Christmas Candy!

It's getting to be that time y'all. How many of you make candy for the holidays? My dad is the candy maker in our family and next week will be doing his thing.

He makes plenty for everyone, and always a plate for his "girls" to share at their workplaces.

He makes Divinity, Aunt Bills, and the best Peanut brittle in the world!

Anyone else?

I've recently ventured into the fudge-making world. With success, too!

quote:

Originally posted by clothier

What kind did you make?

That was so ugly I am not going to give you the recipe

OK - I apologize - my daughter guilt kicked in. I thought you were asking me what kind of candy I made while letting my poor father slave.

*blowing a kiss and doing a hair flip to make up to clothier*

I made something called chocolate orange meltaways, chocolate balls with grated orange rind in them and rolled in finely chopped pecans.

RubyRose - those sound divine! Were they hard to make?

I have never been able to make fudge - every recipe, every time it fails.

Potato candy only for me...no fuss. I let my Mom handle the peanut butter fudge. She gave my daughter about 3lbs of it on the 4th and there's only crumbs......MOOOOOOOOOOM!

What in the world is potato candy?

For starters it's SWEET! My Grandma use to make it during the holidays in W. Va. I always called them pin wheels.
Recipe is so simple!

2 T real mashed potatoes
1 T butter
1 t milk
1/2 powdered sugar
1 c peanut butter(preferably smooth)

Mix together potatoes, buttter, milk, and powdered sugar. Stir until the mixture becomes stiff, adding more powdered sugar if needed. Roll out flat, spread peanut butter on top of mixture. Roll into a log, shape and put in fridge for 1 hour. Cut into slices and bring on the tall ice cold glass of milk! Stores great in tupperware or other closable container. Try it you'll like it!

quote:

Originally posted by Lone Star

RubyRose - those sound divine! Were they hard to make?

I have never been able to make fudge - every recipe, every time it fails.

These are really easy. I am a soup-maker, not a candy maker so if they turned out for me, anyone could make them.

I made all of them with pecans, not the chocolate coating.

(Oops, forgot to post the recipe.)

ORANGE CHOCOLATE MELTAWAYS
Taste of Home; December/January 1998; Vol. 5, No. 6

1 pkg. (11-1/2 oz.) milk chocolate chips
1 cup (6 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 tsp. grated orange peel
2-1/2 tsp. orange extract
1-1/2 cups finely chopped toasted pecans

Coating:
1 cup (6 oz.) milk chocolate chips
2 Tbsp. vegetable shortening

Place chocolate chips in a mixing bowl; set aside. In a saucepan, bring cream and orange peel to a gentle boil; immediately pour over chips. Let stand for 1 minutes; whisk until smooth. Add the extract. Cover and chill 35 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Beat for 10-15 seconds or just until mixture lightens in color (do not over beat). Spoon rounded teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Cover and chill for 5 minutes. Gently shape into balls; roll half the balls in pecans. In a microwave or double boiler, melt chocolate for coating and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip remaining balls in chocolate coating. Place on waxed paper to harden. Store in refrigerator. YIELD: 6 dozen.

Exactly! Easy is the key word. Soups? I love soups. Maybe this winter I'll try to expand my horizons when it comes to soups. I just have to make sure it's appetizing for the children. They aren't really picky, but they love vegetable beef, potato, chili, chowder(this is for hubby and I). Beyond that...who knows. I think it's time for a change. I CANNOT make candy. I don't really eat it either though. I tend to lean towards salt. I try though for the rest of the family.

I usually have all my Christmas candy made by this time in December, but I'm behind this year, so I'm going to try to get it done this weekend. I usually make Fudgies (no-bake cookies with chocolate, peanut butter and oatmeal), Buckeyes (peanut butter balls dippped in chocolate) and some holiday jumbles based on a recipe for chocolate pizza. I may attempt Divinity again because I love the stuff but I don't seem to have the knack for whipping egg whites. Divinity, seven-minute frosting, souffles -- none of them seem to turn out for me!

BEWARE ALL CANDY MAKERS.......there are Hackers out there that will go into your kitchen and take your granny's favorite Fudge Recipe and replace it...........with..........yep. CHOCOLATE VELVEETA FUDGE. So there.

My favorite candy to make for the holidays is sugar plums...which don't contain any plums at all. Found the recipe about five years ago and my wife and I fell in love with them. I'm about 2200 miles from home but will try to find the recipe next week if anyone is interested. Bacis ingredients are chopped dates, almonds, and dried apricots, honey, and spices blended in food processor until able to roll into small (walnut size) balls then rolled in powdered sugar...heavenly!

My father always made chocolate covered cherries for Christmas...before they went 80% in their motor home. Now he says there isn't enough room.

Anybody remember chocolate straws? They were hollow hard candy filled with chocolate. Totally addicting. My mom used to get them every year. I haven't thought about them in a while. I may have to go look for some...

Mamaw Smith makes a divinity with pecans and walnuts in it. It is super sweet and the nuts seem to give it a great taste.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Aunt bills is hard to describe. It is a semi-chewy golden candy full of pecans.

4fish - I remember those oatmeal no-bake candies! I haven't had them in a long time.

Anyone remember those candies made with chow-mein noodles? I cannot remember what they are called.

