Archive for the ‘Candy’ Category

Christmas Cherry Fudge

1 small box cherry gelatin
3 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped, candied cherries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Cook gelatin, sugar, baking soda and milk slowly until sugar is dissolved. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan. Cook, without stirring, until the mixture reaches 236 degrees F.

Remove from heat. Add butter. Pour onto a large platter. Cool, without stirring, until lukewarm.

Beat until it loses its gloss. Stir in cherries and walnuts. Pour into a buttered 8-inch square pan.

Old-Fashioned Butterscotch

2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup water
Pinch of cream of tartar
6 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place sugar in a saucepan; add cream and water, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add a pinch of cream of tartar, place over medium heat and boil the mixture very slowly until it reaches the soft-ball stage ? 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Add the butter and boil the mixture until it reaches the soft-crack stage ? 280 degrees F on a candy thermometer.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla extract. Pour mixture into a deep, buttered 7-inch square pan. When the butterscotch is nearly cold, use the point of a buttered or oiled knife to mark it into bars or squares. When the butterscotch is quite cold and set. Break it up, wrap each piece in wax paper, and keep the candy in an airtight container.

Butter Crunch Candy

Posted by Chefbuzzbuzz at recipegoldmine.com 8/8/2001 3:42 am

Butter Crunch Mixture
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
3 tablespoons water
1 cup toasted almonds, chopped, about 4 ounces

Topping
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, tempered
1 cup toasted almonds, chopped, about 4 ounces

One 12 x 18-inch pan, buttered and lined with buttered foil, plus 2 large cutting boards, jellyroll pans, or cardboard pieces, covered with parchment.

To make the butter crunch mixture, melt the butter in a saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, corn syrup, and water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 300 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat, stir in almonds, and pour out into prepared pan, spreading the mixture with the back of a spoon to fill the pan. Before the butter crunch hardens, but when it is firm enough to handle, turn it out onto a large parchment-covered cutting board and peel away the foil. Allow the butter crunch to cool completely. To finish the butter crunch, wipe the top surface of the candy with a damp paper towel to remove excess butter and allow drying a few minutes. Have another cutting board or the back of a jellyroll pan ready to turn the candy over onto. Use a small offset metal icing spatula to spread half the tempered chocolate quickly over the butter crunch. Scatter half the chopped almonds over the chocolate. Cover this finished surface with a piece of parchment paper or foil and place another cutting board or the back of a large jellyroll pan. Remove top board and paper and quickly spread with remaining tempered chocolate and scatter on remaining almonds (it isn?t necessary to wipe the second side because it wasn?t against a buttered surface). Refrigerate for 20 minutes to set chocolate. Break the butter crunch into 2-inch pieces.

Store candy in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover and keep at a cool room temperature for up to a week.

Nutty Noodle Nuggets

1 (6 ounce) package (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips
1 (4 ounce) bar sweet cooking chocolate, broken into pieces
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups slivered almonds, toasted
3 cups chow mein noodles

Line cookie sheets with wax paper.

In a large saucepan, over low heat, combine chocolate chips, baking chocolate, sweetened condensed milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla extract. Add almonds and noodles; mix lightly.

Using 2 forks, drop the mixture into small clusters onto prepared cookie sheets. Refrigerate until firm. Store covered in a cool, dry place.

Makes 4 dozen candies.

Marcel Desaulnier’s Chocolate Maple Walnut Praline

Posted by Cookin’Mom at recipegoldmine.com

There seem to be as many ways to pronounce "praline" as there are interpretations of this brittle candy. Traditionally, pralines are made of caramelized sugar with almonds or hazelnuts. In Louisiana, they use brown sugar and pecans. I love all the pralines I’ve ever eaten, no matter the province or the pronunciation.

NOTE: Be sure to use pure maple syrup for this recipe and not the sapless imitation they give you at the pancake house.

1 1/2 cups walnut pieces
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate,
    chopped into 1/4-inch pieces

MAKE AHEAD: Chocolate Maple Walnut Praline will keep for several days at room temperature if stored in a tightly sealed plastic container. Since this type of candy is very susceptible to humidity and moisture, cool and dry conditions are imperative. The pralines can also be refrigerated or frozen, but they will be tacky to the touch.

SERVE WITH: You can use the pralines in other confections – try folding 1/4-inch pieces into white chocolate or vanilla ice cream.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 8 minutes; let cool to room temperature.

Heat the maple syrup in a 1 1/2-quart saucepan over moderately-high heat. When the syrup begins to boil, reduce the heat to moderate and continue to boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally with a metal spoon. Remove the syrup from the heat and immediately stir in the walnuts. Transfer the glazed walnuts to a rimmed baking sheet. Use the metal spoon to spread the walnuts evenly over one half of the baking sheet. Set aside.

Combine the sugar and lemon juice in a clean 3-quart saucepan. Whisk to combine; the sugar will resemble moist sand. Caramelize the sugar by heating it for about 10 minutes over moderately-high heat, stirring constantly with a wire whisk to break up any lumps. The sugar will become clear as it liquefies, then it will brown as it caramelizes. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the unsweetened chocolate and stir until melted. Immediately and carefully pour the caramelized chocolate mixture over the walnuts, covering all the nuts. Let harden at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Invert the praline onto a clean, dry cutting board — it should pop right out of the baking sheet. Use a sharp serrated knife and a sawing motion to cut the praline into pieces.

Store the praline in a tightly sealed plastic container until ready to devour. Makes about 1 1/2 pounds.