MARTHA WASHINGTON CANDY

Ingredients:

•2 pounds sifted confectioners' sugar (2 boxes 10X powdered sugar)
•1 can sweetened condensed milk
•2 cups angle flaked coconut
•1 stick butter or margarine, melted (4 ounces)
•3 cups chopped pecans
•Dipping Chocolate (below), melted

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients together, shape into balls, then chill until hard. Dip chilled balls in dipping chocolate and let cool.
Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Dipping Chocolate: ****

Use melted chocolate almond bark or purchased dipping chocolate, or the mixture below

•1 cake paraffin wax
•12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
Melt wax and milk chocolate chips together in double boiler. Dip candy in mixture then cool.

Preparation: (step-by-step how to make directions)

1. Prepare 2 baking sheets by lining them with aluminum foil.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, powdered sugar, salt and condensed milk until the mixture is light and fluffy.

3. With the mixer on low speed, add the coconut, pecans, and vanilla extract, and mix until well-combined. The mixture will be stiff. Place the candy in the refrigerator to chill until it is firm enough to roll.

4. Using a candy scoop or teaspoon, form the mixture into small balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets