Holiday Classics Christmas Candy to Make at Home
Candy-making at home sounds intimidating, but this is not the kind that requires tempered chocolate and molds painted with glycerin. Instead, it's the sort of old-fashioned candy that our grandmothers used to make: divinity, boiled sweets, toffee. Some will require an inexpensive candy thermometer—pulled-ribbon candy, for example, which is ambitious enough to be an evening's entertainment for the whole family—whereas for butter mints, you don't even need to apply heat to get a sweet, creamy treat.
That's not to say that I don't like things dipped in chocolate as well, of course, but above all I do like straightforward, if not downright simple, recipes. Tempering chocolate—a complicated system of heating and cooling it to specific temperatures to achieve a smooth texture and glossy finish—was for the days before I had children, and I can honestly say I have not attempted to do it since my first child was born. What I do now is reach for the bag of chocolate chips that's generally sitting in my cupboards somewhere, and melt that whenever I want to coat something in chocolate.
The lazy (busy) woman's method of "tempering" is to add a tablespoon of vegetable oil or, even better, solid vegetable shortening, to the chocolate as it melts in the microwave or double-boiler; this will make the finished product glossy and shiny. You can do the same trick successfully even with higher-quality chocolate, such as the Ghirardelli 60% or 70% cacao bars that are available in any supermarket's baking section.
Maybe my standards haven't slipped so far after all! All I know is, no one has ever turned down any of the candy treats in this chapter.
Christmas Divinity
the time of year this recipe works best
* * *
Makes about 1 pound candy
Southerners love divinity, which is kind of funny when you consider that people who live in one of the hottest, most humid parts of the United States like a candy that simply cannot be made in humid weather: The divinity will simply languish on the baking sheet, soggy and refusing to firm up. That's probably why it always appears on Christmas buffets and in gift boxes. The cold, crisp December air helps make each sugary puff as fluffy and light as possible. I like chopped pecans throughout the mixture, but you can skip the chopping and press an entire pecan half on top of each puff. Walnuts are good here, too.
2? cups sugar
? cup light corn syrup
? cup warm water
2 egg whites
1? teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves. Continue cooking without stirring until the mixture reaches 250°F.
While the sugar is cooking, beat the egg whites in a stand mixer until stiff peaks form. (You can use a hand mixer, but a stand mixer makes adding the sugar syrup easier.) With the mixer running, very, very slowly drizzle in half the sugar syrup directly from the saucepan.
Return the saucepan to the heat and continue cooking the remaining syrup for a few more minutes until the mixture reaches 270°F.
With the mixer running, drizzle the remaining syrup into the egg whites. Continue to beat at a medium speed until the divinity is glossy and thick. Depending on the weather, this can take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes.
Once the divinity thickens and looks shiny (and will hold its shape), beat in the vanilla and nuts.
Working quickly, use a pair of teaspoons to drop dollops of divinity onto the parchment paper, using one spoon to push the candy off the other. If you're a pro, you may be able to make a swirl on top of each candy with the back of the spoon. Let sit until firm. Store the divinity in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Baked Pralines
fragile, crisp, and lovely to behold
* * *
Makes about 2 dozen pralines
"Real" pralines are an exquisite concoction of boiled sugar and butter with nuts dropped onto paper in dabs. "Baked" pralines are a completely different item—more like an extremely delicate cookie—but they still fall under the heading "confection" because of their incredibly thin, crackling shells. They're almost like a French macaron in the way they puff. Plan to serve them within a day or two of making them because humidity is their enemy.
8 ounces (about 2 cups) pecan halves
2 egg whites
2 cups light brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
? teaspoon salt
1? teaspoons vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 275°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Put the pecan halves in the food processor and pulse two to three times to chop them very coarsely. (You can also do this by hand.) Don't process them to a paste. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with a hand mixer, until they are stiff but not dry. Add all the remaining ingredients to the egg whites, folding them in with a wide spatula. Fold in the chopped nuts.
Drop heaping teaspoons of the mixture by 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets (you should be able to get all the cookies onto the prepared sheets). Bake the pralines for 25 to 30 minutes, until they're crisp and puffed. Cool the pralines completely before carefully removing them from the parchment. Store them in an airtight container for a day or two (they'll still taste good a few days later, but they won't have that delicate crust).
