Candies

[2Beers]

I tend to make candies for gifts or treats and thought I'd share this since candy was discussed in The Bar thread. My Nephew actually called me the other day and asked if I would make some and bring them when we get together for Easter.

These are for those who love to eat raw chocolate chip cookie dough, but really shouldn't...

Cookie Dough Truffles

1/2 Cup (or 1 stick) of Butter - softened
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar - packed tight in the cup
1 14oz can of Sweetend Condensed Milk
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 Cups of All-Purpose Flour
1 Cup Mini- Chocolate Chips

Chocolate for coating/dipping in (I use a mix of 1 or 2 bitter unsweetened chocolate chunks, chocolate chips, melting discs, and large slab chocolate cut up into small pieces)


In a mixer beat the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy then add in the flour, vanilla and condensed milk. Mix well until it has the look of "raw" dough and then add in the mini chips.

Place in a sealed container and chill until firm. Maybe 3 hours or so, then take out and scoop into small balls. Quickly roll to form in hands and smooth them out and then set them on a parchment lined cookie sheet and re-chill until firm.

While the cookie-balls are re-chilling that is when I melt the chocolate to dip them in.

When the chocolate is smooth and luke-warm and melted then I take the truffles out and dip them to coat and cover the whole ball and place them on wax paper/parchement lined cookie sheets until the chocolate has set.
:)Enjoy!

[Scythe Matters]

I love to make candy but have a problem with standing for as long as it takes to make it - constant stirring and all. So I don't make it very often anymore. My favorites are fudge (chocolate and p-nut butter) and pralines. I'll dig up my recipe for the latter as it's a really simple yet yummy one....

[RN-PRN]

My son made pralines for Chemistry as extra credit. The teacher gave him all of the chemical and scientific names for all of the ingredients and he had to convert the measures. He also had to state what type of solution it was prior to heating, during the cooking process and afterwards, as well as draw a graph of the solubility curve. It was fun, but we only got to taste one because he had to take the rest in for class. I wish extra credit was like this all the time!

[nettiesaur]

Does anyone else make Divinity(seafoam candy)?
I made some for the first time today, and it never set up right. I'm wondering if I didn't get the syrup right(I used a candy thermometer). I beat the stupid batch for an hour and it wouldn't set up right. It tastes fine, but is very sticky.
Any ideas?

[2Beers]

Well that is one of the candies I would watch my Maternal Grandma make, but I've never done it by myself. So upon looking at her recipe I'll throw some hints for you Nettie.
In her recipe it says to mix well before putting on the stove the sugar, water and corn syrup in it's saucepan.
Bring the sugar mix to a boil of 265 degrees and DON'T stir the mix when it's boiling.
The egg whites should be at a stiff peak before you begin to slowly slowly pour the the hot mixture into them while the mixer is going.
Mix for a bit then add in the vanilla extract and keep mixing until it starts to thicken add in nuts if desired and beat until candy comes to a peak. Drop by spoonfuls onto buttered wax paper. Let set and cool, store in air tight container.

So I don't know if any of that may help. Just a thought is your candy thermometer in good working condition? If it's been banged around or immersed into water it could be off.

[HardwareGrl]

(12-28-2011 07:03 PM)nettiesaur Wrote:  Does anyone else make Divinity(seafoam candy)?
I made some for the first time today, and it never set up right. I'm wondering if I didn't get the syrup right(I used a candy thermometer). I beat the stupid batch for an hour and it wouldn't set up right. It tastes fine, but is very sticky.
Any ideas?

My mother would make THE BEST Divinity! But, her secret was, of all things, the weather.
I would beg her to make some from time to time, and if it was raining, or high humidity, she's refuse.
She said it wouldn't set if the humidity was too high...

[nettiesaur]

(12-28-2011 07:32 PM)2Beers Wrote:  Well that is one of the candies I would watch my Maternal Grandma make, but I've never done it by myself. So upon looking at her recipe I'll throw some hints for you Nettie.
In her recipe it says to mix well before putting on the stove the sugar, water and corn syrup in it's saucepan.
Bring the sugar mix to a boil of 265 degrees and DON'T stir the mix when it's boiling.
The egg whites should be at a stiff peak before you begin to slowly slowly pour the the hot mixture into them while the mixer is going.
Mix for a bit then add in the vanilla extract and keep mixing until it starts to thicken add in nuts if desired and beat until candy comes to a peak. Drop by spoonfuls onto buttered wax paper. Let set and cool, store in air tight container.

So I don't know if any of that may help. Just a thought is your candy thermometer in good working condition? If it's been banged around or immersed into water it could be off.

It's a brand new digital, and it was the first time I used it.
The recipe I have is similar, I just don't think the syrup got to the hard crack stage. I know the water test for that, and probably should have done that instead.
My mom used to make divinity, and stopped years ago. Now I know why. lol

HWG, it is a high humidity day, that may factor into it as well.

[2Beers]

Oh yeah and as HwdGrl says the weather too makes a difference. It needs to be cold and dry. I have a fancy scmancy digital one too, but always have better results with the glass bulb type

[nettiesaur]

Maybe I'll get around to round 2 tomorrow.

[Scythe Matters]

Never tried making it but I love the stuff! I'll be waiting to hear how to do it perfectly...

I found a recipe for praline pecans - coating the pecans rather than making the praline patties. When I get around to it, I'll let you know how it goes. Oh, and now that I know how to get the perfect flavor for good toffee, I have to try a batch of that, too!