Candy Index

Makes about 3 dozen in 40 minutes

Decadent & Delicious!

     3/8 lb (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

     1 cup sugar

     1 cup, packed, light brown sugar

     1/2 cup heavy cream

     1 cup milk

     1 cup chopped pecans

     2 cups pecan halves

     2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Assemble all ingredients and utensils before starting to cook. You will need a large heavy-bottomed pot with deep sides, a long-handled wooden spoon, a candy thermometer (to test doneness, see below), two teaspoons, and two lightly-buttered cookie sheets.

Be careful not to get any of the mixture on your skin as it sticks and can cause serious burns.

Melt the butter in the pot over high heat. As soon as it's melted, add the sugars and cream. Cook 1 minute, whisking constantly. Add the milk and chopped pecans. Cook 4 minutes more, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking and whisking 5 minutes. Add the pecan halves and vanilla and continue whisking and cooking until done, about 15 minutes longer. If the mixture starts to smoke toward the end of cooking, lower the heat.

Remove pan from heat. Quickly and carefully drop the batter onto the cookie sheet by heaping teaspoonfulls, using the second spoon to scrape the batter off the first. Each praline should form a 1-2 inch patty about 1/2 inch thick. Cool and store in an air-tight container.

Doneness: To judge doneness, use one or more of the following guides:

  1. Candy thermometer at 240^oF.

  2. When done, the batter will begin forming distinct threads on the sides or bottom of the pan.

  3. Near the end of the cooking time, make a test praline every few seconds. The early-test pralines will be somewhat runny, very

       shiny and somewhat translucent. The ideal praline will have progressed past that stage -- it will not be runny and will be less

      shiny; when cooled it will be opaque, lusterless and crumbly instead of chewy.

  4. Near the end of the cooking time, drizzle spoonfuls of the mixture across the surface of the mixture. When ready, it will form a

       neat thread across the surface.

     1 teaspoon sugar

     1 cup dried fruit

     1 teaspoon baking soda

     2 eggs, large

     lemon juice

     1 or 2 quarts rum

     brown sugar

     1 cup butter

     baking powder

     nuts

Before starting, sample rum to check the quality. Good, isn't it? Now proceed...

Select Large mixing bowl, measuring cup, etc2E Check rum again. It must be just right. To be sure rum is of proper q=uality, pour one level cup of rum into a glass and drink it as fast as you can. Repeat.

With electric mixer beat 1 cup butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add 1 Teaspoon of Sugar and beat again.

Meanwhile, make sure rum is still all right. Try another cup. Open second quart if necessary.

Add eggs, 2 cups fried Fruit and beat 'til high. If Fruit gets stuck in beaters, pry loose with Knife. Sample rum again, checking for tonxscisticity.

Nest, sift 3 cups pepper or salt (it really doesn't matter). Sample rum.

Sift 1/2 pint lemon juice. Fold in chopped butter and strained nuts. Add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar or whatever color you can find. Mix well.

     2 cups vanilla wafers, crushed

     1 cup chopped pecans

     1 cup confectioner's sugar

     2 tablespoons cocoa powder

     2 tablespoons light Karo syrup

     1/3 cup rum

Mix ingredients together. Form into ball, roll in confectioner's sugar.  Refrigerate.

     2 egg whites

     1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

     1/8 teaspoon salt

     1 teaspoons vanilla

     3/4 cup sugar

     1/4 cup chopped nuts

     1 cup white chocolate bits

Beat egg whites, cream of tartar, salt and vanilla until soft peaks form.  Add sugar gradually and beat until peaks are stiff. Fold in chocolate and nuts. Cover a cookie sheet with brown paper and drop batter by teaspoonsful 2" apart. Bake 25 minutes at 300 degrees .

     12 oz chocolate chips

     14 oz condensed milk

     1 1/4 cups chopped walnuts

     1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

In glass container, combine chocolate chips and milk. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Stir until smooth. Add remaining ingredients. Spoon into foil-lined pan and chill 2 or more hours.

     8 c popped popcorn

     3/4 c packed brown sugar

     6 Tbsp butter or margarine

     3 Tbsp light corn syrup

     1/4 tsp salt

     1/4 tsp baking soda

     1/4 tsp vanilla

Remove all unpopped kernels from popped corn2E Put popcorn into a 17x12x2 baking pan. In a 1 1/2-quart saucepan comb=ine sugar, butter or margarine, corn syrup, and salt. Cook and stir over medium heat till butter melts and mixture comes to a boil. Cook, without stirring, for 5 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda and vanilla. Pour over popcorn, stirring gently to coat popcorn. Bake at 300 for 15 minutes. Stir, then bake for 5 to 10 minutes more. Remove corn to a large bowl and allow to cool.

     1 lb granulated sugar

     1/2 pint water

     4 Tbsp vinegar (clear)

     3 Tbsp golden syrup

     1/2 tsp baking soda, sifted

     12 oz. chocolate chips

     2 Tbsp vegetable shortening

     1 (1 oz. square unsweetened baking chocolate

Butter or oil an 8" square tin; set aside.

Put sugar, vinegar, syrup, and water in a heavy saucepan (cast iron if you have it). Be careful that your pot is big enough, because sugar has a tendency to boil over. Gently heat the mixture, stirring with a wooden

spoon, until sugar has dissolved & syrup has melted. Bring to a boil, cover & boil for 3 minutes, then uncover and boil until temperature reaches 285-degrees F on a candy thermometer.

Remove from heat & stir in the baking soda, mixing well to allow bubbles to subside a little.

CAUTION: once you add the baking soda the mixture WILL bubble up quite a bit. Again, make sure your pot is large enough or it will bubble over the sides. The baking soda is what gives it its light airy texture.

Pour into oiled tin & leave until just beginning to set. Mark into squares with a lightly oiled knife. Leave to set completely. Cut or break into pieces.

Combine chocolate chips, shortening & baking chocolate in 2-quart glass micro-proof bowl. Microwave on HIGH 2 minutes2E Using wooden spoon, stir through to melt.

Dip honeycomb pieces into chocolate, covering completely. Let cool on waxed paper. Wrap individually in waxed paper, twisting the ends together, and store in an airtight container.

(makes 1 1/2 pounds)

     2 c sugar

     1 c light corn syrup

     1 c water

     1 1/2 tsp salt

     2 Tbsp butter or margarine

     1/4 tsp oil of peppermint (optional)

     7 drops green food coloring (optional)

Butter the sides of a 2-quart saucepan. In it combine sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Continue cooking to 265 (hard ball stage), without stirring.  Mixture should boil gently over entire surface. Remove from heat. Stir in butter or margarine. Add flavoring and food coloring, if desired. Pour into a buttered 15x10x1 inch pan. Cool about 20 minutes or till easily handled. Butter hands and pull candy until difficult to pull. Cut into fourths. Pull each piece into a long strip about 1/2" thick. With buttered scissors, cut taffy into bite-sized pieces. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and store overnight.

Makes 2 dozen 1 1/2 inch macaroons.

     2 egg whites

     1 cup sugar

     1/4 teaspoon salt

     1/2 teaspoon vanilla

     1 1/2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted

     1 1/2 cups shredded coconut

Beat egg whites until foamy throughout; add sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating after each addition until sugar is blended. Then continue beating until mixture will stand in peaks. Add salt and vanilla. Fold in chocolate;  then coconut. Drop from teaspoon on ungreased heavy paper. Bake at 325oF 20 minutes, or until done. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from paper.