In this section:
Candied Citrus Peel
Caramel Rice Squares
Cherry Mash Candy
Chocolate Covered Cherries
Chocolate Truffles
Coffee Nuts
Famous Candy Bars
Mashed Potato Candy
Microwave Peanut Brittle
Never-Fail Divinity
Peanut Butter Balls
Peanut Butter Squares
Pumpkin Pie Fudge
White Fudge
Candied Citrus Peel
Aunt Mary Boese always brought a large tin of Candied Orange Peel at Christmas. And, there may be a second pack for a birthday. She saved orange, lemon, and grapefruit peel the year round. It was her passion and her specialty. And the nieces and nephews reaped the benefits. [We always got her special German tins back and she always got them filled and returned].
Peels from 2 lg grapefruits or 4 large oranges [navel is best]
1 1/2 c white granulated sugar
3/4 c water
More sugar for coating
With the point of a sharp paring knife, score grapefruit or orange peels into 4 lengthwise sections. [There is this neat gadget to score peels sold, or provided as free gift, by Tupperware].
Place peels in a 3-quart saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to boiling, a rolling boil. Remove from heat. Let stand for 10 minutes. Drain. Repeat boiling, standing, and draining with fresh water three times.
Cool peels. Cut peels into strips 4- to 5-inches long and about 1/8- to 1/4-inch wide. In the same saucepan, combine sugar and 3/4 cup water. Bring to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add peels. Cook over Medium Low heat [a low simmer], stirring occasionally, and gently, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until peels are translucent. Drain thoroughly; cool 20 minutes or until lukewarm.
Roll peels in sugar in a platter, pie tin or similar container. For a curly strip, twist peel [or wrap around] a dowel or pen or pencil until dry. Place on wire racks several hours or for overnight. Store tightly covered. Makes about four cups of peels.
Comment: Dip the end of each cooled peel in melted chocolate [white or dark] mixed and melted with a bit of paraffin to add a glossiness. Dry on wax paper and place in the refrigerator to set. With white chocolate [or white chips], add a few drops or orange flavoring for the orange peels and a few drops of lemon flavoring for the lemon peels.
Note: Each time orange, lemon, or grapefruit peel is available, it is an
easy task to grate some rind and freeze in a closed jar for a variety or cookie,
candy, frosting, muffin, and bread recipes that call for zest or peel. At
the same time, prepare some of the best peels for candied peel [remove the
pith, cut in crescents] and freeze until you have enough for a
batch. 
Caramel Rice Squares
Cereal Nut Combination:
1 17-oz pkg rice and corn squares cereal
12 oz salted peanuts
1 can salted mixed nuts
Candy Syrup:
1/2 c white Karo syrup
1 c butter or margarine
2 c GF brown sugar
1 t baking soda
Place cereal and nuts into a large paper sack and shake to mix.
Mix butter, sugar, and syrup in a saucepan. Bring to a full boil for about two minutes. Test for soft ball stage in a sample of cold water. When at soft ball stage, remove from heat and add soda. Stir until foamy.
Pour foamy candy syrup over cereal/nut mixture in sack and shake well. Fold over ends of sack and microwave on High for four intervals of one minute each. Microwave for a minute and shake. Repeat four times. Cool on waxed paper or in a 9- x 13-inch lightly greased pan. Separate the mixture while cooling.
Comment: The same candy syrup can be used for making popcorn balls.
Use either dark or light Karo syrup. Use a clean dishpan filled with
popped corn. Pour the syrup mixture over the popped corn and stir with a
wooden spoon. Can be allowed to cool and then break into pieces. Or,
with buttered hands, the candied popcorn can be shaped into balls.
Cherry Mash Candy
If we can't get enough of a good thing, we make it ourselves. That's especially true of a cherry candy that goes by such names as Cherry Mash and Cherry Bing. If you're looking for cherry chips, they're available in Baker's Catalogue, King Arthur Flours, PO Box 876, Norwich, VT 05055 or on their web site www.KingArthurFlour.com
2 c white granulated sugar
2/3 c evaporated milk [canned]
1/2 t non-iodized salt
12 regular-sized GF marshmallows [or 40 small ones]
1/2 c margarine
1 6-oz pkg cherry chips [at Omaha, the grocery store will special order cherry chips]
1 t vanilla flavoring
1 12-oz pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 c peanut butter
1 c salted peanuts, crushed
Combine sugar, milk, salt, marshmallows and margarine in a saucepan over Medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat. Stir in cherry chips and vanilla. Pour mixture into a buttered 9 x 13-inch pan. Allow to cool.
Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler. Stir in peanut butter and crushed peanuts. Spread over the cooled cherry mixture. Cool.
Addition: Using a can of GF white frosting mix, add a few drops of almond
extract and a few drops of red food coloring. Spread over the chocolate
layer without having added the peanuts. Finally, add one more chocolate
layer which has crushed peanuts added. This then makes a 4-layer candy
which is excellent and also makes an attractive bar to serve at birthdays and
holiday time.
Chocolate Covered Cherries
Sugar dough:
2 lbs powdered sugar [confectioner's sugar] about 8 cups
2/3 c light corn syrup
2 t vanilla flavoring
2 sticks butter [do not substitute]
1 4-lb 10-oz can maraschino cherries [about 150]
Chocolate coating:
2 pkg almond bark [2 lbs]
2 pkg milk chocolate [or semi-sweet chocolate chips] 12 oz each
In a large bowl, mix powdered sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and butter. Knead mixture until smooth. Cover and chill one to two hours [or better, overnight] in the refrigerator.
Drain cherries, being careful to leave the stems attached. [drain on paper towels placed on cookie sheets for an hour; then move to a second area to complete draining]. Wrap each cherry with some of the sugar dough, shaping into balls. Arrange, stem up, on baking pans lined with waxed paper. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until set.
Chop almond bark. Place half in the top of a double boiler and add one package of chocolate chips. Set over barely simmering water. Heat. Stir frequently, just until bark and chocolate melt. Remove top portion of double boiler from heat. [Allow water to continue simmering].
Work with one cherry at a time. Lift by stem and dunk into the melted chocolate. Allow excess chocolate to drip into the pan. Arrange cherry, stem up, on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Repeat with remaining cherries. If a cherry does not have a stem, use a fork [or toothpick] to submerge cherry in chocolate and to lift it out.
If chocolate mixture becomes too thick for dipping, return to double boiler over simmering water. Cook and stir, just until smooth enough for dipping.
When most of the chocolate mixture has been used, add the remaining almond bark and the second package of chocolate chips to the pan. Repeat until all cherries have been dipped.
Allow chocolate-covered cherries stand until cold and firm. If desired, place each candy in a decorative paper cup or plastic sleeve. Arrange candies in an airtight container and store at cool room temperature.
Comment: Do not
substitute margarine for the butter in this recipe. Several warehouse
stores in the Omaha area [such as Sam's Club] may sell large jars [cans] of
maraschino cherries with stems. My regular grocery store was able to
special order large cans of cherries with stems with a 2-week order lag.
Concerned about having 150 chocolate-covered cherries on hand. Not to
worry. They go so fast you'll be making a second batch.
Chocolate Truffles
4 oz bittersweet chocolate
3 oz semisweet chocolate
6 T unsalted butter
2 t instant coffee granules
Melt both chocolates, butter and coffee in a double boiler set over hot water. Stir with a spatula until chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Pour mixture onto platter or baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm. [one to two hours].
Using
a melon baller or a small teaspoon, scoop up mixture into truffles. Roll
them in cocoa powder, finely chopped pecans or almonds, finely chopped
coconut--your choice. Don't be too particular if they are round, they're
meant to be rough-looking. Place the finished truffles in baking cups or
on waxed paper [inside a large plastic container that has a lid that will fit
tightly]. Store in a cool place or in the refrigerator.
Coffee Nuts
2 1/2 to 3 c filberts [hazelnuts]
3/4 c white granulated sugar
1/2 c powdered instant coffee
1/3 c tap water
3 t GF cinnamon
1/4 t non-iodized salt
1/2 t cloves [optional]
1 t vanilla [optional]
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan with a heavy metal bottom or in a small
iron skillet. Stir to combine and to cover nuts with mixture. [If
vanilla is omitted, add another teaspoon or two of water]. Cook over
Medium heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon throughout cooking.
Mixture will become pasty and heavy. Continue stirring. When nuts
are covered with mix and have been heated through; pour and scrape out nuts onto
wax paper. Break apart when cooled.
Famous Candy Bars
If you will be using Kellogg's or some of the common brand-name corn flakes, be sure to learn if your celiac guests are on a gluten-restricted diet and can tolerate the barley flavoring added to most corn flakes. Note that gluten-free corn flakes are available from several commercial resources and should be the choice for making this candy bar.
