Caramel Apples

 This is my favorite recipe for caramel apples. I have been making them for years. Yum!

• 1/2 c. butter
• 1 c. light corn syrup
• 2 c. brown sugar
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 8-10 green apples

• Combine the first three ingredients in a large saucepan.  When the butter is melted, add the condensed milk.  Stirring constantly, cook to 230 degrees (soft ball stage).  Take off heat, and stir in vanilla. Let it cool for a few minutes before dipping---super hot caramel is more likely to slide off. Place on silpat mat or parchment paper. 

Dad's Fudge

It's a new tradition for my dad to make this fudge every Christmas.  He has been doing this for the last few years.  It's always so yummy, with or without nuts.

1 12 oz. chocolate bar, broken in pieces
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 7 oz. jar marshmallow creme
1 12 oz. can evaporated milk
4 1/2 c. sugar
1/8 t. salt
2 t. vanilla
2 c. chopped walnuts

Butter a 9x13 inch pan.  Combine chocolate bar pieces, chocolate chips, and marshmallow cream in a large bowl, set aside. In a heavy saucepan, combine evaporated milk, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 6 minutes.  Pour over chocolate mixture.  Beat vigorously with wooden spoon until creamy.  Add vanilla and chopped walnuts.  Mix well.  Pour into prepared pan.  Let stand two hours, then cut into small squares.  Makes 5 pounds of fudge.

Recipe Source: Lion House Christmas

Toffee

2 c almonds, chopped and toasted
2 c butter (4 cubes or 1 lb)
2 c sugar
1/4 c water
1/4 c + 2 T light corn syrup
2 t vanilla
16 oz milk chocolate bar (we like to use 2 giant Symphony bars)

Butter 9x13 inch cake pan. Sprinkle 1 1/2 c chopped nuts in the bottom of the pan. Set aside. Combine butter, sugar, water, and corn syrup in heavy saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until candy reaches hard-crack stage, 300 degrees (about 288 here in Idaho). Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour candy over nuts in prepared pan and spread slightly. Break chocolate bar in squares and place on hot candy. Allow to melt 5 minutes and then spread chocolate over candy. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 c nuts over top. Recipe can be halved.

Recipe: adapted from Lion House

Salted Nut Roll

Med jar dry roasted peanuts
1 cube butter
20 oz peanut butter chips
small can sweetened condensed milk
3-4 c mini marshmallows

Sprinkle 2/3 of a medium-sized jar of dry roasted peanuts in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Melt butter in sauce pan with peanut butter chips. Add sweetened condensed milk; let cool slightly. Sprinkle mini marshmallows over peanuts and then drizzle the sauce over the marshmallows. Add remaining peanuts. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

SUCKERS

1 c. sugar
food coloring
1/3 c. corn syrup
½ t. liquid opaque (optional)
½ c. water
1/8 t. citric acid (for fruit flavored suckers)
½ t. flavored oil


Prepare molds—Place stick into mold and clip in place. Try to not have the stick resting on the pan. Spray the pan and molds lightly with cooking spray.
Cook on medium heat to 300 degrees. Let cool to 275 degrees. Add flavor and color. Pour into molds and let set until hard (about 15 minutes).

For sunflower suckers, cut a tootsie roll in half. Place cut side down and push onto the stick. Color the suckers yellow and use a butterscotch or caramel flavoring. If you put into a bag, tie the bag with green ribbon.

TRUE LOVE TRUFFLES

1 ½ c sugar
¾ c butter
1 can (5 oz) evaporated milk
2 pkg (4.67 oz each) mint Andes candies (56 pieces total)
1 jar (7 oz) marshmallow crème
1 t vanilla
22 oz white baking chocolate, divided
½ c semisweet chocolate chips
Green food coloring, optional

In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, butter, and milk. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; cook and stir until a candy thermometer reads 235 degrees (soft ball stage). Remove from the heat. Stir in candies until melted and mixture is well blended. Stir in marshmallow crème and vanilla until smooth. Spread into a buttered 15x10 in. x 1 in. pan; c over and refrigerate for 1 hour. Cut into 96 pieces; roll each into a ball (mixture will be soft). Place on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. In a heavy saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, melt 18 oz of white chocolate and chocolate chips. Dip balls into melted chocolate; place on waxed paper to harden. Melt the remaining white chocolate; add food coloring if desired. Drizzle over truffles. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 8 dozen.

SPICED ALMONDS

1 c. water
2 c. sugar
1 ½ t. cinnamon

Stir until dissolved over medium heat in a non-stick electric frying pan. When boiling add:
4 c. whole raw almonds
Stir continually 4-5 minutes. When it starts to change and become thick and the almonds are well-coated turn off heat and add:
1 t. vanilla
Stir vigorously until all coated. Dump on a cookie sheet and stir occasionally as it cools to keep almonds from sticking together.

CARAMEL PRETZEL MINIS

1 bag Mini Pretzel Twists
1 Large Bag Hershey Carmel Kisses
1 Bag M & M’s

Arrange pretzels on baking sheet and place one kiss in the center of each pretzel. Bake at 200 for 7-8 minutes. Take out of oven and press one or two M& M’s on each pretzel to press chocolate into pretzel.

CARAMEL PRETZEL LOGS

2 - 3 bags pretzel logs
4 lbs. Chocolate buttons

Homemade Caramel
2 c. brown sugar
1 c. corn syrup
2 cubes butter
1 c. sweetened condensed milk

Stir constantly on medium high. Cook to a firm ball (just until it holds its shape after dropping in cold water), then remove from heat.

Add 1 t. vanilla

Cool until caramel is almost set 15 - 20 minutes. Dip pretzels into caramel leaving two inches at the end without caramel. Place on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper that has been sprayed with vegetable spray. Place in the freezer until hard.

Melt 4 lbs. Chocolate buttons in microwave for one minute. Stir, then microwave for 30 seconds at a time until melted smooth. Dip pretzels in chocolate completely covering the caramel. Drizzle with white chocolate, or sprinkle with chopped nuts, coconut or sprinkles if desired.

FLORENCE MANWARING'S CARAMELS

3 cups sugar
3 cups karo
1 can carnation evaporated milk
¼ cup butter
¼ cup margarine
1/8 t salt
1 t vanilla
2 cups cream

Mix all ingredients but cream and vanilla. Cook to 228 degrees, over medium high heat, stirring constantly. (Aprox. 25 minutes)
Then add remaining cups of cream slowly. Continue boiling and stirring until it reaches 234 degrees. (Aprox 17 minutes) Add vanilla after removing from heat. Pour in greased 9 x 13 pan. Do NOT refrigerate.

ROCKY ROAD FUDGE

1 12 oz package of milk chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 T. butter

Stir together in a large bowl and heat in microwave on 30 to 40 percent stirring every one to two minutes until chocolate chips are melted. Remove from microwave and stir in:

2 cups mixed nuts without peanuts
6 cups mini marshmallow

Pour into 9 X 13 buttered pan and let cool.