Create special memories with festive candy

 

It’s Christmastime, and children are going to bed with visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads.

Sugarplums aren’t exactly common, but candy certainly is standard at this time of year. And while store-bought candies are handy, it’s not that difficult to make your own confections — everything from rich fudges to creamy caramels to crisp toffees — from scratch.

And, in addition to a fresh homemade taste, you’ll also be creating special memories. 

Homemade candy is not only a delicious treat to set out during holiday gatherings, it’s a great gift for family and friends.

If you’re making candy, use butter unless the recipe calls for margarine or shortening. These spreads contain less fat and more water,  which can alter the results.

Melt the butter over medium heat and keep the temperature under the pot constant to gradually heat the candy mixture.  

Use a heavy saucepan with high sides and a smooth interior. Some people recommend buttering the sides of the saucepan to keep grains of sugar from clinging.

Use a candy thermometer to check the temperature. But make sure to check it for accuracy beforehand by placing it in a pot of water atop the stove. When the water boils, the thermometer should read 212 degrees. If it registers a different temperature, add or subtract the difference to adjust the reading.

Remember when using a candy thermometer to clip it to the pot after the syrup boils, making sure that the bulb of the thermometer is covered with the liquid.

Stir the candy mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved, but then stir slowly, gently and as little as possible through the cooking and cooling stages to help prevent crystal formation. Sudden temperature changes can also lead to crystal formation, creating a grainy candy.

Following are candy recipes from www.countryliving.com.

 

Divinity With Cherries and Pecans

1 6-ounce jar maraschino cherries, drained and chopped

2-1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

2 large egg whites, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place maraschino cherries on a plate lined with paper towels and blot dry.

Stir sugar, corn syrup and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then cook eight to nine  minutes, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reads 260 degrees.

Beat egg whites, salt and cream of tartar with an electric mixer on medium speed three to four minutes, until stiff peaks form. If egg whites are ready before syrup, decrease mixer speed to low. 

Increase mixer speed to medium-high and gradually drizzle hot syrup into egg whites in a thin, steady stream. Increase speed to high and beat four to six minutes, until candy begins to lose its gloss and holds its shape when dropped from a spoon. Immediately stir in vanilla, pecans, and cherries.

Working quickly using two spoons, drop candy by heaping spoonfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Let stand at room temperature, uncovered, overnight. Store at room temperature in an airtight container as long as two weeks.

 

 

Holiday Reindeer Chow

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

3 cups Chex cereal

3 cups Cheerios cereal

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 7.6-ounce package Reese’s mini peanut butter cups

1 12-ounce bag holiday M&Ms

3 cups mini pretzel twists

Place chocolate chips in a bowl and melt according to package directions. Stir in peanut butter. 

Place Chex and Cheerios in a large bowl. Pour melted chocolate over cereal and stir until cereal is evenly coated. Transfer cereal to a large zipper-top plastic bag. Add confectioners’ sugar, seal the bag and shake until cereal is evenly coated. Transfer mixture to a large serving bowl. Stir in mini peanut butter cups, M&Ms and pretzels.

 

 

Roasted Hazelnut and Pistachio Dark Chocolate Bark

1/2 cup roasted pistachios

1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts

3 3.5-ounce bars 72% dark chocolate, chopped

1/3 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Chop 1/4 cup each pistachios and hazelnuts. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over a pot of simmering water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted. Stir in chopped nuts. 

Pour mixture on a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet and spread into a 10-inch circle. Sprinkle with remaining whole pistachios and hazelnuts. Sprinkle with flaky salt. Refrigerate one hour, until chocolate is hard. Break into pieces before serving.

 

Dark Chocolate-Pecan Toffee

1 cup unsalted butter, cut up

1-1/2 cups pecan halves

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3.5-ounce dark chocolate bar, chopped

3/4 teaspoon large flaked sea salt such as Maldon

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a rimmed baking sheet.

Spread pecan halves on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in a 350-degree oven seven to eight minutes, just until fragrant. Cool. 

Arrange one cup toasted pecans, flat side down, in a single layer on a buttered rimmed baking sheet, leaving a two to three-inch border along the sides. Chop remaining pecans and set aside.

Combine butter, sugars, salt, vanilla and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat 18 to 20 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 290 degrees. Slowly pour hot mixture over pecans, making sure to fully cover each nut and leaving the border intact.

Sprinkle chocolate evenly over toffee and let sit until slightly melted. Spread chocolate into an even layer with a small rubber scraper or offset spatula. Sprinkle with chopped pecans and sea salt. Let stand 20 minutes, then refrigerate 40 to 45 minutes, until cool and set. Break into small pieces.

 

Vanilla Caramels

Vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup light corn syrup

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan over high heat, cook sugar, without stirring, until it begins to melt and bubble. Using a metal spoon, stir slowly one minute, until sugar has completely melted. Remove from heat and add cream — sugar will seize into a solid mass. Add butter and corn syrup. Fit a candy thermometer to saucepan, return to stovetop, and cook over low heat 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until mixture liquefies.

