Candies

Home Appetizers, Dips and Drinks Breads and Muffins Cakes and Frostings Cookies and Bars
Candies Desserts  Main Dishes Miscellaneous Pickles and Canning Salads

Thanks for stopping to check out a few of my favorite recipes.
I started this site to be able to share old family recipes with my kids and now find I am also
adding their favorite recipes and even recipes from the grandkids.

If you haven't tried Grandma Elsie's Popcorn Balls,
you are missing a treat.
Enjoy a few of my favorite recipes.

If you haven't made Grandma Elsie's Popcorn Balls yet,
you are really missing a treat.

Mom's Uncooked Fruit Cake

My version:

1 16-ounce container mixed candied fruit (I use the tiny cut)

1 lb. large marshmallows, cut in quarters with a scissors (I have used mini marshmallows)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 pound graham crackers, chopped fine

3 to 4 cups chopped pecan halves, some coarsely chopped and at least one cup left whole

Be generous with the pecans...they are what makes it.

Process graham crackers in food processor or chop until fine. 

Add milk, marshmallow and fruit to large bowl. Stir.

Add graham crackers and pecans and work with hands till moist and well mixed. 

Spray sheets of wax paper with Pam and lay on top of two loaf pans. Press fruitcakes in loaf pans, which have been lined with sprayed wax paper. 

I usually then pull each loaf out of pan with the wax paper.  Wrap more wax paper around each loaf, then put in Ziploc bags and freeze.

Let stand 1 week or 10 days. 

Sandy Frey

Mom's Uncooked Fruit Cake

Mom's version:

Cut up the following with a scissors:

1 lb. pitted dates

1 lb. large marshmallows

1 lb. orange slices

Mix together with:

1/2 cup cream, whipped

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

few gum drops

Roll 1 lb. graham crackers until fine. 

Add to mixture and work with hands till moist and well mixed. 

Press in loaf pan.  Let stand 1 week or 10 days. 

Keep wrapped in waxed paper. 

Be sure to use large marshmallows because they have to be cut. 

Elsie Battershaw

Popcorn Candy

2 packages puffed popcorn
1 package white almond bark

Melt the almond bark and pour over puffed popcorn.
Spread on waxed paper surface to cool. Break apart and store in container.

Lori Hosford on the Voting Board

Crock Pot Peanut Clusters

3 pounds salted dry-roasted peanuts (don't buy the cheap ones)
4 ounces German's sweet chocolate (about 4 squares)
One 12-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips (about 2 cups)
2 1/2 pounds white almond bark
1/2 teaspoon salt

Put the peanuts in the bottom of a 4-quart slow cooker. Layer the German sweet chocolate over the peanuts, followed by the chocolate chips and then the almond bark. Set the temperature on low and cook for 3 hours. Do not stir the mixture.

After 3 hours, stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until smooth. Drop the candy into candy liners or drop onto wax paper. Allow the candy to cool completely.

This recipe was on Trisha Yearwood's cooking show on The Food Network.  I tweaked it just a little to suit our family's tastes, as in more peanuts!

Sandy Frey

Toffee

1 lb of butter
2 cups of sugar
1/2 t of salt
10 t of water
Boil on medium heat till temperature hits 300.

One bag of chocolate chips 
One bag of almonds
You will need to chop these two ingredients. 

On a sheet pan, spray with Pam and then sprinkle half of your almonds and half of your chocolate chips. 

After you get your first ingredients to 300, pour over almonds and chips, then sprinkle the rest of your almonds and chocolate chips over that. 

Let cool and then cut into pieces.

Caree Cielocha


Divinity

4 cups sugar             
1 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup cold water
Combine above ingredients and stir and cook until dissolved, then cook without stirring to 251 degrees.  Pour slowly while beating, over:
3 egg whites, which have been beaten stiff with a mixer on high speed.
Add:
1 tsp. vanilla

Continue beating with mixer on high speed until beginning to take shape.  Add 1 cup chopped nuts.  Fold in by hand with wooden spoon and continue folding to incorporate air through it until it is ready to hold shape.  Drop by spoon on waxed paper.  This makes a lot.  You must work fast while it is "just right!"  Makes approx. 8 dozen pieces.

I found this recipe in the Cedar Rapids, "Our Country Heritage Cookbook."  I wanted to make Divinity because Mom always made it at Christmas.  Sherry Lynne loves it, too, so I wanted to learn to make it for her.  You can try different variations with this, such as adding crushed peppermint candy canes and a little pink food coloring.

Sandy Frey


Mounds Balls *****

2 lb. powdered sugar

1 can sweetened condensed milk - NOT evaporated milk

1 stick butter, very soft

2 lb. coconut (2 bags)

Mix ingredients together (use your hands).  Roll into small balls.  Place on waxed paper.  Chill if you prefer.

Melt in double boiler:

1 bar paraffin wax, completely melted

12 oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted with paraffin

Dip balls in chocolate/paraffin mixture. 

To decorate, use melted white almond bark and drizzle across top. 

