Grandma’s Million Dollar Fudge

Yield: 8″×8″

INGREDIENTS:

4 1/2 cups sugar
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 Tbsp. butter

Mix ingredients. Then boil 5 minutes.

Add:

2 1/2 large Hershey’s candy bars, crushed (about 12-13 oz. total)
1 (12 oz.) bag semi sweet chips
1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow cream
1 tsp. vanilla
nuts

DIRECTIONS:

Beat until well blended. Pour into 2 greased 9×13 pans for thicker pieces and add another 8×8 pan for thinner pieces.

Speedy White Fudge

1 1/2 lbs. white candy coating
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
Pinch of salt
1tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups gum drops, chopped*

DIRECTIONS:

Line a 9×9 inch pan with foil. In a sauce pan, melt candy coating, milk and salt over low heat (or use a double boiler). Remove from heat and add the vanilla and gum drops. Spread into the 9 inch pan, cover and chill. Use the foil to lift the fudge from the pan and cut.

You can experiment with this recipe by using different kinds of candies or substituting chocolate candy for the white and 2 Tbsp. peanut butter or peanut butter chips instead of the gum drops.

*To make chopping easier, use a pair of kitchen shears dipped in warm water. This works great for cutting anything sticky like marshmallows and candy.

You can use just red and green gum drops or multi colored.

Helpful Fudge Tips:

• Before you start, be sure to have your pans all ready, your candy bars crushed, nuts chopped and every package opened and ready to dump in as soon as it is done boiling.
• I use milk chocolate candy bars, but my son-in-law and grandson love dark chocolate so I sometimes use dark chocolate and milk chocolate together. You can even substitute milk chocolate for the semi sweet chips. You can easily tailor it to your own personal preferences.
• Last year after Halloween, my daughter found a good deal on Hershey’s Kisses for 50 cents a bag, so I used those in place of my candy bars. That is why I say stock up after Halloween! The main thing is to have about 24 oz. of some kind of chocolate in the recipe.
• To make my life easier, I line the pan with plastic wrap, parchment paper or something like that and butter it well. Then I lift it out out the pan after it has cooled and use my metal pastry cutter (that has been buttered) to slice it. It works so well! I don’t cut it. I just press straight down with the cutter. There’s no gummy mess like I used to get when I would drag my knife through it.
• Sometimes I allow it to thicken, pour it onto plastic wrap and wrap and roll into logs, then slice.

source:  livingonadime

Copycat Twix Bars

Yields:  20-24 bars

Prep time: 1 hr 30 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins

A thin layer of buttery cookie topped with gooey caramel and rich chocolate ganache, this homemade version of the well known Twix® bars makes enough to feed a crowd

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup (100 g)  Confectioners Powdered Sugar

2 1/3 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour*

Pinch salt

2 cans (14 oz each) Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup (100 g) Extra Fine Granulated Sugar

1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, diced

3/4 cup (120 g) dark chocolate chips

1/3 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS:

 

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 13X9″ baking pan with parchment paper, leaving about 1 inch of paper hanging over sides.
• In a mixing bowl, beat softened butter on low speed until fluffy.
• Stir in powder sugar and beat until just combined.
• Gently, fold in flour and salt until flour is incorporated. The dough should be still crumbly. Do not overmix!
• With the back of a spoon (or your fingers) spread cookie base in prepared ban. Prick it all over with a fork and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until firm to touch and lightly golden brown. Don’t overcook it or it will be very crumbly!
• Remove from oven and set aside to cool completely.
• Make caramel layer: In a medium saucepan, add condensed milk, sugar and butter. Cook caramel over low heat until it reaches the boiling point (approximately 9-10 minutes). Once the mixture is bubbly, cook for an additional 15-16 minutes constantly stirring as mixture will burn and stick to the pan easily. When caramel is done, it will pull itself from the sides of the bowl, it has thickened, and changed color. Depending on heat source it could take 30-45 minutes of continuous stirring and cooking. The mixture needs to have the consistency/thickness of mayonnaise or dulce de leche.
• Pour caramel layer over cookie base, making sure it covers entire pan.
• Make chocolate ganache: Place chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. Heat heavy cream until it reaches boiling point and pour over chocolate chips. Let sit for 30 seconds and stir to create a smooth chocolate mixture. If chocolate is not melted all the way through, place it in microwave for 20-30 seconds or on top of a pan with boiling water making sure chocolate bowl does not touch water.
• Pour chocolate over caramel layer and spread evenly.
• Refrigerate entire pan for 1-2 hours until chocolate is set.
• With a sharp knife, cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator

NOTES:

1. Use the best quality chocolate (60-70% cocoa) that you can find. The higher the cocoa percentage, the lower the overall sugar content. It is cocoa mass that gives firmness to sauces, ganache etc., while sugar makes it thinner.
2. To make dessert in same style as Twix®, once caramel layer is poured over cookie base let it cool completely before cutting into thin, finger-width bars.
3. Using two forks or dipping tools, dip each bar into melted chocolate, covering completely.
4. Place chocolate covered bars onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper or aluminum foil and refrigerate until chocolate is set.
5. If choosing this option, double the amount of chocolate and heavy cream listed in ingredients.

source :imperialsugar

NATIONAL CHOCOLATE CANDY DAY!

