Milk Chocolate Covered Raspberry Jellies

Don't these look delish? They're like Big Turks right? I can't wait to try out this recipe! Check out over at Making Memories with your Kids

Salted Caramels

I followed the directions exactly and here are the things I found for myself:

- You have to boil the heck out of it to get it up to 248 degrees and even then it doesn't form a firm ball but the caramels still set so that was good 

- I used coarse sea salt and that worked great

- Whip cream also works great! 

- I added the salt when the caramels where just starting to chill in the fridge. It seemed to stick better then. 

- Be careful when you're "boiling the heck out of it" it will start to burn if you're not on it! 

- It took me 25 minutes of cooking to get it up to 248 degrees so get it to a boil sooner then later; doing it on medium heat didn't do it for me, I just stayed right at 220 for a while.

 

Other then that great recipe! Time consuming but good! 

Ingredients 

Vegetable oil
1½ cups sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
1 cup heavy cream
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon fine fleur de sel, plus extra for sprinkling
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, then brush the paper lightly with oil, allowing the paper to drape over 2 sides.

In a deep saucepan (6 inches wide x 4½ inches deep), combine ¼ cup water, the sugar and corn syrup and bring them to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until the mixture is a warm golden brown. Don’t stir – just swirl the pan to mix. Watch carefully, as it will burn quickly at the end!

In the meantime, in a small pan, bring the cream, butter, and 1 teaspoon of fleur de sel to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat and set aside.

When the sugar mixture is a warm golden color, turn off the heat and slowly add the cream mixture to the sugar mixture. Be careful - it will bubble up violently. Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until the mixture reaches 248 degrees (firm ball) on a candy thermometer. Very carefully (it’s hot!) pour the caramel into the prepared pan and refrigerate for a few hours, until firm.

When the caramels are cold, pry the sheet from the pan onto a cutting board. Cut the sheet in half. Starting with a long side, roll one piece of the caramel up tightly into an 8-inch-long log. Repeat with the second piece. Sprinkle both logs with fleur de sel, trim the ends, and cut each log in 8 pieces. Cut glassine or parchment papers into 4 x 5-inch pieces and wrap each caramel individually, twisting the ends. Store in the refrigerator and serve the caramels chilled.

Truffles, Truffles, Truffles!

Cookie Dough

  Birthday Cake

Oreo

  Coconut

Peanut Butter

  Thin Mints 

How to temper chocolate

 So I made these last nigh!! YUM!! I had never tempered chocolate before and so I'm pretty proud of my first go! If you've ever wondered how to do it here you go!

Chop your chocolate. It is best to use at least 1 pound of chocolate, as it is easier to temper (and retain the temper) of larger amounts of chocolate. If this is more than you need, you can always save the extra for later use. Be sure that your chocolate is in block or bar form, not chocolate chips. The chips have additives that allow them to retain their shape at higher temperatures, and so they will not temper properly.

Melt 2/3 of your chocolate. Place it in the top of a double boiler, set over simmering water. Securely clip a chocolate or instant-read thermometer to the side of the boiler to monitor the chocolate’s temperature.

Stir gently but steadily as the chocolate melts and heats up. Use a rubber spatula, not a wooden or metal spoon.

Bring the chocolate to 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 C) for dark chocolate or 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 C) for milk or white chocolate. Do not allow the chocolate to exceed its recommended temperature. When it is at the right temperature, remove it from the heat, wipe the bottom of the bowl, and set it on a heat-proof surface.

Add the remaining chunks of chocolate and stir gently to incorporate. The warm chocolate will melt the chopped chocolate, and the newly added chocolate will bring down the temperature of the warm chocolate.

Cool the chocolate. Once the chocolate gets below 84 degrees F (29 C), remove the remaining chunks of chocolate. They can be cooled, wrapped in plastic wrap, and saved for another use.

Reheat the chocolate briefly. Place the chocolate bowl over the warm water in the double boiler for 5-10 seconds, remove it and stir, and repeat, until the temperature reaches 88-89 degrees F (31 C), or 87 F (30 C) for milk and white chocolate. Do not leave the chocolate over the hot water, or allow it to exceed 91 degrees.

Your chocolate should now be tempered! To make sure it has been done properly, do a spot test: spread a spoonful thinly over an area of waxed paper and allow it to cool. If the chocolate is shiny and smooth, it is properly tempered. If it is dull or streaky, it has not been tempered correctly.

Source

Link: Homemade Butterfinger Candy Bars

Oh yum! I have a lot of candy corn now so I think trying this is a must! Check out the recipe here.

Homemade Jolly Ranchers

Don't these look yummy? I have so many candy recipes I want to try! Check out this one here.

Gummy Candies

I was so excited when I saw this recipe posted and the best part? How easy it looks!! Check out the full recipe on Bakerella

Fudgy Candy Corn

Doesn't this look wonderful?! I just thought I'd share it with you. I can't wait to make it! Check out the recipe here!

Baking Goal: Homemade Caramels

Don't these look great? I have a lot of recipes that call for caramels so I'm wanting to try and make my own instead of buying them and I think this would be a great option! Check out the recipe here!

Candy Coated Pecans

I haven't tried out this recipe yet but it looks really good! I make candied nuts all the time for salads and I just love it! It's such a nice addition and it makes me eat more greens which is always a good thing!

Ingredients

• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 dash vanilla extract
• 4 cups pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Spray the wax paper with cooking spray.
2. Beat egg white until stiff. Add brown sugar and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Mix in pecans and stir until coated. Pour the nuts onto the prepared cookie sheet.
3. Bake until browned, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Candy Corn Cookie Bark

Doesn't this look amazing? I bought some candy corn the other day to bake with it and I'm sort of tempted to make this instead of my original choice!