Creamy Eggnog Fudge
good with or without the rum
* * *
Makes about 2 pounds fudge
Once I discovered the ease of making fudge with marshmallow cream, I never looked back. I'd spent too many years madly beating the boiled-sugar-and-cocoa kind, only to have it refuse to set up. So marshmallow cream (I do prefer the Fluff brand, if only from force of habit) has become my magic ingredient. The eggnog in this recipe is more of a nod to the flavor than a necessity, since the "eggnog" taste really comes from the nutmeg, vanilla, and rum extract. So if you don't have any eggnog left in your fridge, you can make this with evaporated milk or cream.
2 cups sugar
2 cups (7 ounces) marshmallow cream
? cup (1 stick) butter
? cup store-bought eggnog (preferably the full-fat kind)
2 cups (12 ounces) white chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon rum extract (or 2 tablespoons dark rum)
? teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus a bit more for the topping
Line a 9-inch square pan with foil, letting a few inches hang over the sides. Lightly grease the foil and the sides of the pan with butter.
In a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, mix the sugar, marshmallow cream, butter, and eggnog. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 5 minutes, until the mixture registers 234°F on a candy thermometer.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the white chocolate chips. Stir until they are melted and fully incorporated, then add the vanilla, rum extract, and nutmeg.
Turn the fudge into the pan and immediately top it with a generous grating of additional nutmeg, patting it gently with the back of a spoon (or the tips of your fingers) to lightly press the nutmeg into the surface. Cover, and chill until firm. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the fudge, and cut it into 1-inch squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Peppermint Fudge
use up those extra candy canes
* * *
Makes about 2 pounds fudge
This is as easy as the eggnog fudge, but this time it's dark chocolate with a minty kick. The crushed candy canes (or those round pinwheel peppermint candies) add crunch and texture. Break the candy up in the food processor, being careful not to overprocess it to a powder, or seal the candy in a heavy, gallon-size zip-top storage bag and let the kids crush it with the bottom of a heavy mug.
2 cups sugar
2 cups (7 ounces) marshmallow cream
? cup (5 ounces) evaporated milk
5 tablespoons butter
? teaspoon salt
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup crushed candy canes or peppermint candies
? teaspoon peppermint extract
Line a 9-inch square pan with foil, letting a few inches hang over the sides. Lightly grease the foil and the sides of the pan with butter.
In a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, marshmallow cream, evaporated milk, butter, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, and cook until the temperature reaches 234°F on a candy thermometer, about 5 minutes.
Pour in the chocolate chips and half of the crushed candy, stirring until the chocolate is melted. Add the peppermint extract, stir, and turn the fudge into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining crushed candy over the surface, pressing it down lightly so it sticks.
Chill the fudge until set, then cut it into 1-inch squares. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. (Note that if your container isn't airtight, the humidity in the fridge may cause the crushed candy on top to soften.)
Peppermint Bark
who needs gourmet stores?
* * *
Makes about 2 pounds bark
If you've ever purchased chocolate bark, you'll probably feel a little foolish when you make it at home for the first time: it's that easy, the candymaker's equivalent of boiling water. Using chocolate chips is fine, but you can also use your favorite gourmet chocolate instead. (You can also buy very cheap chunks of chocolate labeled "bark." This type of chocolate usually has no cocoa solids—but it works well!) If you are using chips, stirring a tiny bit of vegetable oil into the melted chocolate makes for a smoother, glossier finish.
Bark is endlessly forgiving and you can vary it as you like: Use only one type of chocolate and make a single layer, or skip the peppermint extract and candy and stir in 1 cup of dried fruit and 1 cup of chopped nuts (such as dried cranberries and chopped pistachios—sprinkle some nuts and fruit on top as well), or use white chocolate chips and butterscotch chips and sprinkle crushed butterscotch candies on the top.
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons peppermint extract
2 cups (12 ounces) white chocolate chips
1? cups crushed peppermint candies or candy canes
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly buttered foil.
