Questing Spirit: Candy

"In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing,
the next best thing is the wrong thing,
and the worst thing you can do is nothing."
Theodore Roosevelt

Candy

Hazelnut Chocolate Truffles

This recipe is best if rolled in either finely chopped nuts, chocolate sprinkles (1 C), cocoa or ground chocolate.

Preparation Time: about 2 hours with the chilling time
Cooking Time: 0 minutes
Serves: makes about 7 dozen truffles

Amount Ingredient
-------- -----------------------------
1 C (150g) Hazelnuts, toasted
3/4 C (175g) Butter or margarine, melted
3 oz (90g) Semisweet Chocolate
3 oz (90g) Milk Chocolate
5 Egg Yolks
1 C (2dL) Confectioners' Sugar
1 tsp Real Vanilla

Spread the hazelnuts in a shallow baking pan or cookie sheet. Toast at 350F (180C) oven until pale golden under the skins (10-15 minutes). Make sure to shake the pan occasionally. Pour the nuts onto a towel and fold the towel to enclose and rub briskly to remove as much of the skins as possible. Chop the nuts. Pour 6 tablespoons of the butter into a blender or food process and add the chopped nuts. Blend until very smooth and creamy. Set aside. In the microwave oven or small pan on the stove, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter until bubbly.

Add the chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. In a large bowl beat egg yolks until foamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until the mixture is thick. Add the vanilla.

Add the nut butter mixture a few tablespoons at a time, while continuing to mix. Then begin mixing in the chocolate mixture (still should be warm) a bit at a time. Beat until the mixture is smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Put your choice of coating into a small bowl or cookie sheet. Scoop out rounded spoonfuls of truffle mixture and form into balls. Roll in the coating. Place all the truffles into an air tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

bar divider

Cream Cheese Mints

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 0 minutes
Serves: makes from 6 to 8 1/2 dozen mints

Amount Ingredient
-------- -----------------------------
3 oz (~90g)pkg Cream Cheese
1 T Butter or Margarine, softened
3 C (~330g) Confectioners' Sugar
4 drops Peppermint Oil, or to taste
{optional} Food Coloring Paste (holiday colors)

In a bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, and confectioners' sugar. Mix in peppermint oil. Color with food coloring paste if desired. Roll mixture into small balls, and place on waxed paper. Flatten with a fork dipped in confectioners' sugar. Place in the fridge to dry for about 2 hours on wax paper. When dry freeze or refrigerate. Makes a great gift.

bar divider

Rum Balls

Preparation Time: about 30 minutes
Cooking Time: ZERO Minutes
Serves: unknown

Amount Ingredient
-------- -----------------------------
3 T Cocoa
1 C (150g) Confectioners' Sugar
3 C (~330g) Vanilla Wafers, crushed (international members should use a vanilla biscuit)
4 T Dark Corn Syrup (international members can use Golden Syrup)
1/2 C (1dL) Dark Rum (more or less, depending on personal tastes)
extra Cocoa and/or Ground Chocolate to roll the rum balls in

Into a large bowl, sift together the cocoa and confectioners' sugar In a food processor or blender crush/crumble the vanilla wafers. Add the crushed vanilla wafers to the sugar mixture and combine. Add the remaining ingredients. Form the mixture into 1 inch (2.5 cm) balls with your hands. The balls should hold together easily and retain their shape. If the mixture is too dry to hold together or too wet to form balls, you can easily adjust the consistency by adding rum or sugar accordingly. Sprinkle the extra cocoa or ground chocolate on a flat surface and roll the balls in to coat:

bar divider

Diabetic Fudge

6 oz. cream cheese
2 tsp. vanilla
4 tsp. milk
1 pkg. diet chocolate pudding mix
1/4 c. chopped walnuts
5 tsp. peanut butter

Mix together all ingredients. Spread in a buttered dish and place in freezer to chill. Cut into squares.

bar divider

Diabetic Fudge

Yield: 32 Servings

1 14 1/2 oz. evaporated milk
3 tb Cocoa
1/4 c Oleo
Liquid Sweetener to equal 1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 ts Salt
1 ts Vanilla
2 1/2 c Graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c Nuts

Combine milk and cocoa in saucepan. Beat well. Add oleo, sweetener, salt. Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining ingredients except 1/4 cup graham crackers. Cool about 15 minutes. Divide mixture into 32 balls. Roll in remaining cracker crumbs and chill.

