|
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Chocolate Fudge |
Peanut Brittle |
Rocky Road |
|
Fudge like toffee and
caramel, begins with sugar. Other ingredients, depending on the
candy, are added to the sugar and this mixture is boiled until
enough of the water has evaporated so the sugar syrup has reached
the desired concentration. more |
Peanut Brittle has a
delicious sweet buttery flavor and hard and crunchy texture that
seems to literally melt in your mouth.
more |
Rocky Road consists of
white chunks of soft and spongy marshmallow together with crunchy
peanuts, all enrobed in a silky smooth dark chocolate. more |
 |
 |
 |
|
Peppermint Bark |
Caramels |
Caramel Corn |
|
Peppermint Bark is
composed of two layers of chocolate; one dark one white, that are
topped with crushed candy canes. more |
Caramels have that
wonderfully smooth and creamy texture with just the right amount of
'chew'. more |
Caramel Corn is made
with freshly popped corn that is coated in a caramel mixture made of
white and dark sugars, light corn syrup, and butter.
more |
| |
|
|
| |
|
More Recipes Below |
|
|
Candy.
The very word conjures up so many wonderful images: caramels, lollipops,
chocolate covered nuts, marshmallows, fudge, taffy, chewing gum, citrus rinds, cotton
candy, and candy bars. Carole Bloom in her "The International Dictionary
of Desserts, Pastries, and
Confections" defines 'candy' as any of a variety of
confections made with sugar and often combined with chocolate, fruit, and/or
nuts.
Of course, you can buy all the candy I mentioned above, but making
your own is so much fun and it gives you a real sense of accomplishment. Eyes
light up when you present someone with a homemade batch of caramels or
fudge. If you are a little tentative about candy making, start with
easy recipes; things like chocolate truffles, fruit and nut balls,
hazelnut Ganache cups, white chocolate candy bars, or peanut butter
balls. All of these recipes just require mixing ingredients together.
Then, when you feel more confident, try the recipes (buttercrunch
toffee, caramels, caramel corn, fudge, marshmallows, and peanut brittle)
that use cooked sugar. Cooked sugar is where sugar, along with water and
other ingredients, are boiled to a certain temperature. As the sugar
mixture boils, water evaporates from the mixture, making a dense syrup.
The longer the mixture boils, the denser the syrup will be. There are
various stages of Cooked Sugar: thread, soft ball, firm ball, hard ball,
soft crack and hard crack. (See
'Stages of Cooked Sugar' Table) Each stage has a corresponding
temperature range, and at each stage, when you drop a spoonful of the
cooked sugar in cold water, it will behave in a certain way. How it
behaves at each stage also tells us how the candy will eventually set.
For example, at the soft ball stage (234 - 240 degrees F) (112 - 115
degrees C) the sugar, when a little is dropped in cold water, will be a
soft, sticky ball that is perfect for making caramels, fudge and butter
creams. However, this water test can be tricky and oftentimes, for the
inexperienced candy maker, by the time you do the water test and figure
out what stage you are at, the sugar has cooked too much. Luckily there
is another way to tell the stage of the cooked sugar. And that is with
an accurate candy thermometer. This tool eliminates any
guesswork........Continued Below
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Toffee |
Homemade Marshmallows |
Meringue Mushrooms |
|
This crunchy Toffee, also
known as Butter, Buttercrunch, or English Toffee, has a layer of buttery
smooth toffee smothered in dark chocolate and toasted almonds.
more |
Homemade Marshmallows have
this wonderfully sweet vanilla scented airiness that makes them perfect
for eating on their own. more |
The meringue is placed
in a pastry bag and piped into shapes that look like mushroom 'caps' and
'stems'. more |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Peppermint Patties |
Chocolate Marshmallow Fudge |
Chocolate Peanut Squares |
|
Peppermint Patties have
a shiny dark chocolate coating and inside is a smooth and creamy mint
flavored filling. more |
Chocolate Marshmallow Fudge
is a smooth and creamy fudge that contains marshmallow cream.
