Thursday Thirteen - The I want candy edition

 

 

Milk Duds

Whoppers

Skittles

Sour Patch Kids (only the orange ones)

Sweet Tarts

a plain, good old fashioned Hershey bar

Payday

Milky Way*

Almond Joy

Idaho Spud

Rocky Road

Charleston Chews (the minis, trust me)

Hot Tamales

*Snickers are gross. Don't at me.

Easiest Fudge in the World

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 bags milk chocolate chips
2 tea vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (if you want them)

Heat canned milk and chips in a pan until melted, on medium heat. You don’t want it to heat too fast. When the chips are melted, remove from heat and add vanilla and nuts. Mix quickly and pour into a pan that is lined on bottom and sides with foil. Refrigerate until it sets up. Peel away from foil and cut into squares. Store in an air tight bowl. Does not need to be refrigerated. 

When I make the peanut butter fudge, I do one batch with milk chocolate and then another batch with peanut butter chips. I layer them and then refrigerate. OR, if you don’t want a double batch (that uses 4 bags of chips), you can use I bag milk chocolate and 1 bag peanut butter chips mixed together.

Also good is two batches layered, white chocolate and butterscotch.  Finally, you can use semi-sweet or even dark chocolate chips to spark up your fudge if you really want too.  However, there is nothing wrong with white chocolate macadamia nut fudge.  Nothing at all!

Cinnamon Glazed Pecans

1 stick butter (real butter, not margarine)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup brown sugar
1 pound pecan halves

Stove directions: Melt butter in heavy, deep frying pan (cast iron is best). Add brown sugar and cinnamon. Mix well and cook to bubbly for five minutes. Add pecans and vanilla, mix well andcook 8 minutes. Cool on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and store in an air tight container.

Microwave directions: Melt butter in casserole dish. Add brown sugar and cinnamon and mix well. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes.

Add pecans and vanilla – Mix well and cook 3 to 5 minutes more. Cool on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and store in an air tight container.

Classic Fudge

This is my mom's favorite fudge. I used to make it three or four times a year. It is a pain in the butt to make, and your arms will ache from stirring/beating, (just sayin) but it is totally worth it if you do it right.

Makes about 36 pieces or 1 3/4 pounds 3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cup milk 2/3 cup Hershey's cocoa
1/4 cup butter 1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Line a 8-9 in square pan with foil extending over edges. Butter the pan. Get a small cup and fill it half full with water and set it in a cereal bowl full of ice.

Mix sugar, cocoa, and salt in a 4 quart heavy saucepan and stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a full rolling boil.

Boil, constantly stirring, until mixture reaches 234 degrees on candy thermometer

(or until a small amount of fudge (like, 1/4 teaspoon) forms a small soft ball when dropped into the very cold water you have in the ice bowl, and it flattens when removed from water. To test this, drop the spoon of fudge into the water. Grab it with your fingers. If it stays firm but manageable (as in not dripping off your finger) think cream cheese consistency, then it's done. If you don't trust your fudge fondling abilities, rely upon the thermometer) Trust me on this.

Remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla. DO NOT STIR!!! Cool at room temperature to 110 degrees (lukewarm).

When cool, beat it with a wooden spoon ( like your mom used to use on you when you were younger) until fudge thickens and starts to lose some of it's glossy appearance. Spread quickly into prepared pan and cool completely. Cut into squares.

FOR BEST RESULTS DO NOT DOUBLE THIS RECIPE