bar divider

Eggnog Candy

-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup eggnog
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup -- white
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter -- (1 1/2 lbs.)
1/2 cup candied cherries -- quartered
1/2 cup toasted almonds -- diced

1. Combine eggnog, sugar, corn syrup and salt in 2 1/2 quart saucepan.
2. Cook until syrup reaches 235 degrees on candy thermometer or until it forms soft ball when dropped into cold water, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.
3. Cool sugar mixture to lukewarm and add butter, beating constantly until candy begins to lose its gloss.
4. Stir in cherries and nuts and spread in a buttered pie plate. DO THIS QUICKLY OR CANDY WILL SET IN SAUCEPAN.

Cool and cut into squares.

bar divider

Fiddle Faddle

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Serves: about 4 quarts

Amount Ingredient
-------- -----------------------------
3/4 C (150g) Granulated sugar
1/4 C (~57G) Brown sugar
1/2 C (115g) Butter
1/2 C (1dL) Corn syrup
1/2 C (1dL) Water
1/2 tea Salt
1/2 tea Real Vanilla
1 1/3 bags Plain or natural-flavored microwave popcorn
1/2 C (~60g) Roasted Almonds

Combine sugar, butter, corn syrup, water and salt in a large saucepan over medium heat. You're going to bring the candy to 265-275 degrees, or what is known as the hard ball stage. For this it's best to use a candy thermometer. If you don't have one, don't worry. Drip the candy into a small glass of cold water. If the candy forms a very hard, yet slightly pliable ball, bingo, you're there. Watch your mixture closely so that it doesn't boil over.

While candy cooks, pop both bags of popcorn and spread about 2 quarts or 1 1/3 bags of popcorn on one large or two small cookie sheets. Put the popcorn in your oven set on its lowest temperature. This will keep the popcorn hot so that the candy will coat better. When your candy has reached the hard ball stage, add the vanilla.

Pull the popcorn from the oven and, working quickly, pour the candy over the popcorn in thin streams. Mix the popcorn so that each kernel is coated with candy, put the popcorn back into the oven for five more minutes, then stir once again. This will help to coat each kernel. You can repeat this step once more if necessary to get all of the popcorn coated. Pour popcorn onto a large sheet of wax paper to cool. Spread the popcorn out, but be careful...it's hot.

When popcorn is cool, break it up and immediately put it into a tightly sealed container, such as Tupperware. This will ensure that it stays fresh. This stuff gets stale very quickly in moist climates if left out.

bar divider

Magic French Fudge

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Serves: makes about 1 3/4 pounds

Amount Ingredient
-------- -----------------------------
3 C (~680g) Semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can Condensed milk
dash Salt
1 1/2 tsp Real Vanilla extract
1/2 C (~100g) Chopped nuts (optional)

In a double boiler melt chocolate chips, stirring occasionally till melted. Remove from heat, stir in Condensed milk, salt, vanilla and nuts. Spread mixture evenly into waxed paper lined 8 x 8 inch (20x20 cm) baking pan. Chill 2 hours or until firm. Turn fudge onto cutting board, peel off paper and cut into squares. Tightly cover any leftovers. (Yeah right leftovers!)

bar divider

Hazelnut Chocolate Truffles

This recipe is best if rolled in either finely chopped nuts, chocolate sprinkles (1 C), cocoa or ground chocolate.

Preparation Time: about 2 hours with the chilling time
Cooking Time: 0 minutes
Serves: makes about 7 dozen truffles

Pour 6 tablespoons of the butter into a blender or food process and add the chopped nuts. Blend until very smooth and creamy. Set aside. In the microwave oven or small pan on the stove, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter until bubbly. Add the chocolate and stir until melted and smooth.

In a large bowl beat egg yolks until foamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until the mixture is thick. Add the vanilla. Add the nut butter mixture a few tablespoons at a time, while continuing to mix. Then begin mixing in the chocolate mixture (still should be warm) a bit at a time. Beat until the mixture is smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Put your choice of coating into a small bowl or cookie sheet. Scoop out rounded spoonfuls of truffle mixture and form into balls. Roll in the coating. Place all the truffles into an air tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

To flip through the pages of my BOS faster...

�

Brightest of Blessings