Lonestar:

My mother still makes those! They've never been my favorite (don't like chow mein noodles) so I don't remember what they're called, but I'll try to get the recipe from her.

I asked my mother about the candies with the chow-mein noodles. She calls them Bird's Nest Candies and she usually makes them at Easter. I don't have proportions, but it's basically chocolate and butterscotch chips melted together with a little bit of butter or shortening, then you fold in the chow-mein noodles. Drop them in dabs on waxed paper, use the back of a spoon to make a bird's nest shape and add jelly beans or (better, IMHO) chocolate eggs. I'm sure there are endless variations out there, too.

Thanks 4fish - I may have to try making some.

Those candies with chow-mein noodles are called "haystacks," according to one of the recipe websites I looked at.

quote:

Originally posted by Lone Star

Aunt bills is hard to describe. It is a semi-chewy golden candy full of pecans.

4fish - I remember those oatmeal no-bake candies! I haven't had them in a long time.

Anyone remember those candies made with chow-mein noodles? I cannot remember what they are called.

How about the Mayor giving us his Makers Mark Chocolate recipe. He sent me a simple and it dadgum knoccck my head off. It was ssoooooo good, I haddd mor than won pce.

Paul Emslith
Knockersville, TN

We do a variety of candy to make up a combination of sweets, then put them into the containers that look like the tins that used to be used for hard candies and fruit cakes. Nowadays they are plastic, done in xmas decoration colors. With ten family subsets, 3 or 4 neighbors, and some of the "Service Folks" (mail carriers, disposal collectors etc) We wind up doing close to twenty of the packages total. To fill them up we make 4 batches (6 lbs each) of the Marshmellow-Goop Fudge, about 150-180 Bourbon Balls, and 4 batches of the Haystacks.
We ran a test of the Bourbon Balls on my two Associate Justices and found them satisfactory ( from the reports we received).
This is a 2 person task for sure. We have a lot of fun putting the packages together and it makes for a nice little hand out for our family and friends.

RE- The Haystacks, Real Simple recipe... Butterscotch chips and some peanut butter (chunky) melted together in the nuker...stir in the Chinese Noodles Drop teaspoons of the mixture on cookie sheet lined with wax-paper. Decorate with a maraschino Cherry. Cool to let them set. We tried the same without the peanut butter, but they were WAY too Sweet !!

Bourbon Balls-
1 cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 cup softened Butter
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped raisins
2 FULL tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa
2 Tablespoons grated or flaked Coconut
(can be left out if you prefer)
3-4 tablespoons Bourbon (to taste)
Candy Sprinkles/Jimmies/ or powdered Sugar for 'rolling'

Mix butter and powdered Sugar until smooth, add everything else, mix thoroughly, chill until firm. Shape mixture into small balls ( I detect trouble coming) About an inch to inch and a half then roll the balls in what ever coating you choose. We like the powdered sugar roll the best...but Jimmies work good too. Keep them cool and covered until consumed.
I did double the Bourbon content of the batch I made for the boys...They were too strong for my tastes, but Paul handles his bourbon better than I do...And Bushie hasn't been heard from for a week, so he must still be eating them ..hewhehhe

I think the mayor should be voted the "Candy Man" of the year.

I can attest that there is some potent stuff there.

Al Missed his calling as he should have had a candy store in Gatlinburg, TN. He would be richer than he already is.

I gave a small hit to my mother in law who is visiting for the holidays and she graded it delicious. Mamaw Smith alreay appreciates this fine delicious thing. Thanks AL

Paul E. Smith
knoxville, TN

That's not fair, Sundancer. The topic was Christnas candy, not Recipes That Knock Your Little Old Aunties Out After A Few. Here are my contributions to that category:

BACARDI RUM BALLS
1 1/ 2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
1/ 4 cup Bacardi amber rum
1/ 4 cup honey
2 cups ground walnuts
Confectioner's sugar

In medium bowl, combine all ingredients except confectioner's sugar. Shape into 1 inch balls and let rest, uncovered, for 1 hour. Roll in sugar. Store in tightly covered container. Yield: 2 1/ 2 dozen Note: I like to substitute 1/2 cup of finely chopped dried apricots for 1/2 cup of the ground walnuts.

POPCORN WITH BACARDI CARAMEL GLAZE
1/ 2 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/ 2 cup Bacardi amber rum
1/ 4 cup light corn syrup
1/ 2 tsp. salt
10 cups freshly popped popcorn
1/ 3 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped

Combine butter, brown sugar, rum, corn syrup and salt in saucepan. Over medium heat, stir to dissolve sugar. Cook until mixture reaches 248 degrees (hard ball stage). Combine popcorn and peanuts in buttered roasting pan. Drizzle with caramel syrup and stir well. Cool until hardered. Makes about 10 cups.

P.S. These recipes are even better of you use a stronger rum like Captain Morgan or one you brought home from the islands.

Ruby,
We had a Bourbon Recipe like your Rum one. We dropped the raisins also, but substituted chopped dried cranberries...Hmmmmm good.

Miss Ruby:

Not trying to be unfair but the Mayor knocked the socks off Mamaw Smith with his mixture. Mamaw Smith still cannot walk straight

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Last night at Dean & Deluca ($$$$$) I saw some delicious, old-fashioned, Christmas "ribbon candy" which I hadn't seen since my grandmother passed away many years ago.