Baking is at times as much a science as it is an art. Just a pinch of certain ingredients can have a major affect and greatly improve the taste and texture of baked goods. Here’s a breakdown of some of the most … Continue reading
Homemade treats are some of the best gifts you can give during the holidays! Try something new this season from barks and candy to cookies and bars, we’ve got something for everyone on your list. Cookies, Bars & Brownies Basic Shortbread … Continue reading
Sometimes the best gifts come in small packages. Here are some recipes as well as decorating and packaging ideas for what are bound to be the most sought after treats to come out of your kitchen this holiday season. Dipped … Continue reading
Looking for a new sweet and salty snack to try? It can’t get any easier (or delicious!) than this Salted Caramel Covered Popcorn. This treat is super easy to make and uses only 3 ingredients and about 15 minutes of your time.
Recipe and Instructions
Pop popcorn and empty into a large bowl. Sift through and remove any un-popped kernels. Melt chocolate coating and pour over popcorn. Use a spatula to gently fold the chocolate into the popcorn. When all of the popcorn has been evenly coated, spread it out onto a piece of parchment paper to dry. Immediately sprinkle with coarse sea salt. When the coating has completely set up, break the popcorn up into small pieces and store in an airtight container.
these butterscotch stars were made with mold #8H-4031
Hard candy is a classic candy that has been around for ages. Around Christmas time flavors like cinnamon, butterscotch, caramel, and anise are popular, but hard candy can be made in almost any flavor imaginable. The recipe below works for making molded pieces and suckers as well as making uneven pieces by pouring into a sheet and breaking it up.
Items needed to make hard candy:
Hard Candy Recipe
In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, water, and corn syrup. Stir until sugar dissolves. Cover and bring to a rolling boil. Remove lid, place thermometer in pan and cook to 250°. Add food color and continue cooking to 300°. (Remove from heat at 295° as temperature will continue rising.) Let cool to 265°. Add flavor and cover for two minutes. Pour hard candy onto a cookie sheet lined with a silicone mat . Let cool completely and then break into pieces. Hard candy mixture can also be poured into hard candy molds that have been sprayed with cooking spray.
Flavoring should not be added before the candy cools to 265°. The heat from the candy may cause the flavor to cook out.
If you are going to be filling molds with the candy, using a funnel will be helpful. First, spray the funnel with non-stick cooking spray. After candy has cooled and you have added the flavor, pour the candy into the funnel with the stopper pushed all the way down. Use the stopper to control the candy flow into the molds.
As with any cooked candy, the outcome of hard candy will depend on the temperature that it is cooked to. Factors like humidity can effect a thermometer’s reading. It is important to test your candy thermometer before each use for more consistency between batches. To test your thermometer, place it into a pot of water and let boil. Let the water boil for several minutes until the mercury or dial on the thermometer stops moving. Adjust the temperature on your recipe according to what your thermometer reads.
Lightly spray acorn pan with cooking spray. Fill each cavity with shortbread dough. Take your thumb and make an indentation in the center of each cookie. Bake the cookies according to recipe. When cookies are done, immediately place a small piece of caramel into the indentation. When cookies have cooled, remove them from the pan. Dip the bottom half of the cookies in milk chocolate candy coating. When the coating has set up, dip the top half in dark chocolate candy coating. Allow coating to completely dry then lightly spray each acorn with bronze luster spray.
Fall is upon us. The days have already started to cool off and before we know it the leaves will be turning colors. Nights will be spent around the campfire drinking hot apple cider and cocoa. What better way to start … Continue reading
Today is National Lollipop Day. To celebrate, we want to share our recipe for salted caramel lollipops. They are easy to make and taste just as good as they sound! The flakey sea salt compliments the sweet caramel flavor, making these lollipops prefect for sweet and salty snack lovers!
