McKenzies Perfect Caramels

 Dad got this receipe from McKenzie and have had great success.  There is also an option for Tar Bar licorice caramels

Ingredient Checklist

• 1 cup butter or margarine 
• 1 pound light brown sugar 
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 
• 1 cup light corn syrup 
• 1 pinch salt 
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

• Step 1

  In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Heat to  238 F  add vanilla.   Shut off heat( this helps cool off the bottom of the pan) and stir a little more and remove them at 240 F.  

• Step 2

• Meanwhile, butter a 9x13 inch baking pan. When the caramel is ready, pour into the buttered pan.( do not scrape the bottom of pan unless you know it has not browned) Allow to cool completely to  room temperature. Remove from the pan  put on a cutting mat and cut into squares or long strips using a sharp butcher knife. Wrap individual pieces in waxed paper or wrap in 3x5 cellophane wrappers  (Amazon) or you can melt chocolate chips ( add bit of canola oil)and frost caramels, let dry then flip and frost other side. Cut into strips. Wrap.

Tar bar option.  Add anise oil -1 Tablespoon   and 1 teaspoon black color paste add in the place of vanilla as you remove from heat.

Chocolate Orange Jelly Sticks

 One of our favorite traditions at Christmas is our Candy Table, inspired by Elsie Jean "Gale" Thackeray. We love orange sticks.  Lately for us in the midwest we have a hard time finding these Orange Sticks and Red Vines rope licorice.  Dad has mastered the Jellied Orange Stick.  So good.

HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE ORANGE STICKS  

• 3 Tbsp unflavored gelatin (I used 4 of the little packets)
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 2 Tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp lemon extract
• 1 tsp orange extract
• 5-6 drops orange food coloring
• 12 oz milk chocolate 

1. Soften the gelatin in cold water and set aside.
2. Combine sugar and hot water, stir until dissolved.  Bring to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the gelatin mixture and slowly boil on medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and add the remaining ingredients.
3. Pour into well-greased 9X13
4. Let stand over night  cut into narrow rectangles and then dip into melted chocolate.   

Marshmallows

Dad has become quite the expert at making homemade marshmallows.  Plain, crushed peppermint, and dipped in chocolate to eat or melt inside 2 graham crackers to have a yummy S'more. Try dropping one of these fluffy mallows into a cup of hot chocolate...amazing goodness.

INGREDIENTS

•  Neutral flavored oil, for greasing the baking dish
• 3 envelopes unflavored gelatin
•            1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• ¼ teaspoon  salt
• 1 tablespoon  vanilla extract
•          1/4 c powdered sugar mixed with 1/4 c. cornstarch 

PREPARATION

1. Lightly oil an 8-by-8-inch baking dish. Combine gelatin with 1/2 cup cold water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Set aside while you prepare the syrup.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/2 cup cold water. Stir the mixture just enough to combine the ingredients then cook over medium-high heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until the mixture reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.
3. With the mixer on low speed, carefully pour hot syrup into gelatin mixture and mix until gelatin is dissolved. Add the vanilla  extract.
4. Turn the mixer to high and whip the batter until it is very thick, stiff and opaque, about 10 minutes. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread it with a knife.
5. Let sit uncovered until firm, about 4 hours at room temperature or 2 hours in the fridge.
6. Sift a generous amount of confectioners’ sugarwith cornstarch onto a work surface, use a knife to cut around the edges of the pan and unmold marshmallow onto the sugar. You will have to pull it out of the pan with your fingertips; it will be very sticky but will pull out in one piece. Dust the top of the marshmallow with confectioners' sugar and use a long, sharp knife to cut the marshmallow into roughly 1 1/2-inch cubes. Clean and dry your knife periodically throughout this process when it gets too sticky. 
7. Toss the cubes in the confectioners’ sugarmixed with cornstarch to make sure they are coated on all sides and store them in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Tip

• Variations: Add 1 teaspoons of peppermint extract for peppermint marshmallows. Leave out vanilla extract for a pure peppermint flavor. At this time if you want add crushed peppermint. Dip in melted milk chocolate and let dry for chocolate covered marshmallows.

Peanut Butter Pinwheel Candy

I have been looking for this dessert for over 40 years.  I used to eat one almost every day at the BYU-Hawaii Cafeteria.  I found it!!!  

 4 Tlb  of  a peeled russet potato, cooked and pushed through a mesh strainer

Powdered sugar

Mix mashed potato adding powdered sugar until it is firm enoough to roll out on parchment paper into a rectangle.  The mashed potato turns the powdered sugar into amost a liquid. Keep adding powdered sugar.

