Candy and Cookies


                                       Image result for candy clipart

                                                              
Candy  and cookie making in the winter seems, well, just right.  From peanut brittle to fudge your family will appreciate some homemade candy.

Candy

Easy Buckeyes

1/2 cup margarine, softened
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound chocolate almond bark

Mix margarine, peanut butter, and vanilla together.  Add powdered sugar.  Roll into balls.  Chill in freezer for a short time.  Melt bark for dipping.  Insert toothpick in ball and dip in chocolate leaving an exposed area resembling a buckeye.

Place on waxed paper and continue on with each ball.  Go back and touch the hole with a finger to close the hole the toothpick left.  Keep in freezer til ready to use.  Layer between waxed paper.

Lollipops

2 cups sugar
2/3 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup water
Molds
Sticks
1 package of Kool-aid

Mix sugar, syrup, and water in a saucepan.  Heat over medium-heat.  Stir until sugar is completely dissolved.  Bring to a boil until it reaches the hard crack stage or 280°.  Avoid stirring once it's started boiling.  Also don't scrape the sides of the pot.  Hard crack means you can hear the "plink" when a drop of the boiling candy is dropped in a glass of very cold water.  Let candy cool before adding Kool-aid, other wise it will come out bitter.  Remove from heat and gently stir a few minutes.  Once the bubbling calms down, add the Kool-aid.  Make sure it's mixed well, then slowly pour into molds.  Let cool just a little so it isn't so runny.

Fudge

2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1/3-1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla

Butter 8" square pan.  In heavy 3-quart saucepan, stir together, sugar, milk, corn syrup, and cocoa.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils.  Continue boiling to 234°, about 30 minutes or until syrup, when dropped in ice water forms a soft ball.  Add vanilla.  Beat until mixture thickens, about 30 seconds.  Quickly pour into prepared pan.  Score into squares with knife.  Cool until firm.  Cut into squares.  For peanut butter fudge add 1/2 cup peanut butter and decrease milk to 3/4 cup.  Add peanut butter the same time as vanilla.

Peanut Butter Fudge

1/2 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in brown sugar and milk.  Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes; stirring frequently.  Remove from heat.  Stir in peanut butter and vanilla.  Pour over powdered sugar in large bowl.  Beat until smooth.  Pour into 8x8 dish.  Chill until firm and cut into squares.

Peanut Butter Fudge #2

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 pound butter
1 pound powdered sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla

Grease a 9x15 glass dish.  Cover bottom with wax paper.  Melt together peanut butter and butter.  Add vanilla.  Add powdered sugar.  Pour into prepared dish.  Use another sheet of wax paper to cover and smooth the top.  Place in fridge to cool.

Peanut Butter Candy

1/2 pound butter
1 pound powdered sugar
1 cup peanut better
3 tablespoons cocoa
2 tablespoons vanilla

In large saucepan melt butter and peanut butter.  Add vanilla and sugar and mix well.  Add cocoa.  Stir until well blended.  Pour into buttered pan and chill til firm.  Cut into pieces.

Peanut Brittle

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
3 tablespoons or so water
8 ounces raw peanuts
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon baking soda

In heavy saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup and water.  Cook and stir over medium-high heat til mixture boils.  Reduce heat to medium.  Continue boiling stirring occasionally til 250°, about 30 minutes.  Stir in peanuts and salt.  Cook til 295°, about 30 minutes.  Remove from heat; quickly stir in butter and baking soda.  Immediately pour evenly into heavily buttered cookie sheet.  Cool completely; break into pieces.  Yields 1 pound.


Cookies

Sugar Cookies

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; whisk well.  Cut in 1 cup butter until mixture is crumbly.  In a small bowl, beat eggs.  Gradually add sugar, vanilla, and lemon, beating til light.  Add to flour mixture.  Stir by hand til dough forms.  If necessary use hands to fully incorporate.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.  Heat oven to 375°.  On lightly floured surface, roll out 1/3 of the dough at a time to 1/8" thickness.  Cut with floured cookie cutters.  Decorate with colored sugars or just sprinkle some regular white sugar on top.  Bake 6-11 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Immediately remove from cookie sheets and let cool 15 minutes.

Sugar Cookies (if you don't have eggs or butter)

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  In another bowl, cream shortening and sugar.  Blend in vanilla if using.  Gradually blend in dry ingredients.  Add a little water if the dough is too dry.  Pinch off walnut-sized pieces and roll into 1" balls.  Roll balls in sugar and place 1 1/2" apart on lightly greased cookie sheet.  Flatten each ball with bottom of a glass dipped in water and then in sugar.  Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes.  Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Thumbprint Cookies

2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter
1/2 cup fruit preserves

In medium bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar.  Gradually blend in flour.  Pinch off large olive-sized pieces and roll into balls.  Place 1" apart on ungreased baking sheet and make indentation in center of cookies with your thumb.  Fill hollows with preserves.  Bake at 375° for 15-18 minutes.  Transfer to racks to cool.

