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"DOLORES'' COOKED CANDY RECIPES

These are all 'tried and true' candies - much used and traditional favorites. Some recipes are for easy no-cook candies.

All products for making these candies can be obtained at our local store, Sugarcraft 2715 Dixie Hwy. (Rt. 4) Hamilton OH 45015 or on Sugarcraft's web site www.sugarcraft.com
I have taught candy making for over 20 years.
I have included some hints for you.
Go Here to order a copy of my book.

Please read: 'How to correctly read a candy thermometer and other important candy making hints'
Merckens coating chocolate
This page
Almond Fun Bar
Buckeyes/Peanut butter cups
Butter Mints
Chinese New Year Chocolate Candy
Chocolate lace
Chocolate covered cherries
Chocolate covered pretzels
Chocolate covered Ritz crackers
Coconut bon bons
Cream candy center sugar-free too
Filling-2 flavor
.Dipping
Marshmallow Center
Crunch Bars
Peanut butter filling
Peppermint crunch
Pumpkin pie fudge
Quick "scratch" candy filling
Sugar-free candy filling
Truffles
Turtles
Help File
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Fast fill molds
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Fast paint molds
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*Candy recipes, pg 2*
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*COOKED CANDIES*
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OTHER
Tempering Chocolate - Explains you how to temper chocolate
Mocha Spoons  the new rage for gourmet coffees!
Painting with candy by Diane Shavkin - see photos and directions
Long-stemmed chocolate roses - pictures, how-to and prices of items needed
Other easy candy recipes - using chocolate coatings
EASY CANDIES-NO COOKING
NO-COOK PUMPKIN PIE FUDGE!!!

12 oz Orange coating chocolate
4 oz Butterscotch coating chocolate
3/4 ts Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/8 ts Nutmeg
1/8 ts Oil of Cinnamon
1 can Sweetened Condensed milk
Prepared 8x8 inch buttered pan
Melt chocolate coating in top of double boiler. Stir in spices and oil; add milk. Pour into pan; score. Add   decorations.  Cool and cut into squares.
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TIP:  FLAVORING OUR COATING CHOCOLATE:
* You should add ONLY  Lorann OILS to this chocolate coating! Never add vanilla or other water-based flavors, as this would harden your coating to the consistency of fudge. Add only drops of any oil, as they are very strong. Even walk away for a few moments, then return, to get true ideas of the taste.*

Crunch bars

1 pound Merckens Cocoa Lite coating chocolate
1/2 pound Tiny Crispy Rice #75-2106
Candy bar mold #120 mold

Melt chocolate. Add Crispy Rice; stir to blend. Pour into candy bar mold; chill, or spread on waxed paper and let harden.
Omit Crispy Rice for a plain bar

TURTLES * We carry the funnel, candy cups, pecans, chocolate and caramel loaf and mold for making turtles. YUMMY! HERE

CHOCOLATE COVERED CRACKERS
click to enlarge, You won't believe this until you try it! No one can guess what it is. It's fun for parties.
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Ritz Crackers
Peanut Butter
Merckens Coating Chocolate
Edible decorations such as Peppermint crunch shown, shaved chocolate or Sprinkle candies, even cocoa!

Melt chocolate. Spread peanut butter between 2 crackers. Dip in chocolate. Add decoration; chill.


