Hard Candy- Christmas Cookies-December 2009

We had a friend of the family who always made hard candy as a gift for Christmas.  It was always several color coded flavors which were broken into shards and coated with powdered sugar.  I figured I’d try to replicate that candy.  I could only find two flavors that interested me:  peppermint and watermelon.

Here’s the basic recipe:

2 cups of sugar

1 cup of corn syrup

1 tablespoon of water

1 teaspoon of candy flavoring

food coloring

Pretty simple really mix the sugar, water and corn syrup in a sauce pan and heat to Hard Crack Stage (302 degree F). 

 Add the candy flavoring and food coloring.  Pour into mold.  Chill.  Break out of mold. Coat with powdered sugar.

It’s kind of magical.  When candy flavoring hits the sugar mixture the aroma fills the house.  Also, it gets in your eyes and in the case of peppermint leaves you crying like an infant while you pour the molten sugar into molds.

 The molds didn’t turn out so good. 

 If anyone has any experience with candy making and mold usage I’d love to have some tips/tricks.

 They were tasty and I'll try more flavors next year.

Hard Candy- Christmas Cookies-December 2009

We had a friend of the family who always made hard candy as a gift for Christmas.  It was always several color coded flavors which were broken into shards and coated with powdered sugar.  I figured I’d try to replicate that candy.  I could only find two flavors that interested me:  peppermint and watermelon.

Here’s the basic recipe:

2 cups of sugar

1 cup of corn syrup

1 tablespoon of water

1 teaspoon of candy flavoring

food coloring

Pretty simple really mix the sugar, water and corn syrup in a sauce pan and heat to Hard Crack Stage (302 degree F). 

 Add the candy flavoring and food coloring.  Pour into mold.  Chill.  Break out of mold. Coat with powdered sugar.

It’s kind of magical.  When candy flavoring hits the sugar mixture the aroma fills the house.  Also, it gets in your eyes and in the case of peppermint leaves you crying like an infant while you pour the molten sugar into molds.

 The molds didn’t turn out so good. 

 If anyone has any experience with candy making and mold usage I’d love to have some tips/tricks.

 They were tasty and I'll try more flavors next year.

Gamma Nell's Cheese Straws

Happy New Year everyone!! I am late getting this up but better late than never!! These are a family favorite and are famous in my Mom's home town cuz she always takes them to funerals (known there as the Funeral Cheese Straws). I use them as Christmas gifts and folks typically get mad if I don't make them every year.

These are easy - only three ingredients:
2 boxes Betty Crocker Pie crust mix
1 16oz. block sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp. cayenne pepper



Grate the cheese while it is still cold, then let it sit out until it comes to room temperature - it mixes so much better when not cold.



Place all ingredients in a mixer - I use the triangular shaped attachment (don't know what it is technically called). Start on slow to mix everything and then gradually increase the speed and mix on high for several minutes - this will soften the dough and "fluff" it a bit.



I use one of the old Mirro cookie presses with the star die. This is a thick dough so some of the newer styles aren't tough enough for the job. Squirt the dough out onto a cookie sheet and then cut each line into 2-3 inch bars. (I am now realizing what a horrid picture this is of me!!!)



Bake at 350 for about 11 minutes, let cool. Pour a glass of wine and enjoy!!!

Gamma Nell's Cheese Straws

Happy New Year everyone!! I am late getting this up but better late than never!! These are a family favorite and are famous in my Mom's home town cuz she always takes them to funerals (known there as the Funeral Cheese Straws). I use them as Christmas gifts and folks typically get mad if I don't make them every year.

These are easy - only three ingredients:
2 boxes Betty Crocker Pie crust mix
1 16oz. block sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp. cayenne pepper



Grate the cheese while it is still cold, then let it sit out until it comes to room temperature - it mixes so much better when not cold.



Place all ingredients in a mixer - I use the triangular shaped attachment (don't know what it is technically called). Start on slow to mix everything and then gradually increase the speed and mix on high for several minutes - this will soften the dough and "fluff" it a bit.



I use one of the old Mirro cookie presses with the star die. This is a thick dough so some of the newer styles aren't tough enough for the job. Squirt the dough out onto a cookie sheet and then cut each line into 2-3 inch bars. (I am now realizing what a horrid picture this is of me!!!)



Bake at 350 for about 11 minutes, let cool. Pour a glass of wine and enjoy!!!

Buckeyes – Sara – December 09

Recipe (taken from Better homes & Garden Cookbook “Peanut Butter Balls”):

½ cup Peanut Butter

3 Tbsp butter

1 cup powdered sugar

6 oz chocolate-flavored candy coating

This was super duper easy. Mix everything except candy coating (I got a microwaveable variety) and form into a ball.

Take that ball, stick it on a toothpick and dip into chocolate.

Cool in the fridge for as long as you can stand it before you have to eat one! They were good, and I can fit more than one in my mouth!

Buckeyes – Sara – December 09

Recipe (taken from Better homes & Garden Cookbook “Peanut Butter Balls”):

½ cup Peanut Butter

3 Tbsp butter

1 cup powdered sugar

6 oz chocolate-flavored candy coating

This was super duper easy. Mix everything except candy coating (I got a microwaveable variety) and form into a ball.
Take that ball, stick it on a toothpick and dip into chocolate.

Cool in the fridge for as long as you can stand it before you have to eat one! They were good, and I can fit more than one in my mouth!

White Castle Stuffing

I realize this post probably falls outside the expected realm for "Holiday Treat". I don't have a real sweet tooth, never have. Sure, I'll eat a pound or two of peanut brittle if it's placed in front of me, but in general I don't. Pam and I did some baking this holiday season, but I decided to post the holiday treat I like the best.

Here's the deal: I'm from Southern Indiana. It's redneck country. I was raised as one and many members of my family are proudly such. We are simple folk. We like beer, trucks, guns, loud music, and beer. But there is a hallowed holiday tradition in my family, White Castle. More specifically, there's a hallowed tradition amongst the men in my family. The women folk refuse to partake for reasons unknown. But to me, nothing portends St. Nick sliding up and down your chimney like a White Castle hamburger sliding in and out of me.

In fact, a redneck in a White Castle looks something like this:

So, for my holiday treat posting, I give you WHITE CASTLE STUFFING!

This recipe is super easy. So easy a caveman....er, redneck can do it.

- 10 White Castle hamburgers, pickles removed. (I bought mine the day before and refrigerated them. Remember, White Castle is closed Christmas day for baby Jesus, so PRELOAD!)

- 1 1/4 cup chopped celery

- sage

- pepper

- 1 or so tsp. of poultry seasoning

- 1/4 cup chicken broth

All you gotta do is pull the hamburgers into little pieces in a big bowl.

Add in the celery and seasoning. Then slowly add the broth as you toss by hand. Empty the contents into a casserole dish and bake @ 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or so. Here's before the oven and after.

Reactions were mixed. Generally there was a mix between those who would eat some and those who would not. Of those that tried it (the men), it was agreed that it was quite good. Surprisingly, it didn't taste much like White Castle hamburgers, which I still can't quite figure out. Below is my cousin from New York enjoying it. For my dollar, enjoying this stuffing with your bird and some Big Red cola and you got yourself a holiday. Ain't nothin' sweeter.