Cranberry Nut Bars

This is a great gift to make for the Holidays. You can pour this into a break apart type bar mold or bite size molds. Easy Packaging Idea -- wrap in cello, use our adhesive backed red ribbon & a holiday sticker. (all sold @ Sweet 'n Fancy Emporium) Ingredients:
2 lbs. White CHocolate (also delicious with Milk & Dark Chocolate)
4 oz. dried Cranberries or Craisins
4oz. sliced Almonds
1/8 teaspoon Orange Oil (sold at Sweet 'n Fancy $1.50)

Mix all ingredients together & pour into mold. Freeze for approx. 10-15 minutes until it comes out easy from mold.

These are delicious and great item to include in a gift basket too!!!

Holiday Peppermint Crunch

Great Holiday gift item for co-workers, teachers, mail persons, bus drivers etc. and even to add some holiday color to gift baskets!!! Package in pretty see through boxes or decorated bags (all sold at Sweet 'n Fancy) Everyone will love it!!!

Ingredients
2 lbs. White Chocolate
1/2 package of red peppermint crunch (also available in red/green peppermint crunch)

First melt your Chocolate, spread into a flat rectangle pan (about 1/8 to 1/4" thick) and sprinkle your crunch on top. Refrigerate approx. 20 minutes. Your chocolate should come out of the pan easily, if not, refrigerate a little more.

Break apart & package.

Packaging, Chocolate, Peppermint Crunch & decorated holiday bags all available at Sweet 'n Fancy.

Coconut-Caramel Candy Bars

Tools Required:
1 - 9" x 13" pan
Cooling Racks

Crust:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups toasted shredded sweetened coconut(Sold at Sweet 'n Fancy Emporium)

Toppings:
3/4 cup chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, or chocolate chips
1 cup (10 ounces) caramel, from a block, or unwrapped candies (block is Sold at Sweet 'n Fancy)
1/2 cup toasted shredded sweetened coconut (Sold at Sweet 'n Fancy)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan.

To make the crust: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and egg. Mix in the flour, salt, baking powder, and 1 1/2 cups of the coconut. Spread the mixture in the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the bars from the oven, and sprinkle with the chocolate. Allow the chocolate to soften for about 5 minutes, then spread it evenly atop the bars

Melt the caramel over low heat, or in the microwave, until it's pourable. Drizzle it over the bars, and sprinkle the reserved coconut over the top. Loosen the edges of the crust with a knife, then set aside to cool completely before cutting and serving.

Raspberry Fudge Balls

1 lb. red chocolate candy coatings
1 can condensed milk
1/4 tsp. raspberry oil
Coconut, Nuts, Malted milk crunch

Melt 1 lb. of red chocolate candy coatings. In seperate bowl, mix condensed milk and raspberry oil. Pour melted candy coatings into bowl with milk and oil. Mix well. Set in refrigerator for 1/2 hour then remove and roll into 1 inch balls. Roll each ball in nuts, coconut or malted milk crunch. Yield: Approx. 60 1 inch balls.

• Thread stage (Syrup) 230o to 233o F
• Soft -ball stage (Fudge) 234o to 240o F
• Firm-ball stage (Caramels) 244o to 248o F
• Hard-ball stage (Marshmallows) 250o to 266o F
• Soft-crack stage (Popcorn balls) 270o to 290o F
• Hard-crack stage (Hard candy) 295o to 310o F

Peanut Butter Cups

1 (18 oz) jar of crunchy or smooth peanut butter
1 stick melted butter or margarine
1 pound powdered sugar

Mix peanut butter and melted butter together with a spoon. Add powdered sugar and knead with hands until smooth. This mixture can be rolled into balls and dipped in chocolate or used for centers in a bon bon mold. To make peanut butter cups, put a small amount of melted chocolate into the bottom of the peanut butter cup mold and coat the mold evenly. Let dry for a few minutes. Press a small amount of the peanut butter mixture into the mold, then cover with more melted chocolate. Tap the mold slightly so that the chocolate is spread evenly over each piece. A squeeze bottle is ideal for this. Put into freezer for about 4 minutes then remove. Give the mold a twist and then turn over and tap finished candy out of mold and onto a table.

Chocolate Covered Cherries

1 lb. light chocolate candy melts
1 small jar (6 oz) maraschino cherries
3 tbsp. dry fondant

Thinly spread melted chocolate in candy mold to form a shell. Mix dry fondant with cherry juice or liqueur to form a paste. Put paste into shell, top with a cherry. Cover with more melted chocloate. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Yield: 50 candies

Coconut Bon Bons

3/4 cup light corn syrup
2 1/2 cups dry macaroon coconut

In a small pan, heat the corn syrup to hot, but do not boil. Pour the hot syrup into a bowl containing the coconut and mix thoroughly. Cover with wax paper and set aside for an hour so the coconut become saturated with the syrup. Wet hands, then roll into balls. Excellent as a bon bon filling or used in the candy bar mold. Note: finely chopped nuts and/or maraschino cherries can be added to this mixture for variety.

