FIVE STAR CARAMEL CORN

If you are looking for a last minute gift idea that is super easy to make and even more easy to "consume mass quantities" (as the Coneheads would say); you have to try this caramel corn recipe from the cooks over at Table for Seven. I've tried a lot of caramel corn recipes over the years, and this is BY FAR the best one EVER!!  As a matter of fact, picky-picky husband and I ate the entire batch in one evening, we just couldn't leave it alone!!

1 bag of microwave popcorn (see note)

1 cup brown sugar (I used dark brown)

1/4 cup Karo corn syrup (the clear kind)

2 teaspoons molasses

1/2 cup butter cut into cubes

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat your oven to 250° and lightly spray a large baking sheet (with sides) with vegetable spray, set aside.

In a sauce pan, bring the brown sugar, corn syrup, molasses, butter and salt to a simmer. Cook and stir until this mixture reaches 250° on a candy thermometer (it takes about 5 minutes).

While the mixture is simmering, pop the bag of popcorn in the microwave then spread it out on the prepared baking sheet and let it sit in the preheated oven to stay warm.

When the caramel mixture reaches 250°, remove it from the heat and stir in the baking soda and vanilla.  Stir until very well mixed (it will get just a little foamy).

Pour over the popped corn and stir to coat. Bake coated popcorn in the 250° oven for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes or so.

After it has baked one hour, turn it out onto some waxed paper and let it cool (doesn't take long). Once it is completely cool, break apart any larger pieces and store in an airtight container (or Ziploc bag).

NOTE: I used one bag of lightly salted microwave popcorn. Personally, I don't think I would use the heavy butter flavored variety, although I'm sure it would work.

NOTE: Let the candy coated spoons/utensils sit in a cup of hot water for a little while and the candy will dissolve and wash off easily.

NOTE: Make sure the baking sheet that you use has sides. I used my roaster pan and it worked well.  You just want the sides to be tall enough that, when you stir the caramel corn you won't lose any over the edge.

NOTE: Be careful while you are stirring this caramel sauce so you don't get it on your skin (it is dangerously hot).

Once you turn the finished caramel corn out onto waxed paper, it cools down very quickly.

NOTE: The final caramel corn is lightly crunchy and not at all sticky as long as you keep it in an airtight container.

BRANDY SNAPS

If you want to impress your guests, make some of these Brandy Snaps for them. They look so elegant and they are definitely not something you see on every dessert tray.

A hard candy shell filled with sweetened whipped cream...do I have your attention yet?  Pretty fool proof if you follow my extra tips below printed in RED, AND you can make them days in advance and fill them just before your guests arrive. 

BRANDY SNAPS

 

 

 

 

Brandy Snaps are basically a crisp, sweet, lacy, candy shell that you can fill with sweetened whipped cream or your favorite mousse.

They look very hard to make, but it is an illusion; they are pretty easy if you pay attention to the tips below in RED.

2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons white corn syrup
1/4 cup butter  (I used only 3 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons brandy (or) 1 teaspoon vanilla (I used rum extract)
1/4 cup all purpose flour

Since this whole process goes VERY fast, it is best to have everything ready before you start cooking the above ingredients.

Preheat your oven to 350° and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (important). These candy shells REALLY spread as they cook, so only plan on making six of them on each cookie sheet.

Mix the sugar, corn syrup and butter in a small saucepan. STIR over medium heat until the mixture is good and bubbling, then remove from heat and stir in the flour and flavoring.

Drop one measuring teaspoon (per candy shell) of the cooked mixture onto the parchment paper. This will spread out into a circle about 4" in diameter as it bakes for about 6 to 7 minutes, but watch them very carefully after six minutes, as they can go from caramel colored to DARK very fast. It sounds tricky, but it isn't.

My candy circles were fairly pale in color until they hit the 6 minute mark in my electric oven, but they were a beautiful light caramel color at 6 1/2 minutes.

When they have turned a nice light caramel color, remove from the oven and let them sit on the cookie sheet for about 30 seconds. If they look a little oily, LIGHTLY dab them with a paper towel.

Use a pointed knife and lift the edge of the candy circle up a little so that you can grab it with your fingers (be careful, this is VERY  hot). One at a time, quickly roll the candy circle around the handle of a wooden spoon (they will cool almost immediately and hold their shape).

Once you form it around the spoon handle, it will instantly be cool enough to slide the candy tube off of the handle, and it's done!! 

If the other candies get too "hard" to roll, put them back in the oven for 30 seconds or so (but that shouldn't be a problem, as they stay fairly pliable as long as they are on the hot cookie sheet), they only become rigid once they cool off.

 

I didn't use a spoon handle, I used some metal cannoli tubes I have and they worked perfectly (no need to grease the spoon handle).

Keep the cooled candy tubes in an air tight container until you are ready to serve them. Fill them with sweetened whipped cream (the candy tubes can be filled up to about an hour before serving).

Don't be scared off by any of my "warnings' about this recipe, it may sound complicated, but it really is pretty easy and I hope you try it.

NOTE: I substituted rum extract for the vanilla, the candy tasted like butterscotch. I think ANY extract would work.

