MMMM... CHOCOLATE!
Making homemade candy for holiday gifts is a nice way to spend time with the children. Here are some recipes to try. For classic milk chocolate truffles, substitute milk chocolate for the bittersweet chocolate and use 1 cup of heavy whipping cream.
Chocolate truffles
• 1 pound milk chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 to 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
Place chopped chocolate in a 2-quart mixing bowl. In a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to a boil. Pour the cream into the bowl with the chocolate. Let the mixture stand for 1 minute, then stir together with a rubber spatula, whisk or immersion blender until thoroughly blended. Cover the truffle cream, let cool to room temperature, and chill in the refrigerator until thick but not stiff (2 to 3 hours). Or let the truffle cream sit at room temperature for several hours or overnight until completely set and thick.
Line two baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Fit a 12-inch pastry bag with a large, plain round pastry tip with a 1/2-inch opening and fill partway with the truffle cream. Holding the pastry bag 1 inch above the paper, pipe out mounds about 1 inch in diameter. Or use a small ice cream scoop to form mounds. Cover the mounds with plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for 2 hours or in the refrigerator for 6 hours.
Dust your hands with cocoa powder and roll the mounds into balls. These will be the truffle centers. Roll truffle centers in a small bowl of cocoa powder, confectioners' sugar or finely chopped nuts as soon as they are rolled into balls.
Place in paper candy cups. In a tightly covered container wrapped in several layers of aluminum foil, the truffles will keep for one month in the refrigerator or two months in the freezer. Truffles are best served at room temperature. Makes 60 1-inch truffles.
Bourbon balls
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 5 tablespoons bourbon
• 1 pound confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 pound butter
Coating:
• 6 ounces dipping chocolate
• 1 finger of paraffin
Soak pecans in bourbon for several hours or overnight. Blend sugar into softened butter. Add nuts and bourbon. Refrigerate until firm enough to shape into balls. Chill balls overnight. Melt chocolate and paraffin in the top of a double boiler. Dip balls in chocolate and place on waxed paper to dry.
No cook fudge
• 1 cup creamy style peanut butter
• 1 cup corn syrup
• 1 1/2 cups non-fat dry powdered milk
• 1 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar
Blend peanut butter and syrup in a large mixing bowl. Add powdered milk and powdered sugar together. Add to peanut butter mixture. Mix with spoon until stiff. With clean hands, mix well. Roll out with rolling pin to about 1/2- inch thickness. With sharp knife cut into squares. Makes 2 pounds candy.
Helen's fudge
• 1 pound Velveeta cheese
• 1 pound margarine
• 4 pounds powdered sugar
• 1 cup cocoa
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups pecans, if desired
Cut cheese in small pieces and place in microwave-safe bowl. Add margarine and melt in microwave.
Sift powdered sugar and cocoa together. Add to cheese and margarine mixture. Add vanilla and nuts.
Mixture will be stiff. Spoon into greased 9-by-13-inch pan and 6-by-10-inch pan. Using hands, pat out mixture until it fills the pan. Cut into small pieces.
Royetta's bourbon balls
• 1/2 pound vanilla wafers, crushed
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1/2 cup white corn syrup
• 1/2 cup bourbon
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• Powdered sugar
Combine vanilla wafers, cocoa, corn syrup, bourbon and chopped nuts in large mixing bowl. Mix well. Roll into small balls. Roll in powdered sugar and let stand for an hour before serving. Store in airtight container. They will keep for weeks.