Soft Pumpkin Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup cooked and mashed pumpkin
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
Glaze (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease baking sheets.  Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.  Beat sugar and butter in separate bowl until well-blended.  Beat in pumpkin, egg, and vanilla until smooth.  Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls.  Bake for 15-18 minutes or until edges are firm.  Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes.  Remove to wire racks to cool completely.  Glaze:  Combine 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.  Beat til smooth.  Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies.

Cake Mix Cookies

2 boxes white cake mix
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350°.  Mix everything together.  Drop teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes and no longer.  When cool frost and add sprinkles if desired.

Meringue Cookies

1 tablespoon corn starch
1/2 tablespoon cold water
1/2 cup boiling water
3 egg whites
6 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Food coloring fitting the holiday (Pink for Easter, green for Christmas, Red for Valentine's day)

Line 2 large baking sheets with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  In a saucepan, mix corn starch with cold water.  Add boiling water and cook until thick on medium heat.  Set aside to cool.  Beat egg whites to soft peaks.  Add corn starch mixture and beat until stiff.  Add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time then add vanilla and food coloring.  Drop onto baking sheets by heaping teaspoonfuls and bake at 225° for 45 minutes.  If using for pie, to cut clean, butter both sides of the knife.

Peanut Butter Cookies

2 cups peanut butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

Heat oven to 350°.  Beat peanut butter and sugars on medium-high til fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.  Reduce speed to low and beat in the eggs, baking soda, vanilla, and salt.  Roll heaping tablespoon-sized balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheets.  Space them 2" apart.  With a fork dipped in water, make criss-crosses on cookies.  Bake, rotating sheet halfway through baking time, until edges are set, 10-12 minutes.  Cool slightly on baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to finish cooling completely.  Store in air-tight container.

Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup raisins

Combine butter, shortening, and sugars.  Add eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy.  Combine flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice.  Add to creamed mixture; mix to blend.  Stir in oatmeal and raisins.  Drop by tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheet about 2" apart.  Cookies will spread.  Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes.  Cool for about 5 minutes on cookie sheet, then remove to wire racks.  Frosting: Combine 2 cups powdered sugar with 3 tablespoons milk.  Beat well.  Use on cooled cookies.  Yields 2 dozen.

No Bake Powerhouse Cookies

1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup margarine
3 tablespoons powdered milk
4 tablespoons water
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup nuts
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Mix sugar, margarine, powdered milk, and water in saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and boil 3 minutes.  Stir constantly to prevent scorching.  Remove from heat and stir in oatmeal, peanut butter, nuts, vanilla, and chocolate chips.  Drop by spoonfuls onto a flat surface.  Let sit for about 10 minutes to set.  In hot weather they might not set well outside.  Yields 20-24 cookies.

Cornstarch Cookies

1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 sticks butter, sotfened
2/3 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon packed minced orange zest
Cocoa powder; to sprinkle on top after baking

Preheat oven to 350°.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  Cream butter and sugar together about 5 minutes til light and fluffy.  Add egg yolks and zest; beat until combined.  Add 1/2 the flour mixture and blend til just combined.  Repeat with remaining flour mixture.  Divide dough in half, shape into 2 discs, wrap in plastic, and chill, covered overnight.  Roll out 1/8"-1/4" thick.  Cut, transfer to baking sheets spacing 1" apart.  Bake 14 minutes.  Transfer to rack.

Brownies

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Frosting:
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease and flour an 8" square pan.  Melt 1/2 cup butter.  Remove from heat and stir in sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  Stir in 1/3 cup cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder.  Spread batter in prepared pan.  Bake 25-30 minutes.  For frosting, combine ingredients and stir til smooth.  Frost brownies while warm.

Brownies #2

10 tablespoons or 1 1/4 sticks butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1/2 cup flour

Preheat oven to 352°.  Grease 8x8 pan.  Melt butter and combine with sugar, cocoa, and salt.  Heat in saucepan til it looks like a fudgy frosting.  Stir in vanilla.  Remove from heat.  Add eggs one at a time.  Once well blended add flour.  Beat about 40 strokes.  Spread in pan.  Bake 20-25 minutes.

Peanut Butter Brownies

Use this filling with your regular brownie recipe.

4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cups peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Stir til smooth.  Pour 1/3 of your regular brownie batter in pan.  Drop tablespoon-sized dollops of filling on top.  Space about 1" apart.  Drizzle remaining batter on top.  Gently swirl with butter knife running lengthwise and crosswise through layers.  Bake 30-45 minutes.




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