CHOCOLATE LACE
Put Merckens Coating Chocolate in a decorating bag and use tip #2.
Pipe the lace from the bag in abstract patterns. You can't break these nicely, so make the lace only as large as desired.
This is a nice addition to your candy booth. It atracts the ladies! So dainty!
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DIPPING:
Use Merckens coating chocolate:
You can make fast easy desserts by simply dipping fruit, marshmallows, cookies, pretzels and more. Try dipping ritz crackers. You will be surprised what all you can dip. Maybe even dip some 'ruined' dessert or cookie. Bet it will taste just fine coated with Merckens chocolate! Just melt chocolate as usual, dip fruit or whatever and turn out on wax paper to set up, serve.
Peanut Butter Cups w/ dry Fondant #1
 Categories: Candies
      Yield: 10 servings
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     18 oz Peanut butter
    1/2 c  Butter, melted
      1 lb Dry candy fondant *
   #601 or #4 or 5 Reece cup candy mold
    paper candy cups
    coating chocolate
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Mix all ingredients
Coat the mold holding the paper candy cup with Merckens candy coating chocolate. Let chocolate set at room temperature. Form a ball of the peanut butter filling and press into the mold. Top the candy with melted chocolate. Chill.
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* Dry Candy Fondant available
Merckens® coating/dipping chocolate available HERE

'DOLORES' CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER FILLING... for filled candies

Note: Make up one day ahead so it can mellow and ripen. Combine ingredients in mixer bowl. Beat on medium until well blended and creamy. Consistency is soft and creamy. This mixture should be placed into a decorating bag, tip #12. Is too soft to form a ball. Melt dipping chocolate. Make shells in candy mold cavities, pipe filling into mold through decorating bag, tip #12, then cover and seal with chocolate. Chill and un-mold. Will keep in cool dry place up to 3-4 weeks. Source: I developed it.
NOTE: Add invertase if keeping longer than 3 or weeks. It will help them not to dry out.
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* Dry Candy Fondant available
Merckens® coating/dipping chocolate available HERE

A Chocolate Lover's Treat from Ohio
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(NAPSA) - Here's a snack that's perfect for any special occasion - the Buckeye. You might have heard of this chocolate-lover's treat, but have you ever wondered where it got its name? This unique snack has a history just as rich as its flavor.

Candy buckeyes are named after the shiny, dark nuts of the Buckeye Tree-the official state tree for Ohio. The state's original settlers found it to be an unfamiliar tree in the forest, and adopted it as a symbol of Ohio heritage. These pioneers carved the soft buckeye wood into troughs, platters and even cradles. Today, buckeye trees are prominent in the Ohio River Valley, and are known for being resilient and hearty.
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The nuts of the tree, w(ich are actually mildly toxic, gere given their name because of their resemblance to the eyes of white-tailed deer. Folk wisdom says that carrying a buckeye nut in your pocket brings good luck (but you might not want to try that with the candy variety).
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So, the next time you bite into one of these treats, remember that you're discovering a tiny taste of Ohio. To discover more about the state, or for free travel information and maps call 1-800-BUCKEYE.
DOLORES' BUCKEYES or great for REECE cups too (Buckeyes are actually a nut that grows on a Buckeye tree. Very popular in Ohio... and why Ohio is called 'The Buckeye State')
 
.MAKE AN IMPRESSION! ..add a leaf for realism! This is a real leaf but it is printed on edible wafer paper using food coloring instead of ink. You can order these buckeye leaves HERE.

Combine ingredients except the dipping chocolate thoroughly. Roll into 1 inch balls and turn onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. May need to let set awhile or chill. Melt dipping chocolate (available at. Sugarcraft) in top of double boiler or in microwave on 50%. Don't have chocolate hotter than 120 degrees! Drop a ball of candy into chocolate, leave top uncoated. With a table fork dipped under the ball, lift it and let the excess chocolate run off of it. Place it on the wax paper covered cookie sheet, using a toothpick to hold the ball so fork can be removed. Store tightly covered in a cool dry place. Will keep 3-6 weeks.
NOTE: Add invertase if keeping longer than 3 or weeks. It will help them not to dry out.

Check out the 'real' leaves for these! Make a great impression. They are actually wafer paper. You can order them here.

