Snickers Fudge

This is a yummy, but time consuming treat. Took a couple of times to tweak the recipe, but it’s a real keeper. It is important assemble all the ingredients (measured) before beginning.

FIRST LAYER:

1/4  cup  butterscotch chips

1/4  cup  creamy peanut butter

1  cup  milk chocolate chips (Hershey or Ghiradelli)

Combine in a double boiler, starting with the butterscotch chips. Let them sit in the pot a while to start melting before adding the peanut butter. When the butterscotch chips have melted, add the chocolate chips and melt. Pour this into a buttered 9x13” pan. Chill while making the next layer.

SECOND LAYER:

1/2  cup  butter (no substitutes)

1  cup  sugar

1/4  cup  evaporated milk

1/4  cup  peanut butter

1  jar (17 oz)  marshmallow crème

1  tsp  vanilla extract

1-1/2  cups  salted peanuts

In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add sugar and evaporated milk. Bring to a boil and stir constantly for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Quickly stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Put the marshmallow crème on top of this mixture to soften slightly. After a minute or so, very gently stir in to incorporate the mixtures (it will become grainy if stirred too much). Add the peanuts during this process. Spread over the first layer. Chill while making the next layer.

THIRD LAYER:

1  pkg (14 oz.)  KRAFT caramels (no substitutes)

1/4  cup   whipping cream

Melt together in a double boiler. Pour over the second layer. Chill while preparing the next layer.

FOURTH LAYER:

1  cup  milk chocolate chips

1/4  cup  butterscotch chips

1/4  cup  creamy peanut butter

Prepare as in the first layer. Pour over caramel layer. Chill at least 1 hour. Cut into squares.

This must be stored in the refrigerator.

Pinoche Pecans

Great snack while playing cards.

1  cup  sugar
1/2  cup  brown sugar, packed
1/2  cup  sour cream
1 tsp  vanilla
4  cups  pecan halves

Combine sugars and sour cream in a heavy pan. Boil to soft-boil stage (234 - 236 degrees on candy thermometer), stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Stir in nuts so each nut is coated. Pour onto waxed paper. Sort of separate the nuts apart.

Do not double this recipe.

Pralines

1  cup  butter (no substitutes)
1  cup  buttermilk
1  tsp  baking soda
3  cups sugar
Pinch of salt
2  Tbs  Light Karo syrup
1  tsp  vanilla
1-1/2  cups pecan halves

Combine soda with buttermilk. Melt butter in a large, heavy pan. Using a wooden spoon, stir in buttermilk, sugar, salt, and syrup. Cook to 238 degrees on the candy thermometer, stirring constantly.

Pour into stainless steel bowl. Add vanilla and pecan halves. Beat with a wooden spoon for 2 - 3 minutes. Working fast, drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Cool. Store in airtight container.

Caramels

This special treat takes about 2-1/2 hours to make, so be sure you have some time. Really good though, so it's worth it. Recipe is from a neighbor in my first house, Pat Hanlon.

9  cups  sugar
3  cups  light Karo syrup
4  large  cans evaporated milk
1  lb  butter (no substitutes)
4  Tbs  vanilla
1-1/2  lbs pecans, cut up by hand

In a very large, deep kettle, combine butter, syrup, sugar, and one can of evaporated milk. Stirring constantly over medium heat, bring to a boil. Add remaining milk, one can at a time, slowly, so it will keep boiling. Continue to boil and stir constantly, until the mixture reaches 236 degrees on the candy thermometer. This will take about 1-1/2 hours, so pull up a kitchen stool and get comfy.

Remove from heat and add vanilla. Stir in nuts to just blend in. Pour into two buttered 9x13" Pyrex baking pans. Cover with plastic wrap and chill.

Cut into pieces and wrap in squares of waxed paper. These must be stored in the refrigerator. They are a very soft caramel, and actually even tastes better when cold.

English Toffee

An absolutely excellent recipe from my friend, Pat Myser. The first time I made it, it didn’t taste like hers. So she graciously came over for a hands-on lesson for perfection. It is simply the best toffee I have ever eaten.

2  cups  brown sugar
2  cups  butter (no substitutes)
Pecans, raw almonds, and raw cashews
Chunk of white chocolate*
Chunk of milk chocolate (Hershey or Ghirardelli)

Butter two 8” square pans. Line the bottoms, one with whole raw almonds and the other with whole raw cashews. Chop up the pecans and the chocolates by hand.

Using a heavy frying pan, combine butter and brown sugar over medium heat. Stir constantly until it forms a hard crack. Candy thermometers are usually not accurate, so have a small dish of very cold ice water standing by. As the mixture starts to turn a light golden brown, drop a little mixture into the cold water. It should get hard immediately, with a slight cracking sound. Taste test it. This candy will go quickly from just right to burned, so work fast.

As soon as it is done, immediately pour half into each prepared pan, on top of the nuts. Immediately put the chopped milk chocolate over the pan with almonds; the white chocolate over the pan of cashews. The chocolate will melt with the heat of the candy, and adhere to the toffee. Spread as it
melts, over the tops of each pan. Top the milk chocolate with chopped pecans, leaving the white chocolate as is.

Cool at room temperature. Snap out of the pans and chop into pieces.
Store in metal cookie tins.  Do not freeze.

Cooking Tip: *Use white chocolate in block form for this recipe, not the chips in a bag. Block white chocolate has less additives, and better results.

Award-Winning Secret Fudge

I have no idea what award was won with this recipe, but I can tell you it is darn good fudge.  


3-1/3  cups  sugar
1  cup  butter
1  cup  packed dark brown sugar
1  can (12 oz)  evaporated milk
32  large  marshmallows, halved
2  cups  semisweet chocolate chips
2  squares (1 oz ea)  semisweet baking chocolate, chopped
2  (7 oz each)  Hershey bars, chopped
1  tsp  vanilla extract
2  cups  chopped pecans

In a large saucepan, combine first four ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a rapid boil; boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat, stir in marshmallows until melted. 

Stir in chocolate chips until melted. Add chocolate bars and baking chocolate; stir until melted, and then beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Fold in vanilla and pecans; mix well.


Pour into a buttered 15-in x 10-in x 1-in baking pan. Cut into squares when firmed up.