Peanut Clusters

14 oz melted chocolate candy coating
12 to 14 oz spanish salted peanutes (with or without skins)

Add peanuts to melted chocolate and stir. Spoon out by the teaspoon full onto wax paper. Let stand at room temperature until set.

Tigers Butter

1 cup melted chocolate candy coating
1 cup melted white chocolate candy coating
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

Mix thoroughly by hand the melted white chocolate and peanut butter in a small bowl. Then add the melted chocolate to that mixture and stir slightly. Pour into a wax paper lined pan (approx 10 inches square) and use a table knife to stir pretty swirls of the dark and light mixture to give a marbelized look. Let set at room temperature until solid. Cut into squares and serve as you would fudge or roll into balls for use as centers in bon bon mold.

Truffles

1 1/2 lbs milk chocolate (approx 3 cups shaved or finely cut and firmly packed) ** Substitute with candy coating for vanilla truffles
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup half and half
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Chocoalte coating or white summer coating (for dipping)
Chocolate jimmies or toasted coconut or non-pariels (for decorating)

Melt chocolate and then beat until smooth. Combine heavy cream and half and half in a small saucepan and heat to scalding. Remove from heat and let stand until temperature is about 130 degrees. Add warm cream to melted chocolate all at once and beat until smooth and well blended. Add vanilla, mix well and then cool. When cool, beat with electric mixer until candy is light and rather fluffy. Let stand in refrigerator until firm. When firm, roll a teaspoonful of candy into a ball in palm of hands. Roll each ball immediately in chocolate coating or other choices above. Note: If desired, truffles can be flavored with Lorann oil flavoring and colored with powdered food colors to make orange, raspberry, lemon etc... Yield: 36-40 truffles (2 lbs.)

Liquor Center Bon Bons

1 1/4 cup liquor (can use Mr. Boston Pina Colada cocktail)
2 tbsp cornstarch

Heat 1 cup of liquor just to boiling. Combine remaining 1/4 cup of liquor with cornstarch. Stir into heated liquor and continue to heat until thickened. Remove from heat. Cool. Add food coloring, if desired. Put liquor center into a squeeze bottle and use for bon bon centers.

Chocolate Cups

1 lb. chocoalte candy coating

Melt chocolate. Spread chocolate over the insides of aluminum foil baking cups or double-layered paper baking cups. Use a spoon or brush to completely coat all surfaces with a thin layer of chocolate. Refrigerate until firm (about 15 minutes). Small bon bon cups may also be used. Coat the muffin cups a second time just so that you cannot see the muffin cup on the inside. Place muffin cups in refrigerator again until firm. Holding cup in one hand, carefully peel off paper or aluminum foil. Refrigerate until ready to use. Great for ice cream cups, whipped cream cups or even fruit cups! Yield: 20 cups depending on thickness of each cup.

Rocky Road Fudge

1 lb. chocolate candy coatings
1 cup peanut butter
1 1/4 cups chopped walnuts
1/2 bag small marshmallows

Melt chocolate. Add peanut butter and mix well. Add chopped nuts and small marshmallows. Mix until coated. Place in ring mold or spread onto wax papered cookie sheet. Refrigerate at least 1 1/2 hours or until completely set. Unmold and place in box. If done on cookie sheet, cut into squares.

Molding Chocolate in Your Brown Bag Shortbread Pan

You can use your Shortbread Pan to mold exquisite chocolates. It is very easy.Visit our Shortbread Pans

Place the clean, oil-free, perfectly dry shortbread pan in the freezer to chill for at least an hour.

Melt ¾ or 1 pound of molding(Merckins candy Coating) chocolate (see note below) , broken into small pieces, in a double boiler over hot water. It is important not to have the water boiling, so keep an eye on it. Stir the chocolate gently as it melts. After the chocolate has melted, allow it to cool until it is just warm, but still fluid, stirring occasionally.

Remove your shortbread pan from the freezer. Quickly pour all of the chocolate into the pan, spreading it evenly to the edges. Return the pan to the freezer. After about 10 minutes, remove the pan from the freezer, turn it over and tap one edge of it on the counter, holding one hand under the chocolate. The finished chocolate will fall right into your palm. Hold a large, un-serrated kitchen knife under hot running water for a minute. Very carefully start cutting the large chocolate into serving pieces, pressing down ever so gently, so that the heat of the knife does the work. Re-heat the knife before each cut.

A word about chocolate:
Molding Chocolate differs from regular chocolate in its fat structure. It is easier to work with, and the finished chocolates don’t have to be refrigerated. You can mold good quality regular chocolate in your pan (NOT chocolate chips – they will stick terribly), but you might have a little more trouble getting it to release. It depends on the particular chocolate. And be sure to refrigerate the finished candies, or they will develop an chalky appearance or “bloom” after about a day.

Chocolate Dipped Shortbread You can also dip the points of wedge-shaped baked shortbreads into melted chocolate for an extra glamorous dessert. Any of the shortbread varieties taste good with the addition of a little chocolate.