* Dry Candy Fondant available
Merckens® coating/dipping chocolate available HERE

BUCKEYE CANDIES, Version #2 - this recipe won't be like Reece Cups. Using confectioners' sugar it remains a bit slimy tasting. Its your choice.
Ingredients:
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Centers
2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
3/4 cup creamy-style peanut butter
1/4 cup unsalted, melted butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
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Coating
8 ounces (1 1/3 cups) coating chocolate
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Directions:
Mix peanut butter, vanilla, melted butter and confectioner's sugar. Use a large spoon to mix ingredients into a stiff dough. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet.
Chill until hard and insert a toothpick into the top of each ball. Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler.
Using the toothpicks, dip each ball into the chocolate, leaving a small patch of peanut butter (about 1/4 of the center) showing. Place the coated centers on the wax paper and remove the toothpick. Chill for 2 hours before serving and store in refrigerator.

BUCKEYE CANDIES, Version 3



CHOCOLATE COVERED PRETZELS - so very easy! The flavor combination of salty and sweet is enjoyed by almost anyone. These show dark and white chocolate in combination. The 'drizzle' adds to the interest!

Merckens Confectionery coating chocolate
Pretzels
Petite sprinkles
Boxes or HERE
Melt coating chocolate in tp of double boiler with hot, not boiling water in the bottom. Stir as chocolate melts..
Dip pretzel as shown.  I recommend a swirl dipping fork for this.
Turn out onto was paper and let the chocolate set up.
Drizzle with opposite or any contrasting color of coating chocolate.
BASIC CREAM CENTER... the easy no-cook kind
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MIX TOGETHER Mix first 2 ingredients and let set overnight < or for several hours > tightly covered. Add cream & whip with heavy duty mixer or by hand. Divide dough into separate bowls. <I divide into 3 different batches with 3 flavors>. Makes nice batch of each. For each batch, add whatever color/flavor, etc. you like.

Below are some combinations:

TWO FLAVOR FILLING:
Mix together BASIC CREAM FILLING above.
Coat candy mold to make shells of melted chocolate in a candy mold of shape desired
Fill chocolate candy shells (still in mold) half full with filling.
Add Jelly filling on top.
Seal with melted chocolate.
Chill

QUICK "SCRATCH" FILLING
Very creamy candy centers...available here or to make premade fillings stretch farther... start with redy-made easy fillings.
Empty filling into mixer bowl
add:
3/4 stick butter or margarine.
If you plan to put this in a dec. bag for filling cavities, you could also add:
sweetened condensed milk to desired consistency.
Beat to light and fluffy. Place in pastry bag with tip 12 and fill mold cavities.
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Peanut butter filling:
add about 1/4 cup more peanut butter, to formula above.
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Other Ideas:
Add more nuts, more cherries, etc.
To make your candies similar to Godiva chocolates, add our pastry fillings (avail HERE):
Place desired filling in pastry bag; pipe a small amount on top of your filling after it is in the chocolate shell; top with melted chocolate to seal.
EX: Add cherry filling to the above cherry dough, strawberry to strawberry.

SUGAR-FREE CANDY FILLING
Posted by deneen on October 29, 2004
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1 qt whipping cream, beat until stiff
then add
sugar free instant pudding that has had 1 cup milk added
whisked until set. kinda mousse like
Add color, nuts, raisins or fruits as desired.

RECONSTITUTED DRY FONDANT
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Dry fondant will be the same as the fondant you prepare yourself. The difference is that dry fondant is easier to use, will store for long periods of time and is ready to use when you are ready to make candy.
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For each
2 1/2 cups of dry fondant, add 4 tablespoons water in the top of a double boiler. Stir well and be sure there is no extra powdered fondant. The fondant should liquefy into a paste. Heat to 170 degrees, add coloring and oil flavors (extract flavors contain alcohol so they cook out about 120 degrees). Pour into funnel and deposit in party mint molds or center molds. Gather drippings and reheat to pour.
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Yellow rubber mold shown above can be ordered here:
Candy funnel shown above can be ordered here:
Dry candy fondant available HERE

CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRIES ...The Liquid type
Maraschino cherries, retain juice
Dry Candy Fondant
Two 16 oz Squeeze Bottles
Merckens® Dark Chocolate Compound Coating
Cake Rack
8" angled spatula
Chocolate Covered Cherry Bon-Bon mold #500
Drain maraschino cherries on paper towels.
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Mix 10 part fondant and 1 part Maraschino cherry juice in a bowl and pour into a squeeze bottle. This should be the consistency of Karo syrup. Don't worry you can't ruin this! This mixture should be thick enough to hold down the cherry.
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Warm chocolate in a double boiler. Add melted chocolate to the other squeeze bottle. Squeeze out chocolate into each mold cavity. Tilt the mold to be sure each cavity is coated clear to the tops all around. Invert mold over a cake rack with either wax paper or a foiled pan underneath to catch the excess chocolate. Let the excess chocolate drip out.  When chocolate starts to set up < not shiny & is "rubbery >, use a small bent spatula to scrape off drippings level at tops of each cavity. Let chocolate shell completely harden.
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Place a maraschino cherrie in each molded shell cavity. Add syrup to 1/4" from the top. Using the squeeze bottle of chocolate working in a spiral from outside to center, adding chocolate on the top to carefully seal. Chill in freezer section only until chocolate separates from the mold, about 10 minutes. More time may crack the chocolate shells. Invert mold to dump out finished cherries CAREFULLY! They may crack if they hit the table hard & you have to eat all your mistakes.

Wrap cherry in 3 x 4 foil candy squares. If you don't wrap, "leaks" develop. I use the cherries in the pretty foil to add color to my candy boxes.

COCONUT BON BONS... "Almond Fun" (Like the famous bar) In a small pan, heat the corn syrup to quite hot, but do not boil. Then pour into bowl containing the coconut and mix thoroughly with a spoon or spatula, cover with wax paper and set aside for one hour so that the coconut will become well saturated with the corn syrup. Wet hands and roll into balls. Excellent as a bon bon filling or used in almond candy mold or candy bar mold. Nice to dip in white or pink coating. For Valentine's Day, I dip white or pink, then drizzle on red coating. NOTE: finely chopped nuts and/or almonds or cherries may be added to this mixture for variety.

"Almond Fun" (Like the famous bar)
As above using mold Small candy bars
both plain and with almond Mold #90-5126
Coat mold with chocolate and drop an almond in;chill shell
add filling; top with chocolate.
* Dry Macaroon coconut available HERE


UN-COOKED MARSHMALLOW Soak gelatin in the cold water; set aside. In a saucepan, combine warm water sugar and invert sugar. Heat, but do not boil. When heated so that mixture just starts to bubble around the edges, remove from stove. Pour into a large mixer bowl; add soaked gelatin, corn syrup and vanilla slowly and whip till white and doubled in bulk. Pour finished mixture into a buttered pan, or oiled candy molds, ect. Let stand 24 hours, cut in squares. Ideas: Cut and roll in coconut, dip shapes in chocolate, ect. To form bunnies and chicks, increase gelatin to 3 1/2 tablespoons. Push the stick in and then dip; decorate as desired.
Shared by Margo

