CANDIES

TWO-MINUTE VELVET FUDGE

3 C (18 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1/3 C confectioners sugar
2 t vanilla
1 C walnut pieces, chopped

Grease on 8-inch square pan. Microwave chocolate chips and the condensed milk uncovered in a 2-quart bowl on high 2 minutes. Store until smooth. Stir in sugar and vanilla, then the walnuts until well blended. Pour into prepared pan, spread evenly. Chill until firm, about 1-1/2 hours. Cut into sixteen 2-inch squares. Store tightly covered in a cool place up to 2 weeks.

RANGE TOP - Cook chocolate chips and the milk in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat about 8 minutes until chocolate melts, stirring often. Remove from heat and proceed as directed above.

ROCKY ROAD CANDY

1 package (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (2 C)
3/4 C loosely packed miniature marshmallows
3/4 C (3 oz) walnuts or pecans, chopped coarse

Line a cookie sheet with foil. Put chocolate chips in a 2-quart glass measure. Microwave on medium 2-1/2 minutes; stir. (At this point only some of the chips will be melted.) Microwave 1-1/2 to 2 minutes more until chips look soft and glossy but still retain their shape. Stir until smooth, then stir in marshmallows and nuts. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls on prepared cookie sheet. Refrigerate about 20 minutes until firm. Store tightly covered in a cool place with waxed paper between layers. Makes 16 candies.

RANGE TOP - Melt chocolate chips in a medium-size bowl or top of double boiler set over simmering water 5 to 6 minutes until smooth, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining ingredients. Proceed as directed above.

CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE

2 C sugar
2/3 C milk
3/4 C smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup marshmallow cream
1/4 C butter or margarine

Combine sugar and milk in a saucepan, cook to soft-ball stage (230 on candy thermometer). Remove from heat; add remaining ingredients, mixing well. Pour into a buttered 8-inch square dish. Allow to cool before cutting into squares. YIELD 32 2-inch squares.

THREE MINUTE FUDGE

1 stick of oleo
1 box of 10X confectioner sugar
1/2 C cocoa
1/4 C milk

Dump all in microwaveable bowl(don't mix) and cook on high for 3 minutes. Stir until smooth, add 1 teas. vanilla & nuts (chopped). Pour into buttered 9" pan, refrigerate until hard. Cut into 1" pieces.

BOSTON CREME CANDY

3 C sugar
1 C Half 'n' Half
1 stick margarine
1 C light corn syrup
Pinch salt
1 C chopped nuts

In saucepan cook all ingredients except nuts until mixture forms a soft ball when tested in cold water. Remove from heat, cool 10 minutes. Add nuts beat until stiff. Pour on buttered platter to cool.

PENUCHE

1 C light brown sugar
2 C white sugar
1-1/2 C milk
2 T butter
1 t vanilla
1 C chopped walnuts

Combine sugars, add milk. In saucepanbeat mixture, stirring until sugar is dissolved, bring to a boil. Continue to cook over medium heat, storring often, until mixture forms a firm ball when tested in cold water. Remove from heat, add butter, vanilla and nuts. Beat until thick, spread on platter to cool.

ENGLISH TOFFEE

2 C butter 2 C sugar
3 C chopped pecans
2 9-3/4 ounce chocolate bars

In heavy saucepan combine butter and sugar, cook over low heat, stirring with wooden spoon. Cook until mixture reaches temperature of 300 degrees when tested with candy thermometer (about one hour). Spread one cup of pecans on buttered 12 x 18 inch cookie sheet, pour hot mixture over nuts. Arrange half of chocolate in pieces over top, sprinkle another cup of pecans on top, let harden overnight. Turn toffee, melt remaining chocolate in double boiler, pour over candy, sprinkle with remaining pecans.

CINNAMON PECAN CANDY

1 C sugar
5 T water
1 T cinnamon
2 C pecans
1 t vanilla
Dash salt

Combine sugar, water and cinnamon. Cook until soft ball forms when tested in cold water, add salt and vanilla. Add pecans, stir until stiff, pour immediately on waxed paper, break apart.

