Tori's Cornflake Candy!

As I have said before, I have a huge extended family on my mother's side and we all pretty much cook.  We start the kids cooking fairly young also...girls and boys.  I think we all just cook so much, the kids naturally pick up on it.


 I know my son did, because he was always in the kitchen watching what was going on and bugging me about when it would be ready...lol.  We all love to eat so cooking is something we also love to do.

This recipe is one my little cousin Tori made and brought to one of our big family birthday dinners and we all really loved it!  It's sort of addictive actually!  Tori is my Aunt Ann's granddaughter, who I have gotten  many wonderful recipes from, so she has a really good cooking instructor. It seems that Tori will carry on with the cooking tradition, because she has a real talent for it.  She made a peach cobbler last time we ate at their house that was to die for.

This is an easy candy to make and fun to get the kids involved in.   You can even use food coloring and to tint it for the holidays or add some mini M&M's that are the colors of the season.  Pastel ones would be great for Easter! 

Here is what you will need for this: 

1 cup sugar

1 cup white corn syrup

1 Tablespoon butter

1 cup peanut butter

6 cups cornflakes

In a heavy saucepan bring the sugar, corn syrup and butter to a rolling boil.    Remove from heat as soon as it boils.  Stir in the peanut butter and stir until blended.  

Place the cornflakes in a glass bowl and pour the peanut butter mixture over all.  Lightly toss to coat.  Drop by Tablespoon onto wax paper immediately.   Allow to cool for about a half hour.

  

Slow Cooker Chocolate Pecan Clusters!

 It doesn't get much easier than this, to make homemade candy.  You layer the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for about 2 hours, scoop onto wax paper  and allow to set up.  That's it!  When I use the term 'slow cooker' I use it instead of the term 'crock pot'.  Crock Pot is a name that is owned by the Rival company and copyrighted so actually we are not supposed to name recipes Crock Pot this or that, because it is not owned by us.  I have had some questions about the term 'slow cooker' and if it's the same thing as 'crock pot' and for my use of it on this site, it is.

Here is what you will need for this yummy candy:

2 lb. pecan pieces (can substitute 2 lb. peanuts for peanut clusters)

1  (4 oz.) bar of Baker's German Chocolate

1 (12 oz.) bag of semi sweet chocolate chips

24 oz. pkg. vanilla candy bark

1 stick of butter (do not use margarine)

Layer all of the ingredients in a large slow cooker in the order given.   Do not stir.

For those not familiar with Baker's German Chocolate, it looks like this and is found in the baking section at your grocery with things like chocolate chips and such

Turn on low and allow to cook for 2 hours.  After 1 hour, stir once.  If it seems like it's just melting, cover and continue on low for 1 more hour.   If it seems like it's cooking on too high heat and might burn, stir every 15 minutes and turn it off once all the ingredients are melted.   All slow cookers are not created equal and some of the newer ones, even on the lowest setting, cook a lot hotter than some of the older models.  Therefore, don't just put all of this in the slow cooker and leave it for 2 hours, unattended, the first time.  Check on it about half way through to see how it's progressing.  

After all of the ingredients are melted, stir it up until they are all blended.   With a small ice cream scoop or cookie scoop, scoop onto wax paper or nonstick foil.  It will seem a little runny, but as it sits it will firm up. 

Once they have dried and set up, they will look pretty and shiny!





Candy Corn Fudge...only 2 ingredients!

 

 

This "Candy Corn Fudge" is a fun little project to make with the children or for the children or for those that still act like children...lol.  I am thinking of myself when I say this.  This is so easy, because I used the old "2 - Ingredient Fudge" recipe and just added food coloring to make the candy corn effect.  I did have to double the usual recipe to get the layers thick enough, but if you have a really small  square dish, I guess you could make less.

