Aihuxl.104 net.cooks utcsrgv!utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!ihnss!ihuxl!ignatz Fri Mar 19 02:06:16 1982 Mom's Candy Recipies My mother has, for as long as I can remember, made candy, fruitcakes, and yulecakes at Christmas. I finally wheedled the written recipies out of her, and would like to share these delights with all of you. Be warned that, while most of these are fairly easy, some require that "special touch", and most go much easier with a spare set of hands to stir, fetch, etc. Also, it's more fun with several people. NOTES ----- While most commercial recipies recommend the use of a candy thermometer, Mom uses the "soft/hard/crackling" ball method. To explain, most candies use a corn syrup/sugar base which you heat to a certain point. To test readiness, you drip a bit off your spoon (More about this in a bit) into a cup of cold water. A soft ball will easily retain its shape, but is easy to crush and knead. A hard ball is one which resists attempts to crush it. A crackling ball, as you would expect, will be soft inside but is covered with a glaze which cracks when you crush it. This takes some practice. Mom says that she can't emphasize enough that you should use a set of wooden spoons for your stirring, mixing, etc. I'm not going to argue with the lady. Abbreviations, when encountered, are c. or cp. for cup; t or tsp. for teaspoon; T for tablespoon. Good luck, and happy hyperglycemia to you all! Peanut Brittle -------------- Ingredients ----------- 2 c. sugar 1/2 c. water 1 c. white corn syrup 2 c. raw peanuts 1 t butter 1 t vanilla extract 2 t baking soda Procedure --------- Boil sugar, water, and corn syrup until it forms hard ball in cold water. At this point, add peanuts and cook till the mixture is a golden brown. Add butter and vanilla, and stir. When mixed, add soda, stirring HARD. Pour on buttered slab (Buttered waxed paper on a cookie sheet works well.) Be VERY careful not to stir very long after adding soda, or the fluffiness will leave and the candy will be tough. (My note: it seems to me like I remember the period after adding the soda to be a *frantic* attempt to get the goo out of the pan and onto the buttered slab...dmi). Date Roll --------- Ingredients ----------- 3 c. sugar 1 c. nuts (Mom's from Okla., so usually pecans) 1 lb. dates 1 T. butter 1 c. cream or canned milk Powdered sugar Procedure --------- Cook sugar, dates, and cream until they form a soft ball in cold water. Remove from head, place pan in cold water, add butter and chopped nuts; beat until thick and creamy (NOTE: this is hard work, and eats electric beaters-dmi). Pour (it's very thick) on damp, clean cloth (teatowels work nicely) and roll. Refrigerate until firm. Remove cloth and roll in powdered sugar. Wrap in waxed paper and return to refrigerator. Chocolate-Coconut Candy ------------------------ Ingredients ----------- 1 c. coconut 2 t. vanilla extract 3 c. chopped nuts 1 12 oz. pkg Chocolate Chips 1 can Eagle brand milk 3/4 bar or 3.5 oz. paraffin 1 cube melted butter (About 2 T-dmi) Procedure --------- Mix everything except the chocolate chips and the paraffin, and make into balls about 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter. Chill 2 hours. Melt the chocolate chips and paraffin (NOTE: The paraffin, as unappetizing as it sounds, is essential to prevent the chocolate from turning into a slimy sludge on the balls. Don't worry, Hershey's and the others do it too, in their candy bars and stuff; they just try not to let you know.) For each ball, put on ice pick, dip in chocolate mixture, then in ice water and put on waxed paper. Boston Creams ------------- Ingredients ----------- 3 c. granulated sugar 1 c. white Karo syrup 2 c. cream or 2/3 c. canned milk, whipped to make 2 cups. 2 c. nuts (again, we usually got pecans...) 1 t. vanilla extract (NOTE: she didn't write down how much, here; I'm guessing from memory.-dmi) Procedure --------- Mix and cook all ingredients over *slow* fire for 1 hour, until it forms a firm ball in cold water (Between soft and hard...). Let set 20 minutes, then beat until (more) difficult. Dip out onto waxed paper, in glops of whatever size you like. Aunt Bills ---------- (Don't ask me; I don't know what it means-dmi) Ingredients ----------- 3 pints sugar 1 pint whole milk 1/4 lb. butter 1/4 t. baking soda 1 t. vanilla extract 2 lb. nut meats Procedure --------- Pour 1 pint sugar in iron skillet and place over slow fire; stir. Meanwhile, pour remaining sugar and the milk into a heavy pan and sit over a low fire to cook slowly. When the sugar in the skillet has melted, pour it into the kettle of boiling milk and sugar; stir *constantly*. Cook this until it forms a firm ball in cold water. Turn out fire and add soda; stir *vigorously* as the mixture foams. Add butter, remove from the stove, add vanilla and begin beating until it has a good, thick consistency. While beating, add the chopped nuts. Spoon out in bite-sized glops on buttered waxed paper. Fantasy Fudge ------------- Ingredients ----------- 3 c. sugar 1 jar (7 oz. = 2 c.) Marshmallow Creme 3/4 c. butter 1 c. chopped nuts 2/3 c. evaporated milk 1 t. vanilla extract 12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate pieces Procedure --------- Combine sugar, butter and milk; bring to a boil. Stir 5 minutes over medium heat to soft ball stage (238 degrees.) Remove from heat; stir in chocolate pieces. When melted, add marshmallow creme, nuts, and vanilla; beat till well blended. Pour into a greased 13"x9" pan. Cool, cut in squares. Brown Sugar Pralines -------------------- Ingredients ----------- 1 lb. brown sugar (2 1/3 c., firmly packed) 2/3 c. evaporated milk 2 T butter 1 t vanilla extract dash of salt 2 c. pecan halves Procedure --------- In 3 qt. heavy saucepan combine sugar, evap. milk, and butter. Place over high heat, stir constantly till boiling. Reduce heat to medium and cook until forms a soft ball when dripped into cold water (236 degrees). Remove from heat, add vanilla, salt, and pecan halves and beat with a *wooden spoon* until mixture just begins to thicken (2-4 minutes). Drop from spoon into paper-lined muffin pans. (If the candy becomes too stiff while spooning, you may gently heat it to soften.) Cool. Makes about 24 pralines. Pecan Roll ---------- Ingredients ----------- 1 c. granulated sugar 1 c. brown sugar 1/2 c. Karo syrup 1 c. cream or half and half 1 t vanilla extract pecan meats Procedure --------- Cook all ingredients until forms firm ball when dripped into cold water. Cool and beat until the mixture will hold its shape. Roll the whole thing in the pecan meats. Wrap in wax paper to cool and set. Fudge Scotch Ring ----------------- Ingredients ----------- 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips 6 oz. butterscotch chips 1 can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk!) 1 c. coarsely chopped walnuts 1/2 t. vanilla extract 1 c. walnut halves Procedure --------- Melt chocolate and butterscotch pieces with the milk in the top of a double boiler over hot, but *not* boiling, water. stir occasionally until the pieces melt and the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat; add chopped walnuts and the vanilla extract. Blend well. Chill for about 4 hours until the mixture thickens. Line bottom of 9" pie pan with a 12" square of foil. Place 3/4 c. walnut halves in the bottom of the pan, forming a 2" wide flat ring. Spoon the chocolate mixture in small mounds on top of the nuts to form a ring. Decorate with the remaining nuts. Add maraschino cherries if they are desired. Chill in the refrigerator until firm enough to slice in 1/2" slices. Mrs. Sees Fudge --------------- (She obviously stole this one) Ingredients ----------- 3 12 oz. pkgs. chocolate chips 8 oz jar marshmallow cream 1/2 lb. melted butter 4 1/2 c. granulated sugar 1 large can evaporated milk 2 c. nuts 2 t. vanilla extract Procedure --------- Boil sugar and milk 8 minutes. Pour over other ingredients, mix together in a bowl. Stir until blended. Pour in a pan lined with waxed paper; refrigerate. Divinity Fudge -------------- WARNING: This one is tricky, but rewarding!! Ingredients ----------- 2 2/3 c. granulated sugar 2/3 c. syrup 1/2 c. water 2 or 3 egg whites 1 t. vanilla extract Put sugar, syrup, and water in pan and boil until it forms a firm ball in cold water. Pour about 1/3 of the syrup into stiffly beaten egg whites. (Be careful not to over-work the egg whites; they should be stiff, but still glossy). Put remainder of syrup on fire and boil until it forms a hard, brickly ball in cold water; then add rest of syrup. Beat until it's so stiff you "can hardly beat or stir it". (This is WORK!! Believe me, I know--who do you think always got this part?-dmi). Pour out on damp cloth and roll, or put on buttered plate or platter. Cut when cool. Yule Cake --------- 3 c. walnuts or pecans, and some whole, shelled brazil nuts 1/2 c. pitted dates 1/2 c. seedless raisins 1 jar maraschino cherries, drained 3/4 c. sifted all-purpose flour 3/4 c. granulated sugar 1/2 t. salt 1/2 t. baking powder 3 eggs 1 T. vanilla extract Procedure --------- Place fruit and nuts in large bowl. Measure dry ingredients and sift together over nut and fruit mix. Shake to coat. Beat eggs until light and fluffy; add vanilla and blend into fruit and nut mix. Let stand a while before pouring into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 300 degrees for two hours. (NOTE: If a pyrex pan is used, grease the inside ot the pan and line with greased wax paper) Good luck again, Dave Ihnat - BTL (Indian Hill) ihuxl!ignatz ----------------------------------------------------------------- gopher://quux.org/ conversion by John Goerzen of http://communication.ucsd.edu/A-News/ This Usenet Oldnews Archive article may be copied and distributed freely, provided: 1. There is no money collected for the text(s) of the articles. 2. The following notice remains appended to each copy: The Usenet Oldnews Archive: Compilation Copyright (C) 1981, 1996 Bruce Jones, Henry Spencer, David Wiseman.