I have made 1/2 of the batch as Mounds Balls and 1/4 of the batch as Almond Joy Bars (Shape more like a Almond Joy bar and add a whole almond on top...dip as usual).  To the final 1/4, I added one chopped candy cane and a small amount of peppermint flavoring and butter flavoring.  I dipped these in white almond bark and drizzled red almond bark on top. I used red Wilton paste food coloring to get the red.  I also had to add a small amount of Crisco to get it thin enough to drizzle.

Sandy Frey

Marie’s Microwave Caramel Corn

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup corn syrup

1/2 cup butter (Don’t substitute)

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. soda

3-4 quarts popped popcorn

Combine all ingredients except soda and popcorn in 2 qt. dish.  Bring to boil in microwave; then cook 2 minutes on high.  Remove from microwave and stir in soda.  Put popcorn in large grocery bag.  Pour syrup over corn.  Close bag and shake.  Cook on high 1 minute; shake again.  Cook another 1 1/2 minute.  Pour into bowl and cool.

Marie Battershaw Kramer

Mom’s Popcorn Balls (Elsie’s Popcorn Balls)

3 cups sugar   

1 cup white syrup

1 cup water

2 tsp. vinegar

2 sticks butter (I only use one stick*)

1 tsp. vanilla

dishpan full of popcorn, popped  ( I fill my old blue roaster)

Butter sides of a heavy saucepan.  Add sugar, syrup, water and vinegar and bring to boil on medium-high heat.  Boil to hard ball stage, which is 250 to 260 degrees on the candy thermometer or if you prefer a softer popcorn ball, bring the temperature to 240 degrees. 

Add butter and vanilla; stir until butter is melted. 

Pour over popcorn.  Stir gently to get popcorn covered with syrup. Cool a little and mold with buttered hands into popcorn balls. 

Mom always made these for Halloween.

*Two sticks of butter makes a popcorn ball that is very rich and delicious.
Most of the time, I only use one stick because of calories.

Elsie Battershaw


Almond Bark Pretzels

White almond bark

Pretzels

Melt white almond bark and dip pretzels in.  Lay on waxed paper to dry. 

This makes a pretty Christmas treat – decorated with Christmas sugars.

Variation;

I crunch up the leftover broken pretzels and two peppermint candy canes and mix in with any almond bark that is left.  Drop by teaspoon on waxed paper.

Sandy Frey


Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies

Put small amount of peanut butter between two Ritz crackers and dip in white almond bark to cover.  Put on waxed paper to set up.

Peanut Brittle

In 2 quart microwave proof bowl, place:

1 1/2 cup sugar         1/2 cup corn syrup

1/2 cup water             dash salt

2  cups raw peanuts

Cook on high for 5 minutes.  Stir.  Cook on high for 13 to 15 minutes, or until syrup separates into threads.  This is the hard crack stage, or 300 degrees on a candy thermometer.  Check temperature several times during the last few minutes.  Do not leave thermometer in microwave while cooking. 

Stir in:

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

When light and bubbly, pour onto buttered cookie sheet.  Spread.  Cool and break into pieces.

Sandy Frey


Salted Nut Rolls *****

2 15-oz jars of dry roasted peanuts

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 package mini marshmallows

1 package peanut butter chips

2 Tablespoons butter

Sprinkle ¾ of the peanuts in a greased pan.  Melt butter and chips.  Add milk.  Mix together.  Add marshmallows – only to coat.  DO NOT MELT!  Pour mixture over peanuts.  Add the rest of the peanuts.  With wet hands, press down into pan. 

This is the best salted nut roll I have ever tasted.  Sherry rolls these into logs and slices them for Christmas treats.

Sandy Frey


Fast Fudge

1 medium size bag chocolate chips

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Put on stove and melt chips. 

Remove and add:

1 cup nuts

Put in buttered pan.  When cool, cut and enjoy. 

Marg Frey


Marge’s Fudge

This is the best fudge I have ever tasted.

This recipe came from Peg Schmid at Lindsay Mfg. It was her mom’s.

2 cups sugar

4 Tablespoons cocoa

Stir together. 

Add:

2 Tablespoons white syrup

2/3 cup ½ and ½

Butter sides of heavy pan.  Put above ingredients in pan over medium heat.  Stir until this starts to boil.  Do not stir after that! 

Cook to soft ball stage (about 235 to 240 degrees).  Take off heat and set in a pan of cold water. 

Add:

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Walnuts (optional)

Stir till it starts to lose gloss. 

Pour into a buttered 9X9 ( or smaller ) pan. 

(I have doubled this recipe.)

My hints:

I generally put a single batch in a bread loaf pan.  I line it with foil and spray the foil with Pam.  Then when it is set up, I pull the foil out of the pan and cut the fudge into small squares.  Always keep this fudge wrapped in saran as it dries out easily. 

Sandy Frey


Ardith Sallach’s Cow Pies

20-ounce chocolate almond bark

1 large package Ruffles potato chips

candy corn

peanuts, optional

Melt almond bark in a crock pot.  Add chips, corn and peanuts.  Make into ‘pies’ on waxed paper.  Let set up.

This is a really cute candy to make and give as a ‘gift’.

Ardith Sallach