Every year, my in-laws enjoy making classic Christmas candy. Before I met my husband, I hadn’t even heard of some of these recipes. Candy making in my family entails making chocolate-covered peanut butter balls and lots of other things dipped into melted chocolate. Quite tasty but not quite as time honored as some of the following recipes. Each year, my in-laws make fondant candy, fudge, cream pull candy, caramels and English toffee. I transcribed the recipes almost verbatim from the well-worn recipe cards and added a shopping list at the bottom of this page to make it easier for you. The shopping list has quantities listed to make exactly one batch of each recipe. We usually make at least two batches so there is plenty for everyone to share. Please enjoy and make sure you pay attention to whether or not it says you can double a recipe or not. Some of them bubble up quite high and will be all over your stove top if you aren’t careful!
The most important tool for these recipes is a really good candy thermometer
. Make sure you get one that has an adjustable height for different size pans and that is easy to read.
Fondant Candy
(Can double recipe)
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Lump of butter the size of a walnut
- 1/2 cup cream add boiling water to make a cup
- Mix together all ingredients and boil over medium heat. DO NOT stir. Boil to soft ball stage (about 234 degrees Faranheit).
- Pour equally onto buttered plates.
- Beat with spoon or spatula until it looses its shiny look and begins to cream.
- Pick up and work with hands into a dough.
- Roll out dough onto wax or parchment paper.
- Spread with peanut butter, roll, then slice.
- You can also roll the dough into balls and dip in chocolate.
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Fudge
- 4 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 large can evaporated milk
- 3 six ounce packages semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 sticks butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup nuts (optional)
- Blend sugar and milk. Boil six minutes, stirring as needed
- Remove from heat and add chocolate, butter and vanilla
- When melted, add one cup nuts (optional).
- Pour in long, greased baking dish to set.
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Cream pull candy
- 5 cups white sugar
- 1 cup boiling water
- 8 ounces cream
- Flavorings (such as vanilla, peppermint, lemon extracts)
- Butter
- Add boiling water to sugar and stir until dissolved.
- Bring mixture to a boil and add cream.
- Stir until it boils.
- Cook until hard boil without stirring, 260 degrees.
- Pour onto a marble slab and add flavorings.
- When cooled, butter hands and start pulling until it creams.
- Stretch out creamed dough and lay down on parchment paper.
- Cut into bite-size pieces and dip into chocolate.
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Caramels
(Do not double)
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 1/3 cups dark karo syrup
- 1 stick butter
- 2 cups whole cream
- Vanilla
- Put 1 cup of cream in sugar, syrup and butter and bring to a boil.
- Slowly add other cup of cream to keep mixture boiling.
- Cook to 240 degrees stirring constantly.
- Add 1 tsp vanilla.
- Pour onto a baking sheet with an edge.
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English toffee

(Can double)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup margarine
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3/4 cup chopped nuts (pecans)
- Chocolate (mini-chips work best)
- Cook syrup, butter, margarine, sugar and water to 290 degrees.
- Finely chop nuts and sprinkle almost all of them over the bottom of a baking sheet with an edge
- Pour hot syrup over nuts.
- Sprinkle chocolate on top and remaining nuts.
- When cool, break into chunks.
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Shopping List
For making one batch as described above of each recipe. Adjust list as needed.)
14 1/2 cups sugar
Cream of tartar
Salt
5 sticks butter
1/2 cup margarine
Vanilla
28 ounces cream
Evaporated milk
3, six ounce packages mini chocolate chips
1 3/4 cups pecans
1 1/3 cups dark karo syrup
Jar of creamy peanut butter |
5 comments so far:
very cool! I always mean to do stuff like this, but never get around to it
Cream pull candy is very tricky. After lots of trial and error it seems the most important ingredient for success is having the marble very cold (at or below freezing). Also I would suggest skipping the flavorings.
Leslie, thanks for reminding me about that crucial step! It is very important for the marble to be freezing cold. It also helps if the outside temperature is cold and dry as well.
I especially like the English toffee. Tastes a lot like Heath or Score bars, but fresher. Also, when you make this recipe you can decide if you want nuts or not, and make it the thickness you like best.
Looks good, but a couple things should be included but weren’t. Since I am doing this for the first time: What size pot should I use for each recipe? Who in the world has a piece of marble just sitting around? If you don’t use different flavorings then every recipe will taste the same. …like sugar water candy.