Homemade Candy

 
                                                              Morning all!

Christmas is getting closer.  I'm definitely a lot further behind than I usually am.

But, I will catch up.  Today I plan to post some candy recipes with no pictures as I haven't started making candy yet.  These are my most prized candy recipes.

 

 

 

 

 

Caramels

 

4 cups sugar

3 cups white syrup

5 cups half and half

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped walnuts

 

You must use a huge heavy pan.  I use an old aluminum dutch oven to make mine and I always use a wooden spoon to stir these. 

 

Mix sugar, white syrup and only 2 cups of the half and half.  Cream together and cook on medium high until soft ball stage (235 degrees).  It will take about 45 minutes to get to this stage.

 

After reaching 235 degrees, slowly add the remaining 3 cups of half and half, stirring as you add this. and then again cook

until the temperature reaches 238 degrees, constantly stirring.  This will take about 30 minutes.  Once at the right temp, take from heat and add the vanilla and nuts and pour into a buttered huge jelly roll pan.  I use my largest jelly roll pan, which is 17 x 11.5.  Note ... if you use a smaller jelly roll pan which is 15 x 10, you may have to have another small pan buttered and ready in case it's too much for the smaller pan.  I may try to do this when I make mine this year just so I know how the mixture fits into a 15 x 10 pan.

 

Once completely cooled, cut into 1 inches pieces and wrap in small pieces of waxed paper.  Be sure to have this cut when you start.  This takes a very long time to cut and wrap these caramels as this makes a huge batch....about 4 to 5 pounds.

 

 

 

 

 

I have entered the below Toffee candy in several contests and have always won first place with this recipe.  It is really good and everyone always asks for the recipe.

 

Chocolate Nut Toffee

 

1 cup butter (can use good grade of margarine)

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

4 Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bars

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

 

Butter a baking sheet with a lip.  15 x 10 jelly roll is big enough.

 

Mix water, butter, sugar and salt in a large heavy pan. Use medium high heat and cook until it reaches hard crack stage (300 degrees).  Stir constantly to prevent burning. At hard crack stage, remove from heat and add vanilla quickly.  Pour onto buttered baking sheet spreading quickly as far as you can....this hardens very quickly. Place Hershey bars on the toffee in various places, trying to evenly place them.  As soon as the Hershey bars are melted (about 2 minutes), spread the chocolate evenly over the entire toffee surface.  Sprinkle with the nuts and use a spatula to press the nuts into the melted chocolate.  Let sit until completely cool - about 2 to 3 hours and break into bite size pieces.

 

 

 

 

Peanut Butter Fudge is a favorite around our house, but neither of us really like peanut butter fudge made with the marshmallow cream fluff.  Even though I modified this recipe a bit and added about 1/2 cup of mini marshmallows just to keep it from being hard.

 

This is a simple recipe but do not overcook it like I did at Thanksgiving or it will be a very dry texture.(someone called me while I had just started cooking it and I turned it off and then back on later...wrong!)

 

 

Peanut Butter Fudge

 

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup chopped nuts (or more if desired)

 

(Note I add 1/2 cup mini marshmallows too!  But the original recipe doesn't call for these).

 

Mix sugar and milk in a heavy pan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Once it has started to boil, boil and stir 2.5 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla. (At this point I also add 1/2 cup mini marshmallows)  Stir just until mixed and quickly add nuts and briefly stir. Pour into buttered 8 x 8 pan.  Cool completely and cut into small pieces.

 

 

 

Once I start making candies, I will post some pictures and refer back to these recipes. 

 

 

Hope your day has been progressing smoothly.  Out on the farm, it's cold but sunny.  In a few days, we will be basking in the heat of mid-60's weather.  There will be all kinds of wild animals scampering then. 

 

 

See you soon.  Enjoy your day.

 

 



 

 

Thanks for coming to my blog!

 

See y'all