SAN JOAQUIN HONEY WALNUTS

1-1/2 C sugar
1/4 C honey
1/2 C water
1/2 t vanilla
2 C walnut halves

In saucepan cook sugar, honey and water until soft ball forms when tested in cold water. Remove from heat, add vanilla and walnuts, stir until walnuts are covered. Spread on waxed paper, break apart when cool.

BUTTERMILK NUT CANDY

1 C sugar
1/8 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 C buttermilk
1 T butter
1/2 t maple flavoring
1 C coarsely chopped nuts

Cook sugar, salt, baking soda and buttermilk until soft ball forms when tested in cold water. Remove from heat, add remaining ingredients. Beat until thick and creamy, drop by spoonsful onto waxed paper.

GINGER CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Cream cheese gives these stir-and-shape morsels a soft, melt-in-your-mouth center.

1 8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened
4 C sifted powdered sugar
1 t ground ginger
5 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 C toasted finely chopped or ground almonds, chocolate sprinkles, or cocoa powder

Place cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese for 30 seconds. Slowly add sugar and ginger. Beat till smooth. Add melted chocolate, beat till combined. Chill about 1 hour or till easy to handle. Shape the chilled mixture into 1-inch balls; roll in almons, chocolate sprinkles, or cocoa powder. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Makes about 42 candies.

CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRIES

You can easily make your own liquid chocolate-covered cherries. I drain the cherries, and use corn starch to thicken it. I put chocolate in the candy mold, add cherry, then the liquid, then cover with chocolate. Soooooooooooo easy! And much cheaper than the ones you buy!

Thanks to Deb from Pa
See Deb's Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies on the Cookie page

OHIO BUCKEYES

This recipe tops them all. It's so fattening that we only make it around Christmas time, and many of our friends and relatives enjoy receiving buckeyes as Christmas gifts. Some of our friends have offered to buy it off of us! For packaging, we often collect cookie tins all year to put them in. This year was not the best year for tin collecting (couldn't hit as many yard sales this year!), so I am spray-painting baskets to give them in, and also using some colored plastic wrap tied with ribbon. You could also go the super easy route and just put them on paper plates and wrap with colored or clear plastic wrap.

1 16-18 oz jar creamy peanut butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) soft butter or margarine (leave at room temperature for an hour or two to soften)
1 12 oz bag chocolate chips (we use Aldi's - 79 cents a bag)
1/2 cake paraffin wax (found in canning section, yes, it's safe for eating)

1. Combine peanut butter, sugar and softened butter/margarine in very large bowl. Mix well, and roll into small balls about 1 inch in diameter. If balls are soft after shaping, refrigerate until hardened a bit.

2. Melt chocolate and paraffin together in double boiler or in small, deep bowl in the microwave, being careful not to overcook and burn the chocolate.

3. Use a toothpick or bamboo skewer to dip peanut butter balls in melted chocolate, leaving very top of balls without chocolate to look like a real buckeye. Set buckeyes on cookie sheets lined with waxed paper. Let cool, then remove and place in cookie tins (lined with plastic wrap).

NOTE: These can be done ahead of time, and store well in the freezer or refrigerator. They are also pretty cheap to make if you use generic or store brand ingredients. Chocolate chips that taste more like dark chocolate (such as Aldi's brand, comparable to Nestle Toll House Morsels), do much better than the milk chocolate chips such as Hershey's.

Thanks to Lynne, Every Nook and Cranny

FESTIVE FUDGE

2-1/2 C granulated sugar
3/4 C margarine
2/3 C evaporated milk
dash of salt
1-1/2 C creamy peanut butter
1 jar (7-oz) marshmallow creme
1 t vanilla
1-1/2 C M&M's

Combine sugar, margarine, milk, and salt in heavy 3 quart saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter until melted. Add marshmallow creme and vanilla. Beat until smooth and well blended. Fold in candies; immediately spread into greased 13x9 inch baking pan. Cool at room temperature. Cut into squares.