Put the semisweet chips in a microwavable bowl and nuke them for 2 minutes on high. The chips may still appear whole at this point, but they will quickly dissolve. Stir vigorously, adding in 2 teaspoons of the oil and 1 teaspoon of the peppermint extract, and continuing to beat the chips until they're smooth. You may not need any more melting time, but if you do, put the bowl back in the microwave for 10-second bursts, stirring between each, to avoid scorching the chocolate.
Pour the melted chocolate onto the prepared pan, spreading it with a rubber spatula. Firm it up in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
Following the directions in Step 2, melt the white chips. Add the remaining oil and peppermint extract, then pour over the chocolate bark. Quickly sprinkle the top with the crushed peppermint candies so they stick to the melted chocolate. Firm up in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, then break the bark into chunks. Store the bark in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
White Chocolate, Cherry, and Pistachio Drops
just a hint of orange
* * *
Makes about 2? dozen candies
These are like bark but fancier, since you spoon them into individual drops, which makes for good candy to bag up as a gift or to present in little paper cups on a dessert table. They have that slightly lumpy homemade finish that says, "I made it myself!" (In a good way, of course.) Macadamias also taste good here, but then you won't get that subtle holiday red-and-green combo of cherries and pistachios. If you have one of those pricey little bottles of pure orange oil, this is the place to use it. Otherwise, orange zest adds a lovely flavor.
2 cups (12 ounces) white chocolate chips
? teaspoon pure orange oil or the grated zest of 1 orange
1 cup dried cherries (or dried cranberries), plus more for garnish, if desired
? cup chopped pistachios, plus more for garnish, if desired
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly buttered foil.
Put the white chocolate chips in a microwavable bowl and nuke them for 1 minute on high. The chips may still appear whole at this point, but they will quickly dissolve. Stir vigorously, adding in the oil and continuing to beat the chips until they're smooth. You may not need any more melting time, but if you do, microwave the chocolate in 10-second bursts, stirring between each, to avoid scorching it.
Blend in the orange oil or zest, then add the cherries and pistachios. Working quickly, use a pair of teaspoons to drop spoonfuls onto the prepared pan. (If you like, press additional cherries, pistachios, orange zest, or a combination, on top of each drop.) Let the drops sit until firm, or firm them up in the refrigerator. Store them in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Homemade Ribbon Candy
feel the pull
* * *
Makes about 1? pounds candy
One Christmas during my childhood, someone gave my family a huge tin of ribbon candy, each piece set into elaborate squiggles just like curled ribbon. There were solid colors and stripes, too, and to be honest, it didn't even taste that great, but my siblings and I were enchanted with it, and we ate every last shard. (To a kid, sugar is sugar, after all.) Only in recent years have I had the nerve to try making my own ribbon candy, however, since all the hot sugar seemed intimidating. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that it's not very hard and it's wildly fun. This is a great family project for a Friday evening.
Make sure everyone has a pair of disposable plastic gloves so no little fingers get burned. You'll also definitely need a candy thermometer and a metal dough scraper or large metal spatula. You also need a lot of pans to hold all that hot sugar as you work. If you don't have that many baking sheets, press other large pans, such as a roasting pan or a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, into service.
Vegetable oil
3 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon pure peppermint oil (or 2 teaspoons peppermint extract)
Red and green food coloring (liquid or paste)
Preheat the oven to 185°F. Dip a wadded-up paper towel in vegetable oil and grease four baking sheets.
In a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and ? cup water. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring continuously until the sugar has dissolved. Then allow it to boil, without stirring, until it reaches 300°F (hard-crack stage) on a candy thermometer.
Quickly stir in the peppermint oil and pour one-third of the mixture onto the first prepared sheet. Pour another third of the mixture into a second sheet and the rest into a third sheet. Drop 4 drops of red food coloring atop the candy on one sheet, and 4 drops of green coloring on another. Set the uncolored sheet and the green sheet into the warm oven.