 

Now, before someone asks... this does not have actual candy corn in it.  It is called 'candy corn fudge' only because it looks like candy corn and I guess it tastes a bit like it too.  The great thing about this is that it tastes better than candy corn to me!   Here is what you will need for this:

 

 

2  (12 oz.) bags of white chocolate chips

2 (16 oz,)  cans of vanilla frosting (or any white frosting, I used 1 cream cheese and 1 vanilla)

red and yellow food coloring

 

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave.  Microwave them on high for about 2-3 minutes stirring after each minute.  Add the frosting and stir.  Microwave that for another minute or two.   Stir until it is all well blended and smooth.  You can also do this in top of a double boiler.

 

Line an 8"x 8" baking dish with wax paper or foil.  The Reynolds Wrap nonstick works great for this.

 

Pour 1/3 of the mixture in the dish for the first, white layer.  Place it in the fridge while you color the rest of the mixture.

 

Divide the rest of the mixture in half and tint one orange and one yellow.  

 

Remove the white layer from the fridge and pour the orange next over the white layer.  Pour it in rows, so you don't have to do much spreading it around.  Pour the yellow layer over the orange, last.  If the mixture starts to get too thick to pour, just stick it back in the microwave for a few seconds and stir.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours.

Turn it out on a cutting board and peel the foil off.  With a sharp knife cut it in rows. 

 

Gently lift the piece and turn it on it's side.  Cut in triangle shaped "candy corn' pieces.  You will have to trim up edges of the rows that were on the outside of the baking dish.  Use a dish with the straightest sides if you have one.  Kids and husbands will be more than happy to eat the trimmings!

 

You will notice that every other piece is not in the right color order of white, orange, yellow, but only the pickiest of people will notice that. 

 

The rows are also not real uniform either, but I looked at some pretty upscale candy corn (can candy corn be upscale...lol) and their rows were not so uniform either, so I was ok with it!

 

If you don't want to worry over cutting these candy corn shapes, cut it in squares and slap a piece of candy corn on top and it's still cute!

 

 

 





Evelyn's Kentucky Colonel Bourbon Balls!

Every year at Christmas, a dear friend of our family would make all of us her special bourbon balls.  Sadly, she passed away this fall.  Evelyn and my mother had been very close friends for years, but she was special to all of us.  She was just like part of our family.  You have never met a sweeter lady. When I started doing this blog and the holidays approached, I told my mother one day that I wish I had gotten Evelyn's bourbon ball recipe and Mama said that for some reason she did ask her to write it down right before she got sick.  

To most people that ever had bourbon balls, Evelyn's bourbon balls are much better for some reason.  They were her thing she made that none of the rest of us tried to improve on, because you couldn't and you just knew it.  She must have made dozens of these things, because she always gave all of us a nice size tin.

Now, let me warn you, Evelyn's bourbon balls pack a wallop.  They are not for the faint of heart or taste buds...lol.  She always said her 'secret' was that she soaked the nuts in bourbon overnight to begin with.  That is what made the difference.  I serve these at my annual Christmas party for the family and our oldest nephew says there should be a two bourbon ball limit and if he has more than that, his wife has to drive home...lol. 

 I have decided that I will take over as the official 'bourbon ball' maker in Evelyn's honor, but I am not sure I can ever live up to her standards.  RIP Evelyn and thank you for your kindness and your friendship through the years.  You were a special lady.

Here is what you need for these bourbon balls:

1 cup pecans, chopped

1/4 cup good KY bourbon plus 2 Tbs.

1 lb. box of powdered sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla

1  12 oz. pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup paraffin

Soak the nuts in 1/4 cup good bourbon overnight.  I always get asked what I mean by 'good bourbon'.  I mean good quality, not the cheap stuff...something like Maker's Mark is good for this.  

Mix together butter and sugar with an electric mixer, add vanilla until creamy.  Add the pecans with bourbon and add 2 Tbs. additional bourbon.  Place in the refrigerator to chill for several hours.  Roll into teaspoon size balls.  Place on wax paper and cover loosely.  Place the rolled bourbon balls in the freezer to freeze.  Some recipe don't tell you to freeze them, but they are really hard to dip without falling apart if you don't.