Marshmallow cream
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     2 1/4 cup of invert sugar, divided
     4 1/2 tablespoon dried egg whites
     2 1/4 cup light corn syrup
     1 teaspoon clear vanilla
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     In a mixing bowl, combine 1 1/8 cups of the invert sugar with the dried egg whites; whip at low speed of electric mixer to blend. Set aside. In a saucepan, combine remaining invert sugar & corn syrup. Heat to approximately 210'. Slowly add heated syrup to egg white mixture & beat on high until light & very white. Add vanilla. Store in covered container & use in any recipe calling for marshmallow cream. Makes appox. 3 1/2 quarts.
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Soak gelatin in warm water for 30 minutes or more. Butter one 12 x 18 " pan. Place 1/2 cup water, sugar, and Nulomoline in a 1 1/2 qt. saucepan and cook over medium heat until mixture is hot, and sugar is dissolved. When hot, not boiling, add gelatin and sitr until dissolved. Pour into a mixing bowl and begin to mix on medium speed. Add corn syrup and vanilla. Whip on high speed until white, fluffy, and double in bulk. The marshmallow will hold a soft peak. Pour into a prepared pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and let set at least 24 hours before cutting. Cut marshmallows and roll in powdered sugar. Store in a sealed container.
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Variations:
Place marshmallows in a strainer, run under lukewarm water, then roll in Macaroon Coconut which has been toasted in a warm oven until golden brown.
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Animal shapes can be made by buttering cookie cutters and cutting marshmallow animals. These may be dusted with powdered sugar or dipped in melted coating or melted, tempered chocolate.
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Scraps may be turned into rocky road by adding them to melted dark chocolate-flavored coating and poiuring them out on waxed paper.
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Molded shaped may be created by spraying candy molds with PAM and filling them with marshmallow. When the marshmallow reaches the soft peak stage, fill an 18" pastry bag and squeez marshmallow into identations.


PEPPERMINT CRUNCH, very easy and a Hamilton Ohio sensation!

1 pound Merckens white coating chocolate
1/2 pound peppermint crunch
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Directions:
Melt coating chocolate in top of double boiler. Put 1/2 pound of peppermint crunch in the chocolate. Stir to coat. Turn out onto wax paper. Lay another sheet of wax paper over the candy. Press it down smooth. Slide a cardboard or cookie sheet underneath the candy and lift to place in the freezer to chill. Break apart. The p. crunch is available in red/green combination and also just in red for Valentine's Day.



TRUFFLES
1 pound dark chocolate (recommended: Merckens)
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons orange flavored liqueur, optional (recommended: Grand Marnier)
1 tablespoon prepared coffee
1/2 teaspoon good vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar
Cocoa powder
Directions
Chop the chocolates finely with a sharp knife. Place them in a heat-proof mixing bowl.

Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it just boils. Turn off the heat and allow the cream to sit for 20 seconds. Pour the cream through a fine-meshed sieve into the bowl with chocolate. With a wire whisk, slowly stir the cream and chocolates together until the chocolate is completely melted. Whisk in the orange flavored liqueur, if using, coffee, and vanilla. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour.

With 2 teaspoons, spoon round balls of the chocolate mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roll each ball of chocolate in your hands to roughly make it round. Roll in confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, or both. These will keep refrigerated for weeks, but serve them at room temperature.

WHITE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
Ingredients
2 tablespoons heavy cream
7 ounces good white Merckens chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons Irish cream liqueur (recommended: Baileys)
1/2 teaspoon good vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
6 ounces Merckens dark chocolate, chopped
Directions
Place the cream in a heat-proof bowl, and set the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Cook until heated through. Using a wire whisk, slowly stir the white chocolate into the warm cream until completely melted. Whisk in the liqueur and vanilla. Cover and chill for 1 hour or until pliable but firm enough to scoop.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

With 2 teaspoons or a 1 1/4-inch ice cream scoop, make dollops of the chocolate mixture and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes, until firm enough to roll into rough spheres.

Place the chopped hazelnuts on a sheet pan and place them in the oven for 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Melt the bittersweet chocolate in a heat-proof bowl, set over a pan of simmering water.

Drizzle the melted bittersweet chocolate over 10 of the truffles. Roll the remaining truffles in the chopped nuts. Chill until ready to serve.



Chinese New Year Chocolate Candy
INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
2 cups Merckens coating chocolate
2 cups butterscotch or peanut flavored coating chocolate
2 1/2 cups dry-roasted peanuts
4 cups chow mein noodles

DIRECTIONS
Butter a 9x13 inch dish.
Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Remove from heat and stir in peanuts. Stir in noodles until all is well coated. Press into prepared dish. Chill until set; cut into squares.
 
 
 


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