3/4 c white granulated sugar
3/4 c GF brown sugar
1 1/2 c Karo dark syrup
1 1/2 c GF peanut butter
8 c GF corn flakes
2 c salted peanuts
2 c chocolate chips
Additional 1/2 c GF peanut butter
Heat sugars and syrup to boiling on Medium. Boil for one minute after boiling begins. Stir in one and half cups peanut butter. Arrange corn flakes and peanuts on a cookie sheet with sides. Pour sugar/syrup mixture over cornflakes and peanuts. Press into cookie sheet by hand or with a greased glass. Melt chocolate chips with one half cup peanut butter. When first bubbles appear, remove from heat and pour over mixture. Cool. Cut into strips.
Comment: This recipe works well with other gluten-free cereals such as
rice krispies and corn checks. And, especially well with puffed
rice. Consider adding to the cereal peanut mix a half cup each of
chocolate and butterscotch chips along with a half cup coconut. Finally,
using this candy bar mix, substitute butterscotch chips for chocolate, shape
into 5 to 6-inch bars. Use a second chocolate candy recipe which is cooked to
the softball state [214 degrees] and drizzle over the bars which have been
placed on two layers of wax paper. This makes a bar with a hard outer
coating and a soft center. We make butcher paper wrappers for each
bar with a batch design repeated for the ten bars. They go over well.
Arlene Stetzer, Trempealeau, WI
Mashed Potato Candy
1/4 c hot mashed potato
1 t butter
2 1/2 c powdered sugar [confectioner's sugar]
1 1/3 c flaked coconut
dash of non-iodized salt
2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 t butter
1/2 t vanilla flavoring
Mix potatoes and butter in bowl; add sugar gradually and beat thoroughly. Add vanilla, salt, and coconut. Pack into an 8- x 8-inch pan that has been lightly greased with butter. Spread melted chocolate on top to form a layer. Chill until chocolate is firm. Cut into squares.
Comment: For a variation, use white chocolate chips and season with orange
or lemon peel and zest. In addition to the vanilla flavoring add 3 to 4
drops of a GF orange flavoring. With the flaked coconut, add one
half cup walnuts or pecans.
Microwave Peanut Brittle
1 c raw peanuts
1 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 c light corn syrup
1/8 t non-iodized salt
1 t butter or margarine
1 t vanilla flavoring
1 t baking soda
In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart glass casserole, mix peanuts, sugar, corn syrup, and salt with a wooden spoon. Leave the wooden spoon in the bowl and microwave on High power for four minutes. Stir.
Microwave on High power for four more minutes. Add butter and vanilla. Stir.
Microwave on High power for two more minutes until peanuts are beginning to turn a light brown.
Add baking soda and stir until light and foamy. Pour onto cookie sheet which has been lightly greased with a solid shortening such as Crisco. Let stand at room temperature until cool.
Break into small pieces and store in an airtight container. Makes one pound.
Notes
of Caution: During the microwave and mixing process, BE ULTRA CAREFUL
regarding spilling, bumping, and pouring. Use all precautions for safety
for yourself, others, and pets. PLAN AHEAD. Know the process and
procedure and know what and how you will be doing in each step. SAFE
SURFACE. Finally, know that the counter surface will not be damaged with either
a very hot dish or with a very hot cookie sheet placed on it. [Best to
insulate with a large cutting board or a couple of layers of Turkish towels].
Never-Fail Divinity
1/3 c tap water
1 1/2 c white granulated sugar
1/4 t cream of tartar
Dash of non-iodized salt
1 7-oz jar marshmallow cream
1 t GF vanilla flavoring
1 c black walnuts, chopped
Lightly combine water, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan. Do not stir. Bring to a rolling boil and boil until temperature on candy thermometer reaches 248 degrees. [Just a bit over soft ball if you are using the cold water in a cup test].
Turn out marshmallow cream into a small mixing bowl. Beat at low speed with electric mixer while gradually pouring in the hot candy mixture. Add vanilla.
Beat until candy loses its gloss and holds its shape when dropped from a spoon. Add nuts. Note: If mixture is under beaten, it will not hold its shape; it over beaten, the candy will be dry and crumbly.
Drop
from spoon onto wax paper or greased platter. Cool. Store in an
airtight container.
Peanut Butter Balls
1/4 c powdered sugar [confectioner's sugar]
1/3 c sweetened condensed milk
1 c peanut butter
1 c chocolate pieces [mini-morsels work well]
Mix together and form into balls the size of a walnut. Can be rolled in an extra bit of powdered sugar or in cocoa powder. Place on wax paper to dry for 2 to 3 hours. Store in the refrigerator in plastic boxes with waxed paper between layers.