Wet a dish towel and wring it out. Fold it in half and spread it on a clean work surface. Place the red baking sheet on top of the dish towel to prevent it from sliding around on the counter. Let the candy sit for a few minutes until it cools enough to have a sort of crust or skin on top. Use a little vegetable oil to grease both sides of a metal dough scraper or a large metal spatula, and use this to push and pull the candy, spreading it around the baking sheet to incorporate the red food coloring.
After a few minutes of this mixing, the candy should have cooled just enough for you to handle it. Put on plastic gloves and lightly grease your gloved hands with vegetable oil. Pick up the whole hunk of hot sugar (or use a sharp knife to cut it into 2 or 3 pieces and hand a chunk to each child). Pull it between your hands (or, more fun, pull it between 2 people), stretching it out and folding it back on itself, twisting the candy into a rope that you then pull again. Pull and twist for 3 to 4 minutes, until the candy is no longer transparent and the color permeates it; it will have cooled and started to firm up. If you mixed pieces separately, recombine them into a thick rope and place it back on the baking sheet. Put it into the warm oven and repeat the process with the remaining 2 baking sheets. (The candy without any coloring will turn white and opaque as you pull it.)
Use the vegetable oil to lightly grease the blades of a pair of clean kitchen shears. Cut a short length of candy off of each rope and return all the baking sheets to the oven so the ropes remain pliable. Pull each cut piece into a 6-inch strip. Lay the 3 strips side by side and begin pulling them together. Gently twist and mold to make a tricolor candy ribbon. When you get the look you like, pull it into as thin a ribbon as possible and cut 6-inch lengths with the greased scissors. Curl them into a ribbon shape and lay them gently on the fourth prepared baking sheet to firm up at room temperature.
Repeat with all the remaining candy, making any color combinations you like. Any time the candy gets too firm to mold, set it back in the warm oven for a few minutes. When you're finished, let all the finished ribbons cool to room temperature to firm up, then store them in zip-top storage bags, pushing out as much air as possible before sealing them so the candy doesn't get sticky from any humidity in the air. As long they stay dry, they'll keep indefinitely.
Butter Mints
dressed in festive green
* * *
Makes about 8 dozen mints
When I was a child, people made butter mints for two occasions: weddings and Christmas. Wedding mints came in various pastel tints: pink, yellow, blue. But Christmas ones were only green, a creamy hue that hinted at the delicate flavor of the handmade treat. Back then, they were the province of little old ladies and maiden aunts, but they were always the first thing to disappear off a buffet table—one of those goodies whose simple ingredients belied their addictive taste. These get better after sitting in their tins for a few days, as the mint flavor melds with the butter and blooms, and the confectioners' sugar loses its raw taste.
1 pound (about 4 cups) confectioners' sugar, plus more for tossing
? cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure peppermint oil (or 2 teaspoons peppermint extract)
Green food coloring
Line a couple of baking sheets with wax paper. Put the sugar and butter in a large bowl and rub them together with your fingers. (You can use a fork, but clean hands work best, also making this an ideal job for any young person who may be hanging about your kitchen.)
Stir the peppermint oil and 2 drops of green food coloring into 1 tablespoon of water (to help distribute the flavor and color) and sprinkle this over the surface of the butter and sugar. Stir to combine, then pour the contents of the bowl onto a clean work surface and knead with your hands until a firm dough is formed. If you absolutely must, you can add up to 1 tablespoon of water more, but do this 1 teaspoon at a time. (If you get this dough too wet, there's no going back. Better to knead for a moment or two and see if it comes together before resorting to extra water.) Continue to knead for several minutes until the dough is elastic and shiny.
Divide the dough into quarters and roll each into a ball. Set 3 dough pieces aside, covered with a sheet of plastic wrap or a damp, well-wrung dish towel. Roll each ball out into a long rope about ? inch in diameter. Use a sharp kitchen knife to cut it into ?-inch lengths, so each mint is a little squarish pillow, pinched at each end, and lay the cut mints on the prepared baking sheets. Continue until you've cut all the remaining dough.
Let the mints rest, uncovered, at room temperature for several hours, until they are firm and dry to the touch, shaking the sheets now and then to roll them around so they dry on all sides. Store them in airtight tins (or plastic zip-top storage bags with the air pressed out, if you don't have tins) for up to 2 weeks at room temperature, or up to 3 months in the freezer. If the mints seem moist, toss them with a few tablespoons of confectioners' sugar before serving.
