Homemade from the heart
At this time of year it’s nice to have a sweet treat in the house to share with visitors. One of my favourite sweet combinations is chocolate and peppermint. Chocolate Peppermint candy combines these tastes in a melt in your mouth confection. Enjoy!
1 bag milk chocolate chips
1 bag white chocolate chips
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp peppermint extract
candy canes, crushed
Hard candy is made from an unusual combination of vinegar and sugar. It’s a great addition to a Christmas gift basket or cookie tin.
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup vinegar
2 tbsp butter
10 drops green food colouring
Place ingredients in a large saucepan and heat until sugar is dissolved in mixture. Boil until a candy thermometer indicates the hard ball stage for sugar is reached (266 degrees Fahrenheit). Be careful the sugar will be very hot and can burn easily.
Pour into a greased and lined 8 inch pan. Chill
Break into pieces and serve.
This time of year I think about my grandmother. She passed away many years ago but I have many fond memories of visiting her house every weekend. On special occasions she would pull out her tattered recipe book and make some special treats. Caramel corn was one of those recipes and I carry on the tradition of making it at Halloween and Christmas. Sweet and crunchy this recipe is sure to please trick or treaters.
1 cup popcorn
1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup golden corn syrup
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
Heat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pop 1 cup of popcorn. Remove unpopped kernels and put it in a buttered roast pan.
Melt 1 cup of butter in a saucepan. Stir in 2 cups brown sugar, 1/2 cup golden corn syrup and 1 tsp salt.
Bring mixture to a full boil stirring constantly. Let mixture boil for 5 minutes and remove from heat. Do Not Stir.
Stir in 1/2 tsp soda and 1 tsp vanilla. Pour over popcorn and mix together well.
Bake for 1 hour stirring every 15 minutes. Spread out onto parchment paper to cool.
Peanuts can be added to this recipe.
For another sweet treat try Chili Cereal Brittle
Seasonal sweet treats are everywhere this time of year and I like to try to combine unusual combinations in my baking. Candy Corn cookies are great for those days you need something sweet to fill your cravings.
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
1 egg
3/4 cup butter
2 cups candy corn
1/4 cup pumpkin sprinkles
Mix flour, baking soda, salt and cornstarch together in a large bowl. Continue reading “Candy Corn Cookies”
Honey Candy is sweet and nutty. It’s a great treat for those times you need something to please your sweet tooth.
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
nuts
food colouring (red or green)
Chocolate coffee fudge is sweet and decadent. It goes well in any party platter and packs up for a terrific gift. The coffee adds an extra depth to the recipe.
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp prepared coffee
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Bring brown sugar, coffee, butter and cocoa to a boil over low heat. Continue boiling for five minutes then remove from stove. Blend in icing sugar and nuts. Spread mixture in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Cool and cut into squares. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup applesauce
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda dissolved in 1 tsp warm water
1 lb raisin
s
2 cups gumdrops
Mix wet ingredients until fluffy. Add dry ingredients. Fold in raisins and gumdrops and spoon into a large greased loaf pan. Bake in 300 degree Fahrenheit oven for 2-2 1/2 hours
I always over estimate the amount of candy that I will pass out to trick or treaters on Halloween. Consequently, I’m always left with packs of candy that I don’t want to eat.
One way I use up the chocolate is in this cookie recipe. I bake the cookies and then freeze them for later. The cookies will keep for several months if they are wrapped properly before being frozen.
1 cup white sugar
1 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
Mix the above ingredients together.
2 cups flour
