Candy Making

11/11/12

Since my candy class a few weeks ago, I have been dying to try it out for myself. I finally bought some supplies to make some treats. I wanted to get a head start on perfecting the treats for Christmas. 

Here is a list treats that I made:
- candied popcorn
- chocolate covered Oreos
- peppermint bark
- pretzel sticks wrapped with caramel dipped in chocolate
- chocolate covered almonds
- peanut butter cups

I used light butter popcorn and drizzled chocolate & caramel on top. Sprinkled mini chocolate chips and heath bar pieces. 

I used movie butter popcorn and drizzled chocolate & caramel over the popcorn. Sprinkled christmas colored mini m&m's and heath bar pieces. 

I bought a red centered Oreo (for Christmas) and dipped them into white chocolate and milk chocolate. I used a cookie mold to get the perfectly shaped and smooth finish. 

This is quite simple. I used melted white chocolate and added peppermint crunch that I bought at my favorite candy supply store (Cakewalk). You mix in 1/4 lb of peppermint crunch with 1/2 lb white chocolate and then pour out the mixture on parchment paper. Let it harden (can refrigerate to make it harden faster).

First, I use caramel that is at room temperature. That way you can mold it. I roll a piece into a ball and then make a log out of it. I start at one end and then slowly pulled and wrap it around the pretzel. You want to leave room at the bottom so you can dip it into chocolate. 

Here is how mine looked. I dipped mine in both white and milk chocolate. You can add sprinkles for decoration. 

Homemade chocolate covered almonds. I must warn you...these are to die for and really simple. I used a peanut butter cup mold. You can use any mold or even make a bark with this. I used milk chocolate and added lightly salted almonds to the molds and covered with more chocolate and put in the freezer to set. 

I wanted to make a peanut butter cup for my husband. He loves peanut butter cups and I wanted to try and make some for him. I actually made 2 different kinds. The first one I made, I used real peanut butter and covered with chocolate. This batch was too rich and dense. The 2nd batch, I melted some peanut butter melts to see how it would turn out but continued to be hard like chocolate. The flavor of the peanut butter was better but now I have to figure out how to make the peanut butter creamer and not hard.