more |
Chocolate Peanut Squares are
a delicious combination of peanut butter, cocoa powder, marshmallows,
rice cereal, and peanuts.
more |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Chocolate Truffles |
Fruit & Nut Balls (Sugarplums) |
Hazelnut Ganache Cups |
|
These rich and elegant,
bite-sized round petit fours are made from a mixture of dark or white
chocolate and cream to which various flavorings can be added: butter,
liqueurs, extracts, nuts, coffee, purees, spices, candied or dried
fruits. more |
Fruit and Nuts Balls
(Sugarplums) are a delightful mixture of nuts and dried fruits binded
together with a splash of Grand Marnier or orange juice.
more |
This recipe differs
from the traditional ganache in that it adds finely chopped hazelnuts to
the cream and chocolate mixture and then each ganache cup is garnished
with a whole toasted nut. more |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
S'Mores |
Maple Pecan Caramels |
White Chocolate Haystacks
|
|
S'mores are deliciously
sweet and gooey. They take roasted marshmallows and pieces of chocolate
and sandwiches them between two graham crackers.
more |
Maple Pecan Caramels are a
lovely golden colored confection that are soft and chewy with a sweet
complex flavor. more |
Just three ingredients
are needed to make this delicious candy; white chocolate, peanuts and
pretzels. White chocolate has such a sweet and subtle flavor that
complements the saltiness of the peanuts and pretzels.
more |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
No Bake Chocolate Cake |
Panforte (Italian Christmas Cake) |
Simple Chocolate Fudge |
|
This wonderful
chocolate cake is like making your own chocolate bar. Besides its
wonderful taste, this recipe is appealing because there is no baking
involved and it contains only four ingredients; chocolate, butter, nuts,
and digestive biscuits. more |
Bite into a slice of
Panforte and you may be surprised to find how chewy it is. This chewy
texture comes from mixing the fruit, nuts, spices, and flour with a
boiled syrup made from sugar and honey. more |
Simple chocolate fudge is
just that. Simple to make. It is creamy and smooth with a nice chocolate
flavor. more |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Peanut Butter Balls |
Peanut Butter Cups |
Peanut Butter Fudge |
|
Peanut Butter Balls have a
lovely coating of chocolate with a smooth and creamy filling that is
almost fudge-like in texture. more |
Peanut Butter Cups have a
shell of milk and semi sweet chocolates and a smooth and creamy peanut
butter center. more |
This Peanut Butter Fudge has
a smooth and creamy texture with a lovely peanut flavor. It is firm yet
still melts in your mouth. more |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
White Chocolate Candy Bars |
White Chocolate Raspberry Brittle |
Rice Krispies Treats® |
|
White Chocolate Candy Bars
are a lovely combination of melted white chocolate, dried fruits, orange
juice and zest, and chopped nuts.
more |
This brittle is nice to eat
alone or as a decoration on a plated dessert. Just white chocolate and
raspberry puree are needed to make this delicious candy.
more |
This delicious candy-like
square is made with rice cereal, melted marshmallows, and margarine.
more |
 |
 |
 |
|
Buttercrunch Toffee |
Pumpkin Seed Brittle |
Bourbon Balls |
|
The sweet buttery crunch of
this delicious toffee is paired with chocolate and toasted almonds for a
winning combination. This is perfect to make at holiday time as it will
keep for several weeks in an airtight container.
more |
Pumpkin Seed Brittle is a
delicious confection that is full of toasted pumpkin seeds encased in a
cooked sugar syrup. Pumpkin Seed Brittle is hard and brittle, yet
crunchy and sweet. more |
Bourbon Balls
are a sweet and chewy,
no-bake confection made from a combination of crushed vanilla wafers,
confectioners sugar, cocoa powder, chopped pecans or walnuts, held
together with a little corn syrup and bourbon.
more |
 |
 |
|
|
Coconut Marshmallows |
Rum Balls |
|
|
Coconut Marshmallows are
delicious vanilla scented cubes of spongy airiness that are coated with crisp shreds of
toasted coconut. more |
Rum balls are the
perfect adult indulgence for as their name implies, 'rum' balls
contain rum and since we do not bake these cookies the alcohol taste
and content are not lost during baking. more |
|
|
|
Continued from above
Speaking of
candy thermometers. It is very important to buy a good
mercury or digital candy thermometer with a metal clip so you can fasten it to
the side of a heavy saucepan. The thermometer should measure, in 2 degree
increments, from 100 - 400 degrees F (35 - 200 degrees C in 1 degree
increments). When using a candy thermometer make sure the bulb of the thermometer
does not rest on the bottom of the saucepan as this can cause an inaccurate
temperature reading. It is also important to read the temperature at eye level
and you may have to wipe the steam off the thermometer first in order to read
the numbers. If you think your candy thermometer may be inaccurate, you can test
its' accuracy by placing it in a saucepan of boiling water. The temperature
should read 212 degrees F (100 degrees C). If you find your thermometer is off
by a degree or two, simply adjust your recipe to take this into account. Another
thing about candy thermometers is that they are fragile so after each use place
in hot water (not cold) to dissolve the sugar coating. Never place a hot
thermometer into cold water as this can cause it to break. And be sure to store
your thermometer away from other kitchen utensils so it won't get banged around.
Lastly, cleaning the dirty saucepan can be a problem. The best way to remove all that
hard caramelized sugar is to fill the saucepan with water and bring it to a
boil. Turn off the heat and let it sit until the sugar dissolves.
There are a few other things to
know when making candy. One is that the weather conditions are important. Heat
and humidity can negatively affect the outcome of your candy. So it is best to
make candy on a cool dry day or have adequate air conditioning. Also, before you begin making any candy
make sure you are familiar with the recipe, have all your equipment ready, and
all your ingredients
measured and within easy reach. Now, this is the important part. Sugar Crystallization
is the biggest problem in candy making as it will turn a smooth sugar syrup into
a grainy mess. This is caused by the formation of sugar crystals which can start
a chain reaction of crystallization (the process of sugar particles clinging
together) that makes the mixture grainy. So, to prevent this from happening, stir the ingredients constantly until they reach the boiling point
as this ensures that the sugar has completely melted. Then, as per your recipe's
instructions, you either brush down the sides of the saucepan with a heatproof
pastry brush that has been dipped in warm water to remove any sugar crystals
that may have formed on the sides of the saucepan, or you place a tight fitting
lid on the saucepan and let the sugar syrup boil this way for a few minutes
(this allows steam to form which then condenses and washes off any sugar
crystals that have attached themselves to the sides of the saucepan). Then
remove the lid and clamp a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan.
Normally the mixture is not stirred as it cooks, as introducing a wooden spoon
to the mixture as it boils can cause crystallization. But follow your recipe's
instructions as sometimes you do need to stir the mixture. One reason you can do
this is that there are ingredients; such as corn syrup, honey, fat, lemon juice
and/or cream of tartar that help to inhibit crystallization.
Sources:
Amendola, Joseph & Lundberg,
Donald. 'Understanding Baking Second Edition'. Van Nostrand Reinhold. New
York. 1992.
Bloom, Carole. 'The
International Dictionary of Desserts, Pastries, and Confections'. Hearst
Books. New York: 1995.
Friberg, Bo. 'The Professional
Pastry Chef'. Van Nostrand Reinhold. New York: 1996.
Greweling, Peter P. 'Chocolates
& Confections'. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York: 2007.
Rinsky, Glenn & Rinsky, Laura
Halpin. 'The Pastry Chef's Companion'. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Hoboken
New Jersey: 2009.
Rodgers, Rick. 'Christmas 101'.
William Morrow. New York: 2007.
Rombauer, Irma & Becker, Marion
Rombauer & Becker, Ethan. 'The All New All Purpose Joy of Cooking'.
Scribner. New York: 1997.
Rice Krispies Treats®
is a trademark of Kellogg's NA Co. |
| |
|
Page loading ... Please wait.