Crispy Christmas Toffee
buttery, crisp, melting, almond-topped
* * *
Makes about 1 pound toffee
So many toffee recipes are disappointing—too chewy or not very crisp. What I want is that tender caramel flavor that breaks easily under your teeth, like… well, store-bought toffee. What you need is a tiny hint of baking soda, so the toffee puffs up but doesn't become spongy. This is that recipe, in all its buttery, sugary glory, with nuts and a sprinkle of flaky salt, for that classy salted-caramel taste. Kosher salt is fine, but if you're trying to impress someone, use fleur de sel or Maldon sea salt, and be sure to mention it!
? cup (1 stick) butter
1? cups sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
? teaspoon baking soda
? cup finely chopped almonds
? teaspoon kosher salt (or any flaky sea salt, but not iodized table salt)
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly butter it (or use parchment, which won't require buttering). In a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, sugar, 3 tablespoons of water, and the corn syrup, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Continue to cook without stirring until the mixture reaches 300°F (hard-crack stage) on a candy thermometer.
Quickly stir in the vanilla and baking soda (the mixture will foam) and pour the toffee onto the prepared baking sheet, spreading it thin with a silicone spatula.
Sprinkle the finely chopped nuts evenly over the top of the hot toffee, and then sprinkle the salt over, holding your hand 8 to 10 inches above the toffee as you do this to help the salt cover the surface evenly and to avoid salty clumps.
Let the toffee firm up at room temperature (you can speed this up by placing it in the refrigerator, but too much humidity isn't good for toffee, so remove it as soon as the toffee is hard, after 20 minutes or so). Break it into pieces and store it in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Saltine Chocolate-Almond Toffee
down and dirty, quick and delicious
* * *
Makes about 2 pounds toffee
This is one of those recipes that spreads like wildfire around the Internet, mainly because it's one of those miraculous foods that you can't believe is so good. If you don't have time to wait for traditional toffee to boil to the hard-crack stage and then firm up, this is your recipe. Kids love to lay the crackers out on the baking sheet, like a giant puzzle, while you boil the sugar and butter. The chocolate on top makes it addictively tasty, and you can use any nut here; chopped peanuts are particularly good.
40 salted soda crackers (about 1? sleeves)
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup thinly sliced almonds (or any nut you like)
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or buttered foil.
Place the crackers on the baking sheet in a single layer. In a small saucepan, bring the butter and brown sugar to a boil. When it begins to boil, let it bubble furiously for 3 minutes. Pour the toffee over the crackers and bake them for 5 minutes.
Remove the toffee from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top. Let it sit for a minute or two, then use a silicone spatula to spread the melting chocolate evenly over the surface.
Sprinkle the chocolate layer evenly with the chopped nuts and then let it cool. When it's completely cool and firm, break it into pieces. Store the toffee in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Chocolate-Covered Cherries
just this once
* * *
Makes about 3 dozen candies
Society divides pretty evenly into people who like chocolate-covered cherries and those who don't, into those who buy and eat them by the boxful and those who accidentally bite into one in a sampler and hastily tuck it back, hoping nobody will notice. I'm the latter, married to the former, inexplicably enough, and if I have to eat one, the homemade version is vastly superior to the kind my husband occasionally buys at the drugstore. Don't worry about putting a little extra fat or shortening in the chocolate—it's just a trick to make the finished coating smoother and shinier without complicated "tempering." Some people use food-grade paraffin instead. You can skip it, if you like, but your candy may not be as pretty. The stem on the cherry makes the perfect dipping handle, but if yours don't have stems, use a toothpick to dip each one, then dab a little chocolate over the hole where you remove the toothpick to make an airtight chocolate shell. Make the cherries about 1 week before you want to serve them to let the fondant centers liquefy in their chocolate shells.
