cover it with damp towel for 15 minutes.  If it doesn't soften you will have to recook the fondant by adding 1 ½ cups water and bring it back to the right temperature.  You have over cooked the fondant.   If you have stirred for an hour and it still hasn't set up try letting it rest for a few minutes without stirring.  If it doesn't set up it is undercooked and you will need to recook it.

 

Flavorings: These amounts are for a full batch.  Reduce amount if you are separating it into several batches.

Vanilla Nut: 1 tablespoon vanilla and 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Black walnut: 1 tablespoon vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon black walnut extract and I cup walnuts chopped

Cherry Creams:  2 teaspoons almond extract and 1 teaspoon rum extract

Cherry Nut: 2 teaspoon almond extract, 1 teaspoon rum extract, 1/2 cup chopped candied cherries (that have set over night on a paper towel so it is very dry) 1 cup pecans, walnuts or almonds.

Mint Creams:  1/2 teaspoon oil of peppermint or 2 teaspoons peppermint extract.

Lemon Creams:  1 tablespoon lemon extract, a small amount of yellow food coloring and 1/4 teaspoon citric acid.

Orange Creams:  1 tablespoon orange extract, orange food coloring and 1/4 teaspoon citric acid.

Raspberry or Strawberry creams.  2 tablespoons raspberry or strawberry extract, 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract, pink or red food coloring and 1/4 teaspoon citric acid

Maple nut: 1/2  tablespoon maple extract chopped walnuts.

Maraschino Cream: 1 tsp maraschino flavoring, plus a little red coloring so the inside is pink, dipped in chocolate with peanuts chopped up in chocolate

Victorian Nut:  1 Tablespoon rum flavoring and wrap fondant around a Brazilian nut.

 

Fudge, See’s

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cube margarine, melted

1 cup nuts (optional), chopped

13 big marshmallows

3/4 cup evaporated milk

2 cups sugar

In a large mixing bowl put chocolate chips, vanilla, margarine, and nuts.

In a heavy sauce pan melt marshmallows (put in a few extra) milk (use 2/3 to 3/4 cups) and sugar.  Boil 6 minutes up to 1 1/2 minutes longer at higher elevations.  Stir constantly.  Pour hot mixture over chocolate chips mixture and beat until all melted and mixed.  Beat extra to get it nice and shiny.  Pour into a buttered 9 x 13 pan.

 

(Fudge) Sue Hani Recipe for Fudge

Put in a large bowl:

6oz pkg of semi-Choco chips(I prefer Hershey’s)

1 cube of margarine or butter cut into small pieces

1 tsp vanilla

In a heavy sauce pan ( it needs to be heavy or it will burn)

2 c sugar

1  5-oz evaporated milk

12  large marshmallows( not the huge ones for s’mores)

  Bring to a boil stirring constantly. When it starts to boil, cook for 5 minutes. It will be a light golden color., still stirring. Pour over  the chocolate mixture. Add nuts if desired. Stir together very well and then pour into buttered 9x9 pan. Let set in refrigerate until completely set up. 

 

Fudge

1 large (12 oz) package chocolate chips Hershey or Nestles

1 6-oz package chocolate chips Hershey or Nestles

2 sticks butter, cut up fine

4 1/2 cups sugar

1 13 ounce can evaporated milk

2 cups nuts, chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla

Grease a 9 x 13 pan.

Mix in a large mixing bowl chocolate chips and butter. Combine in heavy pan sugar and milk. Bring to a rolling boil and boil 9 minutes stirring constantly.  Pour milk and sugar mixture over butter and chip.   Whip with a mixer until all is melted and blended.  Add chopped nuts and vanilla.  Spread in pan and cool in fridge at least 6 hours before cutting.

Mazetta   (Homemade Marshmallow Cream

2 large egg whites, room temperature

3/4 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites in large bowl until stiff, set aside.  In a 1-quart sauce pan combine corn syrup, water and sugar.  Place over high heat and stir with a wooden spoon until mixture comes to a boil.  If sugar crystals are present, wash down sides.  Clip on candy thermometer and cook syrup to 242 F.  Beating constantly with electric mixer, slowly pour hot syrup into egg whites, continue beating several minutes until mixture holds its shape.  Use immediately or refrigerate in a covered container for up to 2 weeks.   Makes enough for 3 batches of fondant.  Thin mazetta with a little hot water for a tasty ice cream topping.

Orange Sticks

3 1/4 oz. envelopes unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup cold water

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup hot water

4 teaspoons orange peel, grated

2 teaspoons lemon peel, grated

2 tablespoons orange juice, fresh

2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh

1/4 teaspoon orange food color

Butter an 8-inch square baking pan.  Set aside.  In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over cold water and let stand about 5 minutes to soften.  In a 2-quart saucepan, combine sugar and hot water.  Place over high heat and stir constantly until mixture comes to a boil.  Add softened gelatin; reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly 5 minutes.  Stir in orange and lemon peels, juices and food color.  Refrigerate 20 minutes.  Pour through a strainer into prepared pan.  Refrigerate until firm, several hours or overnight.  Lightly dust waxed paper with cornstarch.   Using a spatula loosen candy from pan and flip onto waxed paper.  Cut into sticks or squares.  Dip in chocolate or serve plain.