What you will need:
How to make the lollipops:
Spray the lollipop molds, funnel and stopper with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. In a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, add water, corn syrup, vinegar, granulated sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil WITHOUT stirring. Wash down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystallization. Bring the mixture to a boil then add the butter, one cube at a time. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, to 300°F. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the vanilla and stir until it is incorporated. Pour the hot syrup into the funnel with the stopper at the end. Lift the stopper enough to allow the syrup to fill each mold cavity. Add the sucker stick and twist it so that the end is fully covered by the syrup. Allow the candy to harden. Remove the suckers from the mold. Melt the chocolate candy coating and pour it into a parchment cone. Stripe the lollipops with the chocolate and immediately sprinkle the coarse salt on top, crushing it between your fingers as you sprinkle. Allow the candy coating to harden. Store the lollipops in an airtight container with parchment paper placed between each layer.
Tomorrow (April 14) is National Pecan Day. To celebrate, we’re going to show you just how easy it is to make caramel pecan patties! Follow the recipe below (taken with permission from Autumn Carpenter’s book, All About Candy Making) to make homemade caramel pecan patties.
Supplies:
Step 1: Heat oven to 300. Butter a 9×9″ pan. Thickly cover bottom of pan with pecan pieces.
Step 1
Step 2: Cut pieces of prepared caramel and roll into 1″ balls. Slightly flatten and place onto pecans about 1/2″ apart from each other. Put in oven for about 2 minutes until caramel smooths itself out and sticks to pecans.
Step 2
Step 3: Remove from oven and let cool. Transfer the caramel with pecans to a parchment sheet or silicone mat.
Step 3
Step 4: Melt candy coating or melt and temper real chocolate. Pour candy coating into squeeze bottle and cover caramel. If using real chocolate, chocolate must be spooned onto caramel.
Step 4
Step 5: Push remaining pecan pieces together and add more flattened caramel. Repeat steps until caramel is gone. Enjoy!
With Valentine’s Day approaching, many of us are thinking of what to do for that special someone. Why not make homemade filled chocolates? It’s easy and sure to show how much you care. Follow these simple instructions for lining candy molds, and create professional looking chocolates with creamy delicious fillings.
Lining the Mold
Step 1
Step 1: Make sure that the candy mold you are using is clean and dry. Melt chocolate candy coating in the microwave or in a double boiler. Pour into a squeeze bottle.
*If you are going to be using real chocolate, first melt and temper the chocolate. Then, use a paint brush to coat the inside of each cavity. If light still shows through, apply a second coat. Let the chocolate set up at room temperature and follow step 5.
Step 2
Step 2: Starting at the top rim, squeeze coating into cavity, making sure that the sides are completely covered. Quickly fill all the cavities like this.
Step 3
Step 3. Turn the mold over to let the excess drain out of the cavities.
Step 4
Step 4: Turn back over and scrape the top with a spatula to create neat edges. Let chocolate set up at room temperature.
Step 5
Step 5: Put desired filling in each cavity, leaving a 1/8″ clearance from the top. Seal the candy with coating starting at the outer rim. Place in the freezer to set up. Once the mold appears cloudy, flip the mold over and the chocolates will release from the mold.
Finished Chocolates
Method taken from All About Candy Making
Choosing the Filling
There are many different options available for you to use as a candy filling. You can purchase a pre-made candy center or make your own using dry fondant. And with the option of mixing centers together, the flavor combinations are endless! Pre-made centers can come in soft or firm and come in a variety of flavors. Firm centers are going to have a nice, creamy texture. Some may also have bits of nut or fruit depending on the flavor. Soft centers are going to have a gooey, runnier texture. Soft and firm centers can be combined by pressing a small amount of the firm into a lined candy mold and then adding a thin layer of the soft center on top. This will create a nice two-dimensional texture.
Homemade centers using the dry fondant can be made by following the package instructions and adding your favorite concentrated flavoring or oil. Icing fruits are also great to add to a plain fondant cream center. Add 4 tsp. per one cup of fondant center. This will give your chocolates a nice tart fruit flavor. Another option is using homemade or store-bought caramel as centers. Press small pieces of firm caramel into a lined candy mold for a chewy caramel chocolate or use a softer type for a candy oozing with caramel. Be creative!
shopcountrykitchen 