Melt chocolate with paraffin in a double boiler and blend until smooth.  Dip the balls while still frozen in the warm chocolate and place on wax paper or nonstick aluminum foil works really well.  I like to go back after dipping them all and drizzle a little chocolate right on top for a pretty look.    When you start dipping these in the chocolate, you have to work fast before they start to thaw or they become hard to work with. Also keeping the chocolate over the warm water to keep it melted is important because the frozen bourbon balls will chill it quickly.  If you don't have a double boiler just place a sauce pan in a larger pan with water in it. Place in the refrigerator and chill for several hours.

Evelyn's Kentucky Colonel Bourbon Balls!





Peanut Butter Pinwheels!

 

 

 

 

These peanut butter pinwheels are very similar to what some people call "potato candy", but these are made with cream cheese instead of potatoes.  I like both, but I think these have a richer flavor.  It's cream cheese, so how could it be bad, right?   This is actually easy to make.  The key is to get the white 'dough' stiff enough.  Here is what you will need:

 

 

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/2 stick or 4 Tbs. of butter, softened

2 lbs. powdered sugar (that is one large bag or two boxes)

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups creamy peanut butter

 

Cream together the cream cheese and butter.  Add vanilla.  Slowly start mixing in the powdered sugar a little at a time until it's a stiff 'dough'.    Sprinkle a little powdered sugar onto a large sheet of wax paper and roll the mixture out into a rectangle.   It should be thin enough to roll but not so thin that it won't hold together when you roll it.   

Spread the peanut butter in a thin layer over all.   Roll up in a tight roll with the wax paper and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.   Refrigerate for several hours, overnight is best, and then slice in thin slices and place on a tray. 

 

 

Peanut Butter Pinwheels!









2 Ingredient Fudge...No Joke!

 

 

This fudge is so easy, I almost didn't make a post of it, but it's so good I had to share.  The same reader that sent me the 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies also sent me this 2 Ingredient Fudge recipe.  For those of you who thought that they could not make fudge, you now can.  Once again, I was skeptical that this was really good, but once again.....it was.  I need to quit second guessing things...lol.  

This is all there is to this: 

1  16oz. container vanilla frosting
1 18 oz. jar of good creamy peanut butter (like Jiff)

Place the vanilla frosting in the microwave and microwave on high for 60 seconds.  Be sure to remove the foil on the top.   When it has completely melted, remove and stir into the peanut butter.  Blend together well and pour into a 9"x9" pan that has been lined with buttered wax paper or nonstick foil.  Refrigerate until firm, then remove from pan and peel off foil or paper.  Cut in 1 inch squares. This is really creamy and rich fudge and no on will know it was this easy. You can pretend you stood over the boiling pan with the candy  thermometer half of the afternoon.    I did sprinkle 1 cup of chopped peanuts on top of mine for a better looking presentation.

2 Ingredient Fudge!

 



Ruby's Opera Creams!

  

 

This recipe for "Opera Creams" is my late mother in law's recipe and undoubtedly, my favorite homemade Christmas candy.  I have not had this candy in over twenty years.   My sweet mother in law passed away very unexpectedly over 20 years ago and she was the only person I knew who made this candy.  No one in my family and friends had even ever heard of it and to this day, I don't know where she originally got it.  I never thought to get  her recipe for it and after she passed, I looked high and low for a recipe that might come close to it.  My mother thought she had a recipe so she made it and bless her heart, it wasn't even close, but I didn't want to tell her that.   So, I eventually just gave up. 

 

When I started writing this food blog, I started asking all of my family and friends for recipes for the things they make that are really good, so I got with my sister in law about a lot of her recipes, because she is a fantastic cook.   I mentioned how I wish I had gotten the Opera Creams recipe and she told me she had all of her mother's recipe files and books with her handwritten recipes in them and that she did, indeed, have the Opera Creams recipe. 