Oreo Truffles:

 1pkg Oreos

1 pkg cream cheese

1 bag of chocolate chips melted

 

Grind Oreos into dust, set some dust aside for topping.  Blend the rest with cream cheese.  Roll mixture into balls, and then dip into melted chocolate chips.  Sprinkle with extra cookie dust.  Refrigerate and enjoy.

Variation:

1 pkg mint Oreos

1 pkg cream cheese 8oz

 

Scrape off icing and mix with cream cheese.  Mash cookies.  Mix crumbs with cream cheese form in a ball and dip in chocolate.

 

Peanut Butter Balls

1 cup peanut butter

½ cup butter softened on cupboard

1 ½ cup powdered sugar

 

Mix together.  Form into balls and dip

Peanut Brittle, Salted

2 cups sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 cans salted peanuts

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons baking soda

Combine sugar, corn syrup and water in a 3-quart sauce pan mix well.  Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until sugar dissolved.  Continue cooking stirring frequently to prevent scorching, until mixture reaches 285 F.  Remove from heat at once.

Stir in peanuts and butter and cook stirring constantly until mixture reaches 295 F.  Remove from heat at once.

Add vanilla and soda stir to blend (work fast) Mixture will foam.  Pour onto well buttered marble slab or 2 large buttered baking sheets.  Spread out as thin as possible with spatula.  As soon as brittle is cool enough so that you can work with it  about 5 minutes turn it over and pull to stretch as thin as possible.  When cool break in pieces.  Makes about 2 pounds.

 

Pretzels, Dipped

 Get the square latish shaped pretzel.  Put a piece a Carmel between two pretzels. Dip in white chocolate.  It also is cute to dip in white chocolate ½ of the pretzel. 

Party Mix, Winter White

6 cups Rice Chex

3 cups cheerios

1 bag miniature M&M

1 bag miniature marshmallows

2 cups peanuts

Raisins (optional)

2 bags (16 oz) white chocolate chips

Mix everything but the chocolate chips together in a large bowl.  Melt chocolate chips in microwave and pour over mix.  Stir gently to cover mix.  Spread on cookie sheet to cool.  Break apart and serve or store.

Peanut Brittle Lois Dean

2 cups sugar

¾ cups water

¼ tsp soda

1 TBS vanilla

1 cup white Karo syrup

1 tsp salt

½ cube butter or margarine.

2 cups RAW Peanuts (See note)

First prepare your to be added later ingredients: cut the butter and have it read to add, measure the soda, salt and vanilla into separate small dishes.  Put these ingredients aside.  Also, butter two cookie sheets or a large sheet of aluminum foil

 Combine sugar, water and Karo in a heavy saucepan; cook at high heat.  When the syrup starts to thicken add peanuts.  Stir constantly.  The peanuts will begin to look pale beige, and as soon as the syrup changes from crystal to a pale yellow or straw color, remove the pan from the heat.  Stir in the vanilla, salt and butter, and then add the soda.  Stir until the mixture foams about 10 stirs. If you stir too much the mixture will be too brown. 

Pour the mixture onto the buttered surface.  After about two minutes, the edge will begin to stiffen.  At this point, start working the candy around the edges pulling it out until the nuts are held together by only a thin sheet of crisp candy. 

Break into pieces when cooled.

Note if you wish to use canned nuts instead of raw peanuts, simply add the nuts just before the syrup turns straw colored and reduce the added salt to ½ tsp. 

Pecan Crunch (Lois Dean)

1 cup plus 2 TBS sugar

¼ cup water

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp soda mixed with pecan pieces

1 cube plus 2 TBS butter

1 ½ tsp cider vinegar

1 cup broken pecan pieces

In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, butter, water, vinegar and salt.  Cook, stirring as desired, until mixture reaches 285 (it will look like toffee).  Add the nuts and soda mixture and blend.

Pour into a buttered pan or onto buttered aluminum foil.  Break into pieces when thoroughly cooled.

Note you can use margarine instead of butter, but the candy will not be as crisp or flavorful.

Popcorn Balls, Carmel, Pam Brimhall

1 lb. Brown Sugar

1 square Butter

1 cup Kero Syrup

1 Tbs. Vanilla

1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk

12 quarts pop corn

Bring first four ingredients to a boil then add milk. Stir constantly to soft ball stage.  Pour over popped corn and form into balls. (use wet hands)

 

Popcorn Ball, using Jell-O (if you want colored popcorn balls.)

1 cup Korn syrup

1 cup sugar

1 package any color Jell-O

Bring the sugar and syrup to a boil make sure sugar dissolves.  Add Jell-O.  Pour over popcorn and shape into balls.

 

*Popcorn, Carmel (like Cracker Jack) Lisa Prestwich

6 quarts of popped popcorn

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 tsp salt

1 Cup butter or margarine

½ cup corn syrup

Bring to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly.  Boil for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat stir in 1 Tbs. vanilla extract and ½ tsp baking soda.

Mix well: Pour over popcorn.  Put popcorn onto 2 greased 13x9x2 baking pans.  Bake uncovered at 250 degrees for 45 minutes.  Stir every 15 minutes.  Cool completely and store in airtight containers or plastic bags.