Sunday, December 26, 2010

I'm Leaving Candy-Making to the Experts

I promised to report about my candy-making efforts. These "Snowshoes" were the prettiest. They're basically buttercream frosting with a pecan pressed into it. Way too sweet, even for me. I won't be making these again.

The "No-Bake Chewies" below were really disappointing. The ingredients looked yummy: dates, raisins, walnuts, granola, and dried cranberries. I heated the mixture of buter, honey, Karo syrup, and I forgot what else, but when mixed with the first items, they didn't "stick." So I just spread it out on a cookie sheet. My DH said it was good ice cream topping. I'm not so sure. Confectioner's sugar is sprinkled on top. If they had been a success, I would have come up with a better name. Why name them for a process that isn't used in the making?

These chocolate "Haystacks" were pretty good. All you do is melt semi-sweet chocolate chips in a double boiler, then mix in some chow mein noodles and drop in little haystacks. Well, okay, I admit that I was looking at the kids section of my cookbook by this time. Haha.

So I'll be saying good-bye to the kitchen and heading up to my quilt room. It's just as well that I don't learn how to make some delicious treat that I'd have to try to resist. If you're wondering why the candies are on aluminum foil, I didn't have any waxed paper, and I didn't want to waste my freezer paper because I need that for important stuff.
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13 comments:

  1. Mmmmm......delicious!!!
    I read your blog everyday and i whis you a Happy New Year!!!
    From Spain ,with love. Xusa

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  2. Very professional and yummy looking. I LOVE haystacks! I use parchment paper for baking. Whatever works to keep clean up easy!!! Now let the new year begin.

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  3. We make haystacks every Christmas because they are so easy. Mine are pretzels, dry-roasted peanuts and white chocolate. Yum! Loved your snowshoes.

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  4. I'm always a little relieved when I try a new recipe and it disappoints, then I don't eat as much or crave it and make it again later. This season I've had some great sweets, too many in fact. You get points for trying something new, and I'm betting it all tasted better the next day, most things do!

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  5. Too funny Karen! I could have written this very post :-D Oh well--at least we tried!
    Happy Holidays to you and yours.

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  6. The haystacks are one of our favorites. May I suggest using an equal amount of butterscotch morsels with the chocolate next time you make them - Sublime!

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  7. They all look really yummy! Sad to hear that not all were so good. I am like you, not so sure that I would be eating the really sweet ones either! Hope you had a great Christmas day!

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  8. That's the way I feel about pickles...I don't care whose recipe you use, Nalley's are better. Life is too short to make pickles!
    Seasons best, Sharyn

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  9. I'm with DH I think that it sounds perfect as Ice cream topping..

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  10. Very funny! I made a black bean and Feta dip tonight, and it was So sweet I couldn't sand it... i really dislike when recipes taste terrible...

    I stuck to easy cookies this year.. spiced nuts.. Severely good... (from Ellen, Hellen's freind) and chocolate covers pretzels and strawberry's it all took about half hour to make.. total before half were consumed... roll me out of the kitchen please....

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  11. Here is an easy "candy" recipe I made this year. Turned out wonderful and those I gifted it to all expressed "it was delicious". Very easy, like haystacks:

    Crockpot Chocolate Nut Clusters

    In large crock pot (5-6qt) combine:

    1lb. Roasted, salted nuts (pecans, peanuts, almonds, macadamia, walnuts, mixed nuts etc)

    1lb Roasted nuts (see list above)

    3 - 10-12 oz packages of chocolate chips/chunks (any combination of
    semi-sweet, milk chocolate, bittersweet such as 60% cacao or mint chips)

    1 - 4oz bar baking chocolate (I used Baker's German Chocolate)

    Options include:

    8 oz dried cherries, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, mixed dried berries, unsweetened coconut flakes, etc

    Pure peppermint oil or extract

    Set crock pot to warm, cover and ignore for 2 hours (do not lift the lid!). Remember to set your timer though. Stir to coat everything well with melted
    chocolate and drop on parchment paper to cool. I use a tablespoon and still end up with around 100 clusters.

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  12. Wow! Very very mouth watering. I am always a fan of candies. Thanks for this nice post!
    how to make rock candy at home

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