 

 I don't know why I had never thought to ask her before. She did warn me that she had tried to make them and they never did taste as good as they had when her mother made them.  So I got the recipe and gave it a whirl.  My husband says they turned out just like his mothers, although for me, none will taste just like hers did,  but they brought back good memories of her for both of us.  I even found the little candy dish she always kept them in after she made them.  Food is so important in our lives and brings back such memories of those who made it for us.  If we keep the food and the recipes alive, we keep part of those folks alive for us to remember always. 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

2 Tbs. light corn syrup

1/8 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup chopped walnuts

 

 Place sugar, cream, milk, corn syrup and salt in a heavy saucepan.  Cook over low heat until it comes to boil, stirring frequently.  Cook until it reaches the soft ball stage on a candy thermometer or around 240 degrees, stirring constantly.  This takes some time to reach so be patient.  When it reaches the soft ball stage, remove from heat and stir in vanilla and the 2 cups of chopped nuts.  Pour into a buttered 8"x8" dish.   Allow to cool completely and set up before cutting into 1 inch squares.   This candy actually improves with age.

 

 





Best Dang Fudge You Ever Ate!



Several of you have asked for a recipe for good 'old fashioned' chocolate fudge.  I take it that when you ask about that, you mean the type of fudge you stand and stir and have to bring to a soft ball stage and pray that you don't end up eating it with a spoon or it doesn't turn out grainy, which is even worse.   This fudge recipe is 'old fashioned' tasting and a little more trouble than some of the quick and easy type fudges I have been posting, but it is much easier to get good results. I really do think this is the best fudge recipe I have ever tried and it always turns out perfect if you follow the recipe exactly!   Here is what you will need:

4 cups sugar
1 cup half and half
1 cup butter
12 oz. unsweetened chocolate chips
12 oz. milk chocolate chips
25 lg. marshmallows or 6 cups mini marshmallows
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup nuts, chopped

Mix half and half, sugar, vanilla, and butter in a large heavy saucepan.  Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.  Boil for 2 minutes.  Turn the heat off.  Add the marshmallows and stir until melted.  Add the chocolate one kind at a time and stir until melted.  Add the nuts.  Pour the mixture into a buttered 9"x13" pan.  If it thickens up too much to pour into the pan, turn the heat back on for a few minutes.

Let this cool completely and set up before cutting into squares.  This takes several hours.  You can put it in the fridge once it cools.

To change the flavor, you can use a 1 pkg butterscotch chips for one of the chocolate chips or if you prefer a dark chocolate fudge, use 2 packages of the semi-sweet chocolate chips or 2 packages of the milk chocolate chips if you prefer a milder chocolate flavor.   I prefer using one of each for a perfect blend.

Cut this in small pieces, because it is really rich, but absolutely delicious!

This recipe makes a lot of fudge, so you have plenty for gift giving if you like!





Mama's Old Fashioned Divinity!

Divinity is a southern confection that like so many other old southern confections is just about becoming extinct as a homemade candy.  It's an airy, sweet and yummy candy that is a little temperamental and at times difficult to make.  My mother has made this ever since I can remember. There is one thing I do remember Mama always saying before the day we would be making Divinity and that was "If it isn't raining or looking like rain tomorrow, we will make Divinity".   She still says that anytime we talk about making it.  She is absolutely right about that also.

 Divinity is so light and full of sugar that if the humidity is over 50%, it will not set up and 'dry', because it just absorbs that moisture in the air.  Actually, it is best to not make several homemade candies when it is humid or rainy out.   That is not just an old wives tale.   Mama has included a secret ingredient in this recipe to make this divinity 'almost' fail proof if you follow the directions, but you still need to make it on a clear day.