1 jar (20 ounces) maraschino cherries with stems, in heavy syrup
2 cups confectioners' sugar, plus a little more as needed
3 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons corn syrup
? teaspoon pure almond extract (optional)
3 cups (18 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (or about 1 pound "coating" chocolate, such as dark chocolate bark)
1 tablespoon solid vegetable shortening or vegetable oil
Reserve 1 tablespoon of the cherry juice, then drain the cherries and gently pat them dry with paper towels, being careful to leave the stems attached. Let them sit on paper towels while you prepare the fondant. Line two baking sheets with wax or parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, corn syrup, reserved cherry liquid, and the almond extract, if using. Stir to blend. Turn the mixture out onto a clean work surface and knead until it is smooth and pliable, adding 1 or 2 more tablespoons confectioners' sugar if needed to make a firm fondant. (If your kitchen is very warm, you may need to chill it for 30 minutes in the refrigerator to stiffen it up.)
Wrap about 1? teaspoons of fondant all the way around each cherry. Line up the covered cherries on the prepared baking sheets and place them in the freezer for about 30 minutes to firm up.
While the cherries are chilling, melt the chocolate and the shortening or oil in a double boiler, stirring frequently. Turn off the heat, but keep the chocolate over the warm water.
Holding each cherry by the stem, dip it in the chocolate, turning it to coat all sides. Place the cherry back on the baking sheet; repeat the process until all are dipped (you may need to tip the chocolate container a bit toward the end so each cherry gets fully covered). Store them in a single layer in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 1 month.
Sugared Pecans
sealed in a twist of festive paper
* * *
Makes 4 cups nuts
Pecans were the nut of choice when I grew up, and we used to get them by the brown-paper sackful from my great-uncle's farm in Tennessee, where he had acres of pecan groves. So I am always a little surprised when I have to dip into the kids' college fund to buy several pounds of them at Christmastime, but they're worth it. They're one of the sweetest nuts, not terribly crunchy but with a sturdy, almost meaty texture, and they're a classic Christmas treat when toasted with a little sweet-spicy sugar coating. The ideal way to portion them out is in a cone of thick brown paper or parchment paper, perhaps with an outer layer of bright wrapping paper (you need that grease-proof inner lining). Roll a 12-inch square of paper into a cone, tape the side to hold its shape, then scoop in a generous half cup of the cooled pecans and twist the top shut.
1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups (about 1 pound) pecan halves
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or ? teaspoon table salt)
? teaspoon ground cinnamon
? teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Preheat the oven to 300°F and lightly butter a rimmed baking sheet.
In a large bowl, vigorously whisk the egg white, 2 teaspoons water, and the vanilla until foamy. Add the pecans and stir so they are well coated with egg white.
Working quickly, add the sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and toss well to coat. Immediately spread the sugary pecans onto the prepared baking sheet. You want to work fast to try to prevent the sugar from completely dissolving in the egg white.
Bake the pecans for 30 minutes, stirring and turning them occasionally, until they are browned, toasted, and completely dry, no longer wet from egg white. Cool them completely and break any clusters into individual nuts if necessary. Store the nuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Holiday Peppermints
homemade hard candy to suck
* * *
Makes about 2 cups hard candy pieces
Real peppermint oil gives the clearest, strongest flavor, but milder peppermint extract is perfectly fine. You can also try coconut, orange, or lemon extract instead, and vary the colors as you prefer. Boiling sugar is an adults-only job, but let kids dust on the confectioners' sugar and crack the finished candy. A bag of homemade, jewel-toned suckable sweets is a terrific gift.
2 cups sugar
? cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon pure peppermint oil (or 2 teaspoons peppermint extract)
4 drops red or green food coloring
Confectioners' sugar
Lightly butter a rimmed baking sheet. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, combine the granulated sugar, corn syrup, and ? cup water and stir until the sugar dissolves. Continue to cook, without stirring, until the mixture reaches 300°F (hard-crack stage).
Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the peppermint oil and food coloring. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine, then quickly pour the mixture onto the center of the baking sheet. It will spread into a wide pool.
Lightly dust the mixture with confectioners' sugar before it is fully set, then let it cool completely. Lift the hardened sheet of candy and give it a sharp crack on the baking sheet to break it into bite-size pieces. Toss the candy with a little additional confectioners' sugar to coat the pieces and prevent them from sticking together. Store them in an airtight tin at room temperature. As long as they stay dry, they'll keep indefinitely.