Increase heat to medium-high and cook until mixture reaches 238 degrees. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Carefully pour hot caramel into an eight-inch pan that’s lined with foil and generously coated with vegetable oil. Using a spatula coated in vegetable oil, smooth any bubbles on surface. Cool 35 minutes, until firm but still slightly warm.

Lift caramel from pan and peel away foil. Place on an oiled cutting board and cut into one-inch squares, using an oiled knife.

 

 

Pomegranate Pistachio Swirled Chocolate Bark

16 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

16 ounces white chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup chopped, roasted and salted pistachios

2/3 cup pomegranate arils

Take chopped dark chocolate and melt in a double boiler or in 30-second intervals in a microwave at 50% power. Spread all but two tablespoons chocolate on parchment paper and let it sit one hour, until firm.

Melt white chocolate, then pour over the dark chocolate layer. Gently drizzle in and swirl the remaining dark chocolate, then sprinkle with pomegranate arils and chopped pistachios. Refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes.

Break or chop up bark and serve.

 

Sweet and Spicy Coated Nuts

2 cups whole raw cashews

2 cups pecan halves

2 cups whole raw almonds

1-1/2 cups sugar

4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1-1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

3 large egg whites

Combine cashews, pecans and almonds in a bowl.

Whisk together sugar, cinnamon, cayenne and salt in a second bowl. Whisk egg whites and two tablespoons water in a third bowl for one minute, until thick and frothy.

Add egg white mixture to nuts and stir until coated. Add sugar mixture and stir until coated. Divide nuts between two parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets and spread into a single layer.

Bake in a 300-degree oven 35 to 40 minutes, stirring and rotating pans halfway through, until golden brown and very fragrant. Cool completely on baking sheets. Store at room temperature in an airtight container as long as two weeks.

 

Red Velvet Snowballs

2-1/2 cups flour, spooned and leveled

1/4 cup cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon red food coloring

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon white vinegar

Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

Beat butter and 1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed one to two minutes, until smooth. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture, beating one to two minutes, just until incorporated. Add food coloring, vanilla and vinegar, then increase mixer speed to medium and beat 15 to 20 seconds, just until dough is crumbly and holds together when squeezed.

Squeeze two tablespoon pieces of dough into balls and place one inch apart on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Freeze 10 minutes. 

Bake in a 350-degree oven 15 to 18 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through, until dry around the edges. Cool on baking sheets on wire racks five minutes.

Place remaining confectioners’ sugar in a bowl. Working one at a time, gently toss warm cookies in sugar to coat. Return cookies to baking sheets to cool completely and reserve remaining sugar. Once cool, toss in remaining sugar.

 

Millionaires’ Shortbread

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

1-1/4 cups unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup finely chopped, toasted slivered almonds

2 cups flour, spooned and leveled

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 packed cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Flaky sea salt such as Maldon, for garnish

Beat confectioners’ sugar and 3/4 cup butter with an electric mixer on medium speed one to two minutes, until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and beat in almonds, flour and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt just until combined. Press on bottom of a 9-by-13-inch pan lined with lightly greased foil that overhangs the edges by two inches. Bake in a 350-degree oven 25 to 28 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Combine condensed milk, brown sugar, honey, 1/2 cup cream, remaining kosher salt and 1/2 cup butter in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat 24 to 26 minutes, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer reaches 236 degrees. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Immediately pour mixture over shortbread. Let stand at room temperature 1 to 1-1/2 hours, until set.

Microwave chocolate and remaining cream in a bowl 30 seconds, then stir. Continue to microwave and stir in 10-second intervals until melted. Pour melted chocolate over caramel and spread with an offset spatula. Sprinkle with sea salt. Freeze 15 to 20 minutes, until set. Use foil overhangs to lift bars from pan. Cut into 32 squares. Store, refrigerated, in an airtight container as long as one week.

 

White Chocolate Peppermint Patties

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/4 cup  unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup heavy cream

1-1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

12 ounces white chocolate, chopped

2 tablespoons solid coconut oil

Crushed peppermints, for garnish

Beat confectioners’ sugar, butter, cream, peppermint extract, vanilla extract and salt with an electric mixer on low speed one to two minutes, until smooth. Roll into 30 balls. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets and flatten into 1/4-inch-thick disks using a greased piece of wax paper. Cover and freeze 30 minutes.

Microwave chocolate and coconut oil in a bowl 30 seconds, then stir. Continue to microwave and stir in 10-second intervals until melted.

Place one chilled peppermint disk on tines of a fork and dip into melted chocolate, tapping off excess, then return to baking sheet. Repeat with remaining peppermint disks. Sprinkle tops with crushed peppermints. Chill 15 to 20 minutes, until set. Store, refrigerated, in an airtight container as long as one week.

 

White Chocolate Pomegranate-Pistachio Bark

8 ounces white chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup pomegranate seeds, plus more for sprinkling

2 tablespoons roasted pistachios, chopped, plus more for sprinkling

Melt chocolate in microwave-safe bowl on high, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth. Stir in pomegranates and pistachios. Pour on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and smooth with an offset spatula. Sprinkle top with pomegranates and pistachios. Freeze 25 to 30 minutes, until firm. Break into pieces. Refrigerate in an airtight container as long as one week..