NOTE: You don't have to fill these with whipped cream. Almost any mousse like whipped filling would work wonderfully.

HALLOWEEN Q-TIPS

This is more of an idea than a recipe, but it is SO CUTE and super quick and easy. Even the youngest "cooks" in your house can do this one easily and what a fun idea to have a bowl of these at your next "spooky" Halloween party.

All you need is some white lollipop sticks, some miniature marshmallows and some peanut butter chips; it is quick and easy!!

The lollipop sticks come in a couple different lengths, so whatever length you use, just try to cut them down (if necessary) so they are Q-Tip size. 

Push a miniature marshmallow onto each end. Dip the marshmallow into melted peanut butter chips and lay them on some waxed paper to cool.

I just melted a few peanut butter chips + and a drizzle of milk in the microwave until it was melted (about 20-30 seconds). Any flavor chocolate chips will work fine.

 

The kids will have a blast making (and eating) these fun Halloween treats.

CHRISTMAS FUDGE

Christmas is almost here and everyone I know is running around looking for that last minute mini-gift for the mailman, a teacher, the newspaper boy or even the UPS man!!

This fudge recipe is the perfect answer!! Not only is it quick and easy to make, but it tastes great and I love that it can be made way ahead of schedule.

4 cups white sugar
1 twelve ounce can of evaporated milk
8 ounces of real butter (no margarine or spreads)
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 TABLESPOON vanilla
chopped nuts if desired (we like honey roasted peanuts)

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, mix the white sugar and evaporated milk; bring it to a boil over medium high heat.  Once it is at a full rolling boil (one that you can not stir down), turn the heat down to medium and boil for 6½ minutes (stirring CONSTANTLY). I stir with a wooden spatula that has a square end and I stir in a figure 8 (the flat blade of the spoon really scrapes the  bottom of the pan well).

After 6½ minutes at a full rolling boil, remove the pan from the heat and add the butter, a TABLESPOON of vanilla and all of the chocolate.

At first the butter will sort of stay separate from everything, but if you use a whisk, it will incorporate quickly. When it's all smooth, add the nuts if you are using them (as many as you like).

Pour into a FOIL LINED 9" x 13" pan and cool overnight in the fridge. If you are using these cute little tin foil stars (instead of the 9" x 13" pan), you can just wrap them in clear cellophane bag (after they are chilled) and tie it up with a bright Christmas bow!!

 MERRY   CHRISTMAS   FRIENDS!!!

NOTE: You can make this with any flavor chocolate chips you like.
I've tried them all and the only one I DON'T recommend is using ALL semi-sweet. The three chocolate blend listed above results in a wonderful flavor (you won't taste the white chocolate, but it adds a lot to the final taste).

Note: Make sure you use a good quality butter, not a soft spread butter or a diet butter and definitely no margarine.

MAPLE PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE (MICROWAVE)

I found this recipe on one of my favorite recipe pages: The Domestic Mama and; The Village Cook. I have found some great recipes over there, and I highly recommend their recipe blog.

This quick and easy microwave fudge is totally addicting. I made it the other day and our company went nuts for it (I have to admit that Picky-Picky Hubby and I ate our share as well). The unlikely maple-peanut butter combo is fantastic; not quite peanut butter, not quite maple, hint of butterscotch maybe?

 

8 ounces salted butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 pound of powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons maple extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Line an 8" x 8" buttered pan with parchment paper so that the parchment overhangs enough to fold over, once the pan is filled (I didn't butter the pan).

Place the butter and peanut butter in a large (microwave safe) bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 2 minutes (cut the butter into cubes and mix it into the peanut butter so that it all melts evenly).

Remove the bowl from the microwave (carefully, it is hot), and stir. Re-cover and microwave for (an additional) 2 minutes. Remove from microwave (careful, it is really hot) (watch for hot steam when you remove plastic).

Add the extracts and powdered sugar and stir with wooden spoon (I used my stand mixer). Press into prepared pan and press down until flat and compact. Cover the top of the fudge with extra parchment paper. Place in fridge for 2 to 4 hours.  Bring to room temperature before you try to slice this fudge. I didn't butter the pan, so I had to run a thin knife around the edges before I lifted the fudge out of the pan by using the parchment paper "handles".

Store in air tight container at room temperature. I didn't put mine in an air tight container, I just left it in a bowl with loose fitting lid.

NOTE: If the fudge seems "crumbly" while it is still hot, don't worry about it. Just press it tightly into the prepared pan and when it chills, it will look just like the photo. Eight ounces of butter seems like a lot, but I can guarantee you the fudge does NOT taste greasy at all, it is excellent.

EASY MICROWAVE CANDY

This is the easiest candy I have ever made and better yet, my picky Hubby gives it two thumbs up!! It is fast to make in the microwave and is pretty enough for Christmas gift giving.

NOTE: Don't be tempted to use all one kind of chocolate. For some (unknown to me) reason, the blend of white chocolate, semi-sweet and milk chocolate produces the BEST chocolate taste EVER!!

