Candies

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
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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
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Pecan Pralines

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 stick butter

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 cup whole pecans

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation:

In large pan, combine the sugar, baking soda, butter, and buttermilk. Heat on medium high, stirring constantly. When mixture begins to spread, add whole pecans, then vanilla. Cook another 15-20 minutes, stirring constantly. Using a candy thermometer, the temperature should reach 235 degrees. To test whether the mixture is done, drop small amount of it into a bowl of cold water. When it forms a ball, it is done. Remove mixture from heat and continue stirring about 10 minutes until it cools. Grease a cookie sheet, then spoon mixture onto sheet in tablespoon amounts. Once cooled, they're ready to eat.

Sandy Frey
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Mounds Balls «««««

2 lb. powdered sugar

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 stick oleo, very soft

2 lb. coconut

Mix ingredients together (use your hands). Roll into small balls. Place on waxed paper and chill. (I don't always chill.)

Melt:

1 bar paraffin wax completely melted

12 oz. package chocolate chips

Dip coconut mounds in chocolate mixture.

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

(Note for 2007 - Try using white chocolate chips on a few and decorate with sprinkles.)

Try halving the batch as this makes a lot of candy.

These taste like Mounds candy bars.

Sandy Frey
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Peanut Clusters

Melt together in microwave:

2/3 package white almond bark (Reserve 1/3 package for drizzling on Mounds Balls and Spritz cookies.)

1 12-oz. package milk chocolate chips

Pinch Kosher salt

Add:

2 package salted peanuts

Drop by teaspoonful on waxed paper.

I make these every year for Christmas. Don't cut back on the peanuts---if anything, add more!

(Can add marshmallows to part of the mixture. These also look nice in small candy foils.)

Sandy Frey
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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 corn

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
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My Version of Marie's Microwave Caramel Corn (above)

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup corn syrup

1/2 cup butter (Don’t substitute)

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. soda

3 bags microwave popcorn, popped

Combine all ingredients except soda and popcorn in heavy buttered kettle. Pop the microwave popcorn. Pour into large metal roaster. Be sure to remove old maids. Bring brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt to boil over medium heat; then boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in soda. Pour syrup over popcorn. Stir to coat. Bake on low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring two or three times. Pour onto wax paper to cool. Ready immediately. Can add peanuts.

Sandy Frey
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Elsie’s Popcorn Balls «««««

3 cups sugar 1 cup white syrup

1 cup water 2 tsp. vinegar

2 sticks butter 1 tsp. vanilla

dishpan popcorn

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. Add butter and vanilla; stir until butter is melted. Pour over popcorn. Cool a little and mold with buttered hands into popcorn balls.

This is the ‘richest’ popcorn ball ever. Mom always made these for Halloween. I don’t always put in two sticks of butter – sometimes I just add one stick. These are very rich when two sticks are used.

Elsie Battershaw
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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
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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
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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
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Fast Fudge

1 medium size bag chocolate chips

1 can Borden's milk

Put on stove and melt chips.

Remove and add:

1 cup nuts

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

Marg Frey
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Marge’s Fudge «««««

This is the best fudge I have ever tasted.

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
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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
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Nut Fudge

(From Corkie Micek)

2-1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter

1 cup evaporated milk

16 large marshmallows

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips

nuts, if desired

Combine in a heavy saucepan - sugar, butter, evaporated milk, marshmallows and salt. Stir over medium heat till mixture boils and is bubbly all over top. Boil and stir till temperature reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer (8 to 12 minutes).

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and chocolate chips, till melted. Add nuts, if desired. Pour into 8X8 buttered pan. Cool.

Yield: 30 pieces

Pat McKenzie
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