Homemade candies: Sweet treats you can make at home!

smahala1991

Homemade candies: Sweet treats you can make at home!


Candy is a great treat for anytime. It's even better homemade! Wether it is chocolate,gummy,sour,fruity, marshmallowy, or peanut buttery candy is candy! Here are just a few candy ideas for your sweet tooth!


Sparkly Fruit Gummies


Homemade candies: Sweet treats you can make at home!


6 tablespoons unflavored gelatin (about 8 envelopes*)
1 1/2 cups cold water
2 1/4 cups boiling water
6 cups sugar, plus extra for coating
Extract or flavored oil
Food coloring
*Measure out the gelatin in tablespoons, as it may be more than 8 envelopes. If you have a partial pack at 6 tablespoons, just add all of the partial pack.


1. Line 2 8-x-8-inch pans, or a variety of smaller rectangular containers with plastic wrap and spray with non-stick spray. Set aside. Sprinkle gelatin evenly over the cold water in a 6-quart pot. Let sit for 5 minutes, then add the boiling water and stir until gelatin dissolves. Stir in sugar.


2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and gently simmer for 25 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. At this point you may pour the mixture into the prepared pans and then add flavors and colors as desired, or carefully pour hot mixture into a mixing bowl in batches to color and flavor and then pour the mixture into the prepared pans. Cover finished containers with plastic and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.


3. Lift plastic from pans and peel off candy. Turn candy onto a cutting board that’s been sprinkled with sugar. Coat a sharp knife with cooking spray, then cut candy into 1/2-inch cubes. Roll in sugar.


4. Leave candies on parchment, foil, or waxed paper at room temperature for one to two days to allow the outside to crystallize. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.


Cookie Truffles

Homemade candies: Sweet treats you can make at home!


Ingredients


1 package sandwich-style cookies
1 8-ounce package of cream cheese
Almond bark or chocolate chips, melted
Shortening
Toppings (chocolate of contrasting color for drizzle, chopped nuts, nonpareils, sprinkles, etc)


Instructions


Use a food processor to grind the cookies into crumbs and dump those crumbs into a large bowl.
Mix the crumbs with the cream cheese.
Roll into balls and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Freeze for one hour.
Melt chocolate or almond bark in the microwave, you can use a tablespoon or so of shortening to the chocolate if it’s too thick.
Coat balls in melted chocolate and allow them to set.
If adding toppings or drizzle, do this right after dipping in chocolate, before it has a chance to set.


Homemade Candy Bars

Homemade candies: Sweet treats you can make at home!


8 ounces Waverly crackers, divided
1 cup butter, cubed
1/2 cup milk
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips


Place a third of the crackers (about 25) in the bottom of an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. pan.
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add the milk, graham cracker crumbs and sugars; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 5 minutes. Pour half of the mixture over crackers, carefully spreading to cover. Place half of the remaining crackers (about 25) on top. Spread with remaining sugar mixture. Top with remaining crackers.
In a small saucepan over low heat, stir peanut butter and chips until melted and smooth. Spread over crackers. Chill until firm, about 1 hour. Cut into small squares. Yield: 3-4 dozen.


Peanut Butter Fudge

Homemade candies: Sweet treats you can make at home!


4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup milk
2 cups peanut butter
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract


Prepare a 9x11 glass dish by buttering the bottom.
In heavy bottom sauce pan combine sugar and milk.
Measure and set aside remaining ingredients.
Cook over MEDIUM HEAT (temperature too high will cause it to reach temperature sooner and lead to overcooking) stirring occasionally till it comes to a boil then stir constantly.
Let boil for 4 minutes EXACTLY, over cooking leads to crumbly fudge as it has moved past softball stage and into softcrack (measure from the first sight of littlest bubbles or use a thermometer - softball stage) I use a stop watch. Remove from heat.
Stir in remaining ingredients till all melted and smooth.
Pour into prepared dish and refrigerate until firm.


Cinnamon hard rock candy

Homemade candies: Sweet treats you can make at home!



1 cup water
3-3/4 cups sugar
1-1/4 cups light corn syrup
1 teaspoon red liquid food coloring
1 teaspoon cinnamon oil
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar


Line a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. pan with foil; butter the foil and set aside. In a large heavy saucepan, combine water, sugar, corn syrup and food coloring. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cover and cook for 3 minutes to dissolve sugar crystals.
Uncover; cook on medium-high heat, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reads 300° (hard-crack stage), about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in cinnamon oil (keep face away from mixture as oil is very strong). Immediately pour onto prepared pan. Cool completely, about 45 minutes.
Break the candy into pieces using the edge of a metal mallet. Sprinkle both sides of candy with confectioners' sugar. Store in airtight container. Yield: about 2 pounds.
Note: Cinnamon oil can be found in some pharmacies or at kitchen and cake decorating supply stores.
Note: We recommend that you test your candy thermometer before each use by bringing water to a boil; the thermometer should read 212°. Adjust your recipe temperature up or down based on your test.


Peppermint Bark

Homemade candies: Sweet treats you can make at home!



12 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
1 pound good-quality white chocolate, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
3 candy canes or 12 round hard peppermint candies, crushed


Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with aluminum foil, shiny-side up; smooth out any wrinkles. Heat 1 inch of water in a saucepan over low heat until steaming.


Put all but 3/4 cup of the semisweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over the saucepan of steaming water (do not let the bowl touch the water) and stir until one-third of the chocolate is melted. Remove the bowl from the saucepan; keep the steaming water over low heat. Gradually stir the reserved 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate into the bowl, a few pieces at a time, until all of the chocolate is melted. Return the bowl to the saucepan, 5 to 10 seconds at a time, to help melt the chocolate, if needed. Do not rush this step: It may take up to 10 minutes to melt the chocolate.


Wipe off any moisture from the bottom of the bowl. Stir 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract into the chocolate, then quickly pour into the prepared baking dish and spread in an even layer. Firmly tap the dish against the counter to remove any air bubbles. Set aside at room temperature until almost set, about 10 minutes.


Meanwhile, put all but 1 cup of the white chocolate in a large heatproof bowl and repeat the melting process over the steaming water; dry off the bottom of the bowl. Stir in the remaining 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract; pour over the semisweet chocolate and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle immediately with the crushed candy canes, gently pressing them into the white chocolate. Set aside at room temperature until firm, about 1 hour. Lift the bark out of the pan using the foil and break it into pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.


Sweetness galore! I hope you enjoy these recipes and decide to try them! If you like these ideas let me know below. I plan to make another candy mytake soon!









Homemade candies: Sweet treats you can make at home!
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