Spread with peanut butter.

Roll up like a pinwheel/cinnamon roll.  Cut thin slices with a serrated knife. Refrigerate.

Cereal Bars/ Camp Cedar Bars

These were made by Rosemary Thackeray for the Thackeray Family reunion at Camp Cedar Utah.  I am not sure this is her recipe but it is close. Great for Primary parties or Ward and family barbecues.

Ingredients:
 1 stick salted butter
9 c mini marshmallows
5 c fruity pebbles or rice krispies
5 c fruit loops
5 c captain crunch with crunch berries

Pan spray a 10 x 14 pyrex dish.

Melt butter over medium heat.  Stir in marshmallows  until melted, use wooden spoon.  Stir in cereal.
Pack down firmly in greased pyrex dish.  Push really hard to compact bars.
Refrigerate until cold and cut with a serrated knife.

Tar Bars Licorice Candy

Famous Thackeray treat.  It is like a caramel but licorice.  We used to drive to "The Nut Tree" in Vacaville California and buy these treats  "Tar Bars."  Always a stop on our way to the Oakland Temple. I believe I got this recipe from  Uncle Ralph Thackeray.

Ingredients:

1 can sweet and condensed milk
2 c sugar
1 c butter
1/4 t salt
1 1/2 c light Karo syrup
1 tsp Anise oil( not extract)(or 5 t extract as listed in comments below))
1 tsp Black paste food color(do not use liquid)

Cook first 5 ingredients and stir constantly until temp is at 234°  Temp could vary depending on elevation  this recipe was created in north northern California, Etna)  some are saying 240. Take off stove and add Anise oil and black paste food color.
Pour into a 9X13 buttered or Pam sprayed dish.  Cool
Take out of dish and lay on buttered counter.  Cut into strips  and cut into pieces. Wrap in wax paper, clear wrap.
Hint:  I use a buttered sharp knife, and to release candy from 9X13  dip bottom of the dish in hot water for a few seconds.

Almond Roca Knapp Style

2 C butter
2 C sugar
2 C slightly chopped almonds
3/4 C finely chopped almonds
12 Oz bag  chocolate chips or 2 C

1.  Spread 2 cups almonds onto a jelly roll pan
2.  Melt butter in saucepan
3.  Add sugar and stir continuously over medium -high heat until it reaches a full boil.
4.  Cook and stir for about 12 minutes or until it reaches 300/ or hard rock on candy thermometer
Toffee will be golden brown like PB
5.  Immediately take off heat and pour over almonds on cookie sheet
6.  Smooth toffee over almonds until its even
7.  while toffee is still hot drop chocolate chips evenly distributed on top
8.  Let chocolate melt
9.  Smooth melted chocolate over toffee with frosting spatula
10.   Sprinkle with 3/4 C almonds
11.  Allow to cool for several hours
12.  Break into pieces

This is seriously the best toffee I have ever tasted.  Whitney got recipe from her mother in law and made it for us for Christmas.

Caramel Popcorn

I love everything coated, dipped, or filled with caramel. In the Russell clan we call these *Neesha's Best Ever* Caramel Popcorn Balls because they are the best ever!!

Caramel Popcorn
1 cup corn syrup
2 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 Tblsp vanilla
25-30 cups popped popcorn (1-1 1/4 cup popcorn kernels; 4-6 bags)

Cook first 3 ingredients to a boil.

add butter and milk

Heat to 228 degrees

Remove from burner, add vanilla

Pour over popcorn and coat well.

WARNING: Extremely HOT, use spatula to mix.

If desired coat hands with Pam and shape into balls.

Grandma's Sugared Popcorn

Yum Yum!! They made bags of this at Mark and Contessa's wedding reception and gave them out as you left.

Grandma's Sugared Popcorn

2 c. sugar
2/3 c cream
1 T light corn syrup
dash of salt
food coloring (if desired)
flavored extract (if desired)

Air pop 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels. Remove all un-popped seeds (aka "old maids"). Mix sugar, cream, corn syrup and salt in a pot. On med-high, bring mixture to the "soft ball" stage (approx 235-240°F). Add food color and flavoring to the heated mixture (if desired). Pour over popped popcorn. Stir to coat. Let cool on wax paper. Break apart and eat.

Peppermint Bark

I promise that I am not trying to wreck anyone's new year resolution to eat healthier. I meant to post these recipes during the holiday and things were a wee busy... :) More recipes to follow...

Ashley, this recipe is for you! :) 

(If we put crushed oreos instead of peppermint we'd make our own cookies and cream candy bars... yum!)