For a larger batch: 2 cups GF cereal crushed to very fine crumbs. [Use a plastic bag and smash cereal with a rolling pin or the bottom of a heavy glass]. 3/4 cup chunky peanut butter, 3/4 cup coconut, 3 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon GF vanilla flavoring, 3/4 cup chocolate chips, 3/4 cup butterscotch chips. 3 Tablespoons of edible paraffin wax.
Cream
margarine and peanut butter. Add dry ingredients in small increments and
combine well--first with a wooden spoon, then in kneading with your hands.
Form mixture into balls about the size of a walnut. Set balls aside.
Melt chips and paraffin in microwave or in a double boiler. Using an
toothpick inserted in a ball, dip each ball in the chocolate/butterscotch
mixture to coat. Cool on waxed paper. Use a second pick to hold down
the ball and remove the inserted toothpick. Drizzle a bit of chocolate
from the tip of a teaspoon to cover each indention from the pick; touch each top
of the ball with the end of the spoon and pull back to form a twist of chocolate
on the top of each ball. Be prepared to reheat and re-melt the chocolate
mixture since it cools very fast.
Peanut Butter Squares
1 1/2 c peanut butter
1 1/2 c powdered sugar [confectioner's sugar]
1 c brown sugar
1 c chocolate chips
Optional: 1 c butterscotch chips for third layer
1/4 c margarine [one stick]
1/4 to 1/3 c tap water
Combine sugars and peanut butter. Press this mixture into a 9- x 13-inch
pan. Melt chips with margarine and water in microwave. Stir
well. Spread melted chocolate over top of first layer. If you are
also using butterscotch chips, allow second layer to cool, before adding this
third layer. Refrigerate. Cut into squares when cooled.
Pumpkin Pie Fudge
This fudge is based on the old "tried and true" chocolate fudge recipe using marshmallow crème. I have chosen to use small marshmallows that are dusted with powdered sugar as a substitute for the marshmallow crème. It's an easy switch and is gluten-free [with the right choice of marshmallows].
3 c white granulated sugar
3/4 c butter [or margarine]
5 1/2-oz can evaporated milk
1/2 c canned pumpkin
1 t pumpkin pie spice
1 12-oz package butterscotch morsels
1 7-oz jar marshmallow crème [or 3 c small marshmallows]
1 c black walnuts [or pecans], chopped
1 t GF vanilla flavoring
In a saucepan,
combine sugar, butter, milk, pumpkin, and spice. Bring to boiling on High
while stirring and then reduce heat to Medium, but continue to stir constantly
until mixture reaches 234 degrees [the softball stage]. If you are without
a thermometer, test a few drops in a cup of cold tap water. Use a new
batch of water for each testing. When the mixture holds together in a soft
ball, remove from heat. Stir in morsels and marshmallows together, then
add vanilla and nuts. Blend well and put into 13 x 9-inch pan that has
been lightly greased with either butter or margarine. Cool and cut into
squares. Wrap pan in plastic or foil and store in the
refrigerator.
From Val's Pumpkin Patch Fall Fun Cookbook, Omaha, NE
White Fudge
Most recipes for white fudge call for marshmallow cream; the use of GF small marshmallows appears to be a good choice and is much easier to handle. The addition of orange flavoring [in addition to vanilla] can be omitted, but adds an excellent taste dimension. One half cup of orange zest is also excellent when orange flavoring is used. I like also adding one or two drops of mint or spearmint flavoring along with the orange flavoring but have a preference for the combination of vanilla-orange. Most fudge recipes ask for three nut choices: Brazil nuts, pecans, and walnuts. I have found the small can of mixed, salted nuts to be a reasonable substitute. Instead of this nut mixture, try three-fourths cup of dried cranberries and three-fourths cup of chopped pecans.
4 c white granulated sugar
1 stick butter or margarine
1 8-oz can evaporated milk
1/2 sack small GF marshmallows [or jar of marshmallow cream]
2 sacks of white chips
1 1/2 t GF vanilla flavoring
1 t GF orange flavoring
1 small can of salted mixed nuts, chopped
Optional: 1/4 lb each of red and of green cherries, halved
Grease a 9- x 13-inch baking pan with butter or margarine.
Combine the first three ingredients in a large saucepan [or heavy pot]. Stir over Medium heat until smooth and melted. Bring to boil and cook for five minutes--stirring constantly. Cook until candy thermometer registers 238 degrees. [until the softball stage in cold water].
Stir in
white chips and marshmallows. When melted and combined, remove from heat
and add nuts and the two flavorings. Combine well. Pour or press
into prepared pan and cool. When cooled, cut into squares.