12 ounce bag of good quality white chocolate chips

12 ounce bag of good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips

12 ounce bag of good quality milk chocolate chips

3 cups of your favorite whole nuts (see note)

 

Put the chocolate chips in a large, microwave safe glass bowl and microwave for two minutes at 60% power (imperative that you stir every 30 seconds). My microwave took about 2 minutes and 10 seconds.

 

Stir until all of the chocolate is smooth, then stir in 3 cups of your favorite whole nuts. I ended up adding five cups of whole mixed nuts and I'm fairly certain I could have added one more cup. This makes a LOT of candy!!

 

The recipe calls for spooning candies onto waxed paper, but I spooned mine into mini-cupcake size paper liners. Put them in the fridge to "set" for about 15 minutes and they are ready to serve.

 

NOTE: The candy will only be as good as the chocolate you use. I used Ghirardelli chocolate chips. (Note: You do not taste the white chocolate when they are all melted together (I don't like white chocolate), but the blend of the 3 chocolates is delicious.

 

NOTE: I used a mixture of whole roasted nuts (cashews, almonds, peanuts, pecans, Brazil nuts and hazelnuts...delicious.

PEANUT BUTTER BON BON's

Today is our 40th Wedding Anniversary, where have all the years gone? We are celebrating quietly at home, with shrimp cocktail, filet mignon, cherry pie and these little peanut butter beauties!!

They are very easy to make and totally addicting. The filling was adapted from a recipe called Buckeye's, but I changed it a little bit...made them much smaller and completely covered them with chocolate, then decorated with a little white drizzle. These will be wonderful for any holiday gathering.
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1½ cups creamy peanut butter
½ cup butter (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar (sifted into a cup)
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening
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Mix the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar with a stand mixer (or your hands) until you get a smooth dough (to measure sugar, sift it into a measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge).
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Shape the dough into 1" balls and set them on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and put them in the freezer for about an hour.
.In a double boiler, melt shortening and chocolate together over barely simmering heat. Remove balls from freezer (just about a dozen at a time) & poke a tooth pick into the top of a chilled dough ball (to use as a handle) and dip into chocolate, then sit on a wax paper lined tray & put in fridge (leave the toothpick in the candy until it's chilled again, it is easier to remove that way). Continue until all of the candies are coated (makes about 50 depending on how large you make them.

The chocolate will set (be dry to the touch) after about 10 minutes in the fridge. Remove from fridge, take out the toothpick and cover up the little toothpick hole with more chocolate. You can cover the little hole with chocolate or white chocolate.

These need to be kept in the fridge until you are ready to serve them. I dare you to eat just one!!

DULCE de LECHE (Made in the crockpot!!)

Yes, you heard me right, dulce de leche made in the crockpot!! The first time I tried it, I was very skeptical, but it works like a charm and couldn't be easier.

Fill crockpot with COLD water. Put an UNOPENED can (with paper label removed) of sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk) into the cold water, making sure that the water is 2" taller than the can. If you are doing more than one can, make sure there is at least 2" of space BETWEEN each can as well. 

Put the lid on the crockpot and let it "cook" on LOW for EIGHT HOURS. Take the cans out of the crockpot and dry them off and label them. If you are going to use them right away, let them cool down a couple hours before you try to open the can. Cooled and unopened cans can be kept in the pantry like you would any other canned item.

DISCLAIMER: people that make Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk never anticipated people heating their product in an unopened can. As a matter of fact, I'm sure they would disapprove, so please, if you try this method, use (common sense) caution....but it has worked VERY WELL for me and for many other people I know. 

 Crockpot Dulce de Leche

Right after opening the can; it is unbelievably delicious!!

 

NOTE: One friend that had a white crockpot, said that the can left a permanent "ring" on the bottom of her crockpot; I didn't have that problem (my crockpot is black). If you are concerned, put a layer of paper towels under the can/cans before you add the cold water.

PEANUT BUTTER CANDY (sort of like a Pay Day candy bar)

If you like Pay Day candy bars, you will love this recipe. It tastes very similar, but SO much fresher and better. This recipe makes a 9 x 13 pan of candy, which would be an excellent addition to your children's birthday party menu! They take just a few minutes to put together and then an hour or so in the fridge, to "set".

 4 cups honey roasted peanuts
(1) 10½ ounce bag miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup butter (melted)
(1) 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
(1) 10 ounce bag peanut butter chips
1/2 cup peanut butter

Line a 9 x 13 dish with foil and spray it with cooking spray (I spray my foil with cooking spray then blot it with a paper towel so it doesn't make the candy greasy). Set aside.

In a large (heavy bottomed) saucepan, mix the marshmallows and melted butter. Heat over medium-low heat until completely melted (you do not want the marshmallows to boil, but you want to see a little bubble now and then). Keep it at this temperature for about a minute.

Stir in the sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter chips and peanut butter. Stir until everything is melted and smooth.

Pour this mixture over the peanuts in the pan and spread out evenly. Sprinkle the other half of the peanuts over the hot mixture and press the nuts into the surface of the hot mixture (with your hand). Chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours or until firm. Cut into pieces and serve. Store covered in fridge. Makes 60 pieces of candy.