If you like white chocolate and peppermint, this is the holiday treat for you. It's simple, impossible to mess up and goes as a great flavor and aesthetic contrast to the pecan buttercrunch toffee. This recipe is fun b/c it has rice crispies in the white chocolate to give it a light crunch. I love peppermint and white chocolate, so I was a big fan of this. As for my husband... not so much. He said that it's good, but not his favorite. With Doug, it's a triumph to get him to say he liked anything with a mint flavor. Usually he says he's eating toothpaste. Hehe. According to Doug, mint is for freshening breath, not for dessert. I disagree... but each to his own. I let my kids have some, so I didn't eat it all, and they liked it.

Peppermint Bark


1 pound white chocolate, chopped*
2 cups puffed rice cereal
6-10 candy canes, unwrapped and crushed (You can use starlight mints, but they are about 10x harder to crush)
1/2 teaspoon peppermint oil



Spray a 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; line with a piece of waxed or parchment paper.


Melt white chocolate. I melt mine in the microwave. Place white chocolate in microwave and cook 1 minute on full power. Stir. Return to microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Continue stirring every thirty seconds until it's smooth.

Stir in rice cereal and oil.

Transfer mixture to prepared pan; with a spatula, spread to edges of pan.

Sprinkle with crushed candy; with a piece of waxed paper covering the entire surface, press in gently (paper prevents hands from sticking to candy and chocolate). Chill until firm, 20 to 30 minutes (no longer, as candy will begin to soften).

Peel waxed paper off. Break bark into pieces. Store at room temperature in an airtight container, up to 1 week

*Martha Stewart's recipe says not to use chips, but I did... and it was delicious! Use whatever you can melt successfully.

Almond Joys or Mounds

 

Chocolate-Covered Coconut Bars
Printable Version

2 1/2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon corn syrup
12 ounces chocolate (your favorite, milk, semi or dark)
Almonds (optional)

Line baking sheet with wax or parchment paper. Using an electric mixer, combine the coconut, powdered sugar, butter and corn syrup. Divide mixture into 15 mounds. Shape each into compact 2" bars. Refrigerate 10 min.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate. Working one at a time, dip into the chocolate. Let sit until chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes.

Pink Peppermint Whipped Cream

 

Pink Peppermint Whipped Cream

Printable Version

1/2 c heavy cream
2 T pulverized peppermints
1 T powdered sugar
1 T crushed peppermints
 
Beat cream, pulverized peppermints, and sugar until stiff peaks. Pipe or spoon onto parchment paper. Sprinkle with crushed peppermints. Freeze until firm, about 20 minutes. Place in freezer bag for long term storage. Drop into hot chocolate. Yummmm.

Fondant

Printable Version

4 c white sugar
1 c half n half
1/2 c whipping cream
2 T white corn syrup
2 T butter
1 dash of salt

Combine all ingredients (only using 1 T butter) Place over med/high heat. Stir CONSTANTLY and RAPIDLY until it reaches a boil that you can't stir down. Turn heat to medium. Do NOT stir at all any more!! Heat until Soft ball or 236°. It has to be able to form a ball when dropped into cold water. Drop a spoon full into ice cold water. Let it sit for 5-10 seconds. Work it together underwater with your hand and then take it out of the water. If you can work it into a soft little ball, then it should be done.

Take pan off heat, drop other T of butter into it. Do not stir the butter in. Just drop it in and let it melt.

Cover the pan and set it in ice water or into the freezer to cool rapidly. Cool to room temperature, or a little bit warmer.

Dump it all out on a cookie sheet or couter top. Mixture will be shiney at first. Continue to work it (scraping it of the counter, inward, into a pile, with a stiff metal spatula or 3 inch spackle knife. Mixture will be shiney at first. Continue to stir until it starts to thicken. All of the sudden it will lose all gloss and resemble dry frosting. That's your goal. That's when it has "turned".

If it's perfect, it will have lost all it's gloss, but it'll still feel soft. If you've overcooked it a little bit, it'll lose it's gloss but will feel hard. You still should be able to take it and work it in your hands like clay. If it softens, you're okay. If it crumbles, you've cooked it to long.

Split batch and work in flavors, colors, nuts etc.

Roll into Balls. Layer in dish with wax paper and freeze until ready to dip. Will stay fresh in an air tight container for 3 months. Melt and dip in chocolate in batches. Roll in nuts, coconut, etc... 12 oz of chocolate should cover 80 small candies (one batch). Be sure to have extra chocolate on hand, better safe than sorry.

Fondant is temperamental.... I wouldn't suggest doubling it without doing a little research.