 Here is what you will need:

3 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp. salt
1  1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 egg whites
1 tsp. baking powder
1 pkg. unflavored Knox gelatin (this will help guarantee they set up and won't affect the taste at all)
pecan halves or maraschino cherries

Place sugar, salt, syrup, and water together in a heavy saucepan on medium heat and bring to a boil.  Cook until this reaches a soft ball stage.  Use a candy thermometer to determine this.  You will need to be stirring this frequently while it comes up to this temperature.

Place egg whites and baking powder in a mixing bowl and beat until they peak, like you would for meringue.

When the syrup comes to soft ball stage or about 240 degrees on your candy thermometer,  it is ready to beat into the egg whites.  First, add the package of Knox gelatin to the egg whites, then slowly pour the hot syrup in beating it constantly the whole time.  Beat this until it loses it's gloss or about 4 to 5 minutes.  Add the vanilla in right at the end.

If you have a stand mixer, it makes this whole process much easier.  If not, you might want to enlist a helper to make it.

Drop by teaspoonful onto greased wax paper.  You have to work quickly with this or it will start to set up too much before you get them all dropped.  If you are doing this by yourself, you can spread this in a pan and after it sets up you can cut it into squares.  You can dress these up by pressing a half pecan in each piece or a maraschino cherry looks pretty also.  You can also make this in different festive colors by just adding a drop or two of food coloring.  These will dry and set up fairly quickly and then they can be stored in an airtight container or tin.

Mama's Old Fashioned Divinity



Peanut Butterscotch Fudge!

This "Peanut Butterscotch Fudge" is a little different twist on fudge.  If you love the taste of old fashioned butterscotch, you will love this fudge.  It's easy to make and practically fail proof.   If you have any seniors in your life, grandparents, parents, neighbors and such, many of them love butterscotch and might enjoy a tin of this fudge for Christmas. If they have problems with the nuts, just leave the chopped nuts out  and use creamy peanut butter and it's still delicious.

This is what you will need for this butterscotch fudge:

1 pkg. butterscotch chips (11oz.)
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.)
2 cups miniature marshmallows
2/3 cup chunky peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tsp. corn syrup
1 cup salted peanuts, chopped
1 additional cup of chopped peanuts to sprinkle on top is optional

Cook the first three ingredients in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 5 to 6 minutes or until it is all smooth and blended.
Stir in the peanut butter, vanilla, salt and corn syrup.  Add in the chopped peanuts.
Pour into an 8 or 9 inch square dish that has been lined with wax paper.
If you are sprinkling with the additional cup of chopped peanuts, add them now.
Chill for at least 2 hours or until firm. 
Remove from pan and peel off the wax paper, cut in 1 inch squares.  Keep refrigerated.

 



Easy Peanut Butter Fudge!

  

I love fudge, but anyone who has ever made the kind that you have to stand and stir for 5 or 6 minutes and use a candy thermometer on knows that it can be temperamental.  If you under cook it, you've got problems, if you over cook it, you've got other problems.  If you scrape the sides or bottom of the pan it can make it grainy and you have to stir that stuff until your arm almost falls off.  Some say to not make fudge on rainy, humid days or it won't turn out. I know that is very true with divinity.

Well, this fudge is really much easier and it still tastes so good. It has a can of sweetened condensed milk in it, so you know it has to be good, right?

 Here is all you need to make it:

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 (12 oz.) bag of white chocolate chips

1 tsp. light corn syrup

1/8 tsp. salt

3/4 cup chopped peanuts

Over low heat in a heavy sauce pan, heat sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter until peanut butter has melted and it is smooth and just starts to bubble.  Stir this often as it can stick.  Remove from heat and add the salt, bag of white chocolate chips, and corn syrup.  Stir until the chips have melted and it is smooth.  Fold in the chopped peanuts. 

Line an 8 or 9 inch dish with wax paper or foil. Pour the warm fudge in and smooth down.  Let this cool and then chill for 2 hours.  Turn out and remove foil or wax paper and cut in 1 inch squares.  Store in an airtight container.

         Easy Peanut Butter Fudge!