Candied Pretzels

I did this about a year ago with my activity days girls and again for one of my superbowl treats. Lay out pretzels on waxed paper lined cookie sheets. Place a rollo, chocolate kiss, or other favorite small chocolate candy onto pretzel. Place in oven heated at 200 degrees for long enough to soften your chocolate into the pretzel. Maybe 2 to 3 minutes tops. Remove from oven and top with small candy pieces. I used peanut butter pieces. When cooled remove from waxed paper and place on serving plate.

Carmel Popcorn

2 cups brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks butter)
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp salt
2 cups unpopped popcorn

Directions:
pop the popcorn and set aside

melt the remaining ingredients together in a large heavy gauge pan. Stir constantly and when it boils set the timer for 5 min. Add:

1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda

stir well and add the popped kernals stiring until well coated. Spread onto foil lined cookie sheets and bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour stiring every 15 minutes.

Make your own Butterfinger bars

Listed at ask.com as Nutterfingers
Homemade version top pictured with real Butterfinger bottom

Not even close to a butterfinger so go into it expecting something different. They were okay. Kids were thoroughly disappointed since they LOVE Butterfingers. I'll have to keep looking. However I did make the mistake of not adding the Corn Syrup until after it reached 300 degrees and I wonder if it made that much of a difference because mine weren't the texture nor hardness of a butterfinger. I recommend not doubling just to make sure you like it first.

These candy bars are covered with chocolate and filled with a light peanut center that shatters into thin, crispy layers when you bite into it. They resemble the popular Butterfingers candy bar. This recipe yields 10 4-inch bars, but can be easily doubled and made in a 9x13 pan.

Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup light corn syrup
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 pound chocolate candy coating
Preparation:
1. Prepare an 8x8 pan by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Place the peanut butter, baking soda, and vanilla in a small bowl and set aside for now.

3. Place the sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir constantly until the sugar dissolves. Bring the sugar syrup to a boil, and stir in the corn syrup. Insert a candy thermometer.

4. Continue to cook the syrup, boiling it without stirring, until it reaches 300 degrees on the thermometer. Watch the pan carefully, as the sugar can quickly rise in temperature and burn at such high heat.

5. Once it candy reaches 300 degrees, immediately remove it from the heat. Quickly stir in the peanut butter, baking soda, and vanilla and stir until it is smooth.

6. Pour the candy into the prepared 8x8 pan, and allow it to sit for about two minutes minutes. While it is still warm and pliant, take a large knife and score it into ten pieces: make a cut down the center, then cut each half into five pieces, for a total of 10 candy bars. Allow the candy to set at room temperature, for at least 4 hours or overnight.

7. Once the peanut candy is completely set and firm, prepare the chocolate for dipping. Place the chocolate candy coating in a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave it until melted, stirring after every minute to prevent overheating. Stir the melted chocolate and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes to cool it slightly. Line a baking sheet with foil and set it nearby.

8. While the chocolate is cooling, carefully cut or break the peanut candy into bars along the scored lines.

9.Using two forks or dipping tools, submerge one bar in the melted chocolate. Remove the bar from the chocolate, allowing the excess chocolate to drip back down into the bowl. Place the dipped bar on the foil-lined sheet. Repeat the dipping with the remaining bars and chocolate, and place the bars in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to set the chocolate. Once set, the bars can be served immediately. Store remaining bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Peanut Butta Cups

Adapted from recipe at chow.com
1/4 cup finely crushed graham crackers
1 cup pwd sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter
3/4 to 1 bag 11 oz. chocolate chips

Combine all except the chocolate until smooth. Melt chocolate in a pan or bowl over a hot water bath. I lightly sprayed my mini muffin tin. Take a pastry brush or a spoon and coat the sides and bottom of the tin, place a rounded ball slightly flattened on the top and bottom the size you prefer to fit in the tin into the center of the chocolate and repeat till all of the tins are filled then cover with chocolate till peanut butter ball is not showing. Freeze 20 minutes. Turn pan upside down and hit againgst sides to release the candy. It may take a little longer in freezer to completely set the candy. I rememer my mom making these for us when I was growing up, yummy.

Carmel

This is a softer carmel, but works well to wrap individually after it has been chilled for a few hours.

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter (decrease butter if using in other recipes that call for carmel)
1 cup light corn syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk
dash salt

Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until all sugars disolved. Cook until placing a spoonful into ice water yealds a ball of carmel when you work it with your fingers. Pour into greased 9 x 13 dish and cool until set a few hours.

Be really careful with your heat and stirring consistently, it scorches easily as you can see some small flecks where mine scorched a little.

Oreo Kisses

Oreo Kisses

1 package oreo cookies (divided… use cookie including the cream center)
1 8oz. package cream cheese (softened)
chocolate bark

1. Finely crush all but seven cookies in a food processor or place them in a ziploc bag and crush into a fine consistency.
2. Stir in softened cream cheese. Use the back of a large spoon to help mash the two together.
3. Roll the mixture into 1" balls and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet.
4. Then, begin to form the shape of a kiss. Flattening the bottom and forming a point at the top. (Mine ended up about 1.5" tall)
5. It helps to put the uncoated balls in the freezer for a few minutes to keep the mixture from starting to fall apart when you drop into the melted chocolate.
6. Melt chocolate as directed on package and then dip "kisses" one at a time into chocolate, tap off extra and slide them off spoon onto wax paper covered cookie sheet to dry.
7. Once dry, refrigerate and enjoy! Oh yeah, just eat the extra seven cookies.

Decorate:
1. Handwrite your messages or create them on the computer. Cut out the strips (about 1/4" tall and however wide you need).
2. Cut up some square sheets of aluminum foil (about 5.5" square)
3. Place dry kiss in center and start wrapping the foil around the base. Insert message near top and secure it by pressing the foil together at top.

Million Dollar Fudge (more like million calorie)

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 can (15 oz) evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed)
3 packages (12 oz) milk chocolate chips
1 jar marshmallow creme

3 cups chopped nuts (optional)

Place butter, sugar and milk in heavy 4 quart saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 5 min., stirring constantly to prevent scorching.

Remove from heat. Gradually add chocolate chunks, stirring until chocolate is completely melted. Add marshmallow cream; mix well.


Pour into greased 15 x 10 x 1 inch pan. Cool completely before cutting

makes 60 pieces.

Variation:
I like to split the cooked mixture before I add the chocolate and I will do half with white chocolate and the other with the milk chocolate or just make in two separate pans.

Then I will separate and flavor the white chocolate into bowls and with different extracts and color each differently to differentiate. Once that step is finished I will pour into each individual prepared dish equal amounts of the white chocolate mixture and the brown chocolate mixture.

For appearance you can layer then on top of each other or swirled. I have added candy pieces, cookie bits, marshmallows or what ever you can imagine for a fun twist.

Best cut after cooled overnight in the refrigerator. If covered tightly fudge will store for up to 1 month, shorter time if cookies or softer medium that will go soggy are added to the candy.

This is a smooth creamy recipe and pretty much a no fail.