Christmas candy recipes

[Raspberrymocha55]

Im already preparing for my holiday baking and candy making. I'm thinking that I'll do more candy and less cookies this year. I make about 20 cookie/candy boxes for neighbors and friends for the holidays, and I want to put in some new things this year. I especially love fudges and truffles. I've lost my favorite Choc/orange truffle recipe : ( What are your favorite candy recipes? I'm looking for a good homemade marshmallow and homemade gum drop recipe, too. How about we start sharing some of our favorite no fail recipes for candy?

 

[bakechef]

My favorite christmas candy is Rose Levy Beranbaum's mahogany buttercrunch toffee. It's addictive! My boss asked me to never bring it to her again because she couldn't stay out of it. Of course I'm bringing her some this year...

 

[Raspberrymocha55]

My favorite christmas candy is Rose Levy Beranbaum's mahogany buttercrunch toffee. It's addictive! My boss asked me to never bring it to her again because she couldn't stay out of it. Of course I'm bringing her some this year...

Recipe link? I make a toffee every year, too. I like to toss in toasted cashews and leave off the chocolate on top some times.

 

[Addie]

My favorite christmas candy is Rose Levy Beranbaum's mahogany buttercrunch toffee. It's addictive! My boss asked me to never bring it to her again because she couldn't stay out of it. Of course I'm bringing her some this year...

You heartless little devil! Trouble maker.

 

[bakechef]

Recipe link? I make a toffee every year, too. I like to toss in toasted cashews and leave off the chocolate on top some times.

This looks like the exact recipe. http://www.joyofbaking.com/ButtercrunchToffee.html

 

[letscook]

Rose Levy Beranbaum's Mahogany Buttercrunch Toffee

(Makes about 1 lb. or 10, 5 inch pieces)

2 cups blanched, sliced almonds
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 Tablespoons water
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 oz. semisweet chocolate

Adjust the oven racks so they divide the oven into thirds. Set oven at 350 degrees F.

Have on hand a nonstick or buttered cookie sheet and a candy thermometer.

Spread almonds on a cookie sheet and bake them, stirring occasionally for 10-12 minutes or until they are golden brown. Let cool completely.

In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse the machine in on-off motions until the almonds aer finely chopped but not powdery.

Sprinkle half the nuts over a 7 x 10 inch area on the cookie sheet. Set it near the burners; you'll need to grab it quickly. Have the vanilla and baking soda nearby as well.

In a heavy-based saucepan, preferably nonstick, combine the brown sugar, water and butter. Bring to a boil, stirring constatly, until the mixture reaches 285 degrees F on a candy thermometer. This is the soft crack stage (a little of the mixture dropped into a bowl of ice water will separate into threads that are hard but not brittle.)

Immediately remove the saucepan from the heat and add the vanilla and baking soda. Pour the toffee mixture carefully and evenly onto the nuts, keeping within the 7 x 10 rectangle.

Working quickly, scatter the chocolate onto the toffee. Press the chocolate lightly with your fingertips so it starts melting.

Let it sit for five minutes. The chocolate will be soft enough to spread with a metal spatula or butter knife. Make an even layer over the surface of the toffee. Dust the chocolate with the remaining almonds. Leave the toffee to cool completely, then break it into irregular pieces. You can store the toffee in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month.

 

[Aunt Bea]

How about some Buckeyes or Peanut Butter Balls they are easy and a good recipe for the kids to make!

Nothing says Christmas better than a kitchen full of kids covered in chocolate!

Peanut Butter Balls Recipe - Joyofbaking.com *Video Recipe*

 

[bakechef]

How about some Buckeyes or Peanut Butter Balls they are easy and a good recipe for the kids to make!

Nothing says Christmas better than a kitchen full of kids covered in chocolate!

Peanut Butter Balls Recipe - Joyofbaking.com *Video Recipe*

My mom would make truckloads of PB balls every christmas. Her recipe included rice crispies! They were so darned good. I may have to make some this year.

 

[merstar]

This is my favorite recipe for truffles:
GHIRARDELLI SINFUL CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
Ghirardelli Sinful Chocolate Truffles Recipe : : Recipes : Food Network

Another great chocolate recipe:
PECAN AND CARAMEL CHOCOLATE CLUSTERS
Recipe: Pecan & Caramel Chocolate Clusters | Cooking On the Side

 

[CWS4322]

This is a hard candy. My aunt always makes this for Christmas. We chill it in the snow bank.

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f44/lollipops-71223.html

 

[Aunt Bea]

My mom would make truckloads of PB balls every christmas. Her recipe included rice crispies! They were so darned good. I may have to make some this year.

My Mom used ground up graham cracker in hers.

She always had to hide her various tins of cookies and candy so she would have some left to give away as gifts.

More than once we found a tin of goodies, along about Valentines day or Easter, that she hid and forgot about!

 

[bakechef]

My Mom used ground up graham cracker in hers.

She always had to hide her various tins of cookies and candy so she would have some left to give away as gifts.

More than once we found a tin of goodies, along about Valentines day or Easter, that she hid and forgot about!

I had a high school teacher that made a peanut butter bar with Graham crackers ground up in the filling. These were often a reward for our small class if we all got an A on a test.

 

[GotGarlic]

Healthy Chocolate Bark

Healthy Chocolate Bark

Yes, this is good for you! Dark chocolate, dried fruit and nuts? What could be better?

I have also made a version of this for Halloween or a fall party, using leaf-shaped candy sprinkles in addition to the fruit and pine nuts instead of cashews.

8 oz. dark chocolate chips (I used Hershey’s Special Dark)
8 oz. milk chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli)
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup cashew pieces

Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Draw a 10”x14” rectangle on the paper; turn the paper over so the drawing side is down and set aside.

Place a stainless steel bowl over a medium saucepan containing 1 inch of simmering water. Place chocolate chips in the steel bowl and stir till completely melted; this should only take a couple of minutes.

Use a spatula to scrape the melted chocolate onto the parchment paper and spread it out until the rectangle is covered. Sprinkle the fruit and nuts evenly over the chocolate and press lightly to adhere.

Set aside in a cool place for 2 hours (or in the freezer for 10 minutes) to harden. Cut into 1”x2” pieces.

Those of you in cold climates can also put it outside to harden.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Used to make basic chocolates when the kids were small and I had reasons to make them. Once we moved it seemed silly to make them for just the two of us. Plus I didn't have ready access to my base chocolate.

Now my version of "Christmas candy" has become my annual gift from our daughter to me: Malley's Nutmallow. She sends me a box with the one made with cashews and I ration it, not opening it until spring and making it last a couple months. Pretty good for just a pound and sharing a small piece here and there with Himself.

If you want to make this (made in a disposable foil pan) this recipe at King Arthur looks like it might be very similar. Walnuts, pecans, cashews, chipped almonds - they're all good.

 

[Aunt Bea]

Haystacks was another easy candy we made at Christmas.

Many great recipes exist, you can change the type of chips, nuts and crispy bits to create endless variations using what you have on hand in the pantry.

http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/prt/0,187,154185-237194,00.html

My Mother used to make a variation called White Trash!

White Trash Candy Snack Recipe - Food.com - 15688