NATIONAL CHOCOLATE CANDY DAY!

see recipes for chocolate candies here

Homemade Toffee

An unbelievably easy, no-fuss, homemade toffee recipe. So addictive, you won’t want to share!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup raw almonds

1 cup unsalted butter, cubed

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup pecans, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• Spread almonds in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake until toasted, about 10 minutes; set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, combine butter, sugar vanilla and salt over medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until butter has melted and mixture is almond brown in color, about 10-15 minutes.
• Immediately spread the hot caramel mixture evenly over the almonds. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. After 1-2 minutes, spread the chocolate chips in an even layer until smooth. Sprinkle with pecans.
• Let cool completely, about 2 hours. Break into pieces.

source:  damndelicious

Maple Nut Fudge

Yield: 9″ x 13″

INGREDIENTS:

¾ cup butter

3 cups granulated sugar

⅔ cup evaporated milk

12 oz white chocolate chips, chopped

7 oz jar marshmallow creme

2½ tsp maple extract.

2 cups chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spread walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet.
3. Bake for five minutes then stir. Bake an additional 5 minutes. Let cool
4. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper.
5. Combine butter, sugar, and evaporated milk in a heavy bottomed saucepan.
6. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently.
7. Once at a full boil, continue boiling for 5 minutes, stirring continuously.
8. Remove from heat and stir in white chocolate chips. (I use a whisk to get out all the lumps.)
9. Stir in marshmallow creme and maple extract.
10. Stir in toasted walnuts.
11. Pour into prepared dish.
12. Let cool completely.
13. Cut into squares and serve. Top with additional toasted walnuts if desired.

source:  momontimeout

White Chocolate Mummy Truffles

 Yields:  20pcs

Prep Time : 1hr, 30 mins

Total time: 1 hr, 30 mins

INGREDIENTS:

2 cup cookies-grounded

1 cup Coca-cola

4 oz chocolate- melted

2 oz butter-melted

12 oz white chocolate

black icing color

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place ground cookies in a bowl, stir in coca-cola and set aside for 5 minutes.
2. Add melted chocolate and melted butter and mix well.
3. Cover the bowl and leave in the fridge for half an hour.
4. Roll 1 inch balls and place them on parchment paper. Freeze them at least half an hour.
5. Melt 10 oz of white chocolate and drop frozen balls in the melted chocolate, and using a fork transfer them onto parchment paper(gently tap off excess chocolate), then put them back in the freezer for 10 minutes.
6. Melt the rest of the white chocolate, transfer it in the ziploc bag, cut the corner and drizzle onto truffles.
7. Use the black icing to make 2 dots for eyes.

source :  omgchocolatedesserts

Homemade Snickers Bars

Make the chocolate layer – chill

Make the nougat – refrigerate for few hours

Pour the caramel layer – refrigerate some more

Another chocolate layer and back in the fridge

source:  roxanashomebaking

 

Raspberry Cheesecake Truffles

RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE TRUFFLES

Yields:  22 pcs
Prep time: 15 mins
Chilling Time: 2 hrs

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz. cream cheese-softened

½ cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

¾ cup cool whip

¾ fresh raspberries-washed and well dried

¾ cup graham crackers crumbs

15 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate-coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1. With a mixer beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Mix in raspberries to incorporate into cream cheese.
2. Add cool whip and stir with a spatula.
3. Add graham cracker crumbs and stir to combine. Set in the freezer for 2 hours.
4. Line a tray with parchment paper and set aside.(Make sure you have enough room in your freezer for tray because the truffles must chill after being rolled).
5. With a tablespoon or small ice cream scoop drop dollops of the cheesecake mixture onto parchment paper. Shape each dollop with your hand into a nice round balls.(if it’s too soft to work with, place the dollops in the freezer for a while).
6. Set the truffles in the freezer until completely frozen (it might take couple hours).
7. Melt the chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes to slightly cool so the truffles won’t melt while dipping.
8. Remove truffles from the freezer and begin dipping into the chocolate using a fork or a spoon. Work in small batches (take a few truffles from the freezer at the time because they soften really quickly).Place chocolate covered truffles onto parchment paper. Truffles must be completely sealed with chocolate!!! If you missed some spots you can add few drops of melted chocolate with a spoon to cover the whole truffle.
9. When finish dipping process transfer leftover of melted chocolate into a zip lock bag, cut of the corner and drizzle over the truffles.
10. Store in the freezer or refrigerator and take out when ready to serve. They soften quickly at the room temperature.

source: omgchocolatedesserts

Pumpkin Spice Caramels

Yield: 8″ X 8″ (64 pcs)

Soft, chewy, buttery, and perfectly spiced, these Pumpkin Spice Caramels are impossible to resist.

INGREDIENTS:

1 stick unsalted butter (8 Tbls)

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup light corn syrup

2 cups granulated sugar

¾ tsp salt

1 Tbls pumpkin pie spice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Lightly spray 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Leave an overhang so you can pull the caramel out easily. Set aside.
2. Combine first four ingredients in a large heavy bottomed pot. Go bigger than you think you need.
3. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. It’s super important to scrape off all the sugar from the sides of the pot – all of it.
4. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking WITHOUT stirring until it reaches 248 °F. This can take anywhere for 20 minutes to an hour, just be patient. (Make sure you check the accuracy of your candy thermometer beforehand.)
5. Remove from heat and stir in salt and pumpkin pie spice.
6. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Let it rest for 12-24 hours before cutting into pieces.
7. Wrap caramels in waxed paper to store. Can be stored in the fridge or at room temperature.

source:  momontimeout

Dark Chocolate Truffles

Yields:  25 pcs

INGREDIENTS:

16 oz semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 – 1/2 cup cocoa powder, for dusting

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare the chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Heat the heavy whipping cream in a small saucepan on medium-high heat, just until it begins boiling. Immediately transfer the heavy whipping cream to the chocolate chips and stir until smooth. Chill in refrigerator for several hours or preferably overnight.
2. The next day, use a truffle scoop or hand-and-spoon method to shape the truffles. Chill in freezer for another couple hours, then prepare a bowl of cocoa powder and roll the truffles in it until completely coated. Chill again before serving, or enjoy right away.

source: passthecoco