Homemade Peppermint Patties
sensational holiday indulgence
* * *
Makes 1? dozen mints
I am always disappointed that commercial peppermint patties aren't mintier. I like a stronger contrast between the creamy filling and the bite of strong mint, set off by dark chocolate, so I use a good dose of pure peppermint oil when I make them at home. You can adjust the amount to taste, but this is one recipe where it's best to find the real thing and not settle for peppermint extract, which is much milder. Most gourmet groceries or specialty baking stores have real peppermint oil—or wintergreen is a particularly nice alternative. I also don't mess around with chocolate chips when I make these, instead going for a couple of potent dark bars, such as Ghirardelli's, but you can use 2 cups of chips, if you like.
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons heavy cream
? teaspoon pure peppermint oil or 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
12 ounces dark chocolate (such as Ghirardelli's 60% or 70% cacao bars)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or solid vegetable shortening
In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer on low, blend together the sugar, butter, cream, and peppermint oil. When combined, increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 to 3 minutes, until thick and creamy. Chill the fondant for 1 to 2 hours in the refrigerator, until it's firm enough to hold its shape.
Line a baking sheet with wax or parchment paper. Roll heaping teaspoons of the peppermint fondant into balls about 1 inch in diameter and lay them on the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart. With the bottom of a glass, press each ball into a flat disc; apply gentle pressure to try to make each one an even circle with smooth edges. If the edges crack, pinch and mold them back together. Chill the fondant circles for 30 minutes while you prepare the chocolate.
Break up the chocolate and melt it with the oil or shortening in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring frequently. When the chocolate is smooth, remove the mint discs from the refrigerator and use 2 forks to dip them into the chocolate, lifting the patties with the forks underneath rather than piercing the surface. The tines of the forks will let the excess drip off before you lay the coated patties back on the parchment or wax paper.
When they're all dipped, chill the mints until they're solid, about 30 minutes, then pack them in an airtight container in layers separated by parchment or wax paper and store them for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Pamelas
an Old South tradition; homemade candied orange peel in chocolate
* * *
Makes about 1 pound candy
I love plain chocolate, I love chocolate and mint, but what I really love is chocolate and orange, and this classic candy features the two, alone in unabashed love. Kids may not love to eat these quite as much as adults do, but they love making them! Don't buy hefty navel oranges with thick peel. Look for smaller varieties, such as Valencias, with a thinner, more flavorful rind, and scrub the exteriors well (and, ideally, start with organic oranges).
4 oranges
3 cups sugar
8 ounces dark chocolate (such as Ghirardelli's 60% or 70% cacao bars)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or solid vegetable shortening
Lay an orange on a clean cutting board, then slice off and discard the top and bottom. Cut the orange into quarters, top to bottom, and then carefully slice the rind away from the fruit. Trim and discard any bitter white pith that you see. Repeat with the other 3 oranges, gathering the rind in one bowl and putting the fruit in another, to eat or make into juice (the kids can eat or drink it while you work).
Trim the pieces of peel into strips about ? inch wide. Place them in a large saucepan and cover them with water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 20 minutes. Drain the pan, discarding the water, then add fresh water and boil again for 20 minutes. Drain.
Put the peel back in the pot with 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring now and then. The peel will be tender and almost translucent.
Using a slotted spoon, lift the peels out of the syrup and transfer them to a cooling rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Separate the peels and lay them in rows, then leave them to dry for 1 hour. When they are still slightly tacky to the touch, place the remaining 1 cup sugar in a large bowl and gently add in the peels. Toss them carefully to coat, then return them to the drying rack, shaking off the excess sugar, and leave them to dry completely, uncovered, overnight.
When you're ready to dip, break up the chocolate and melt it with the oil or shortening in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring frequently. Line a baking sheet with wax or parchment paper. When the chocolate is smooth, dip each of the strips halfway into the melted chocolate and lay them on the prepared baking sheet to firm up (you may need to chill them for 30 minutes). When they're set, pack them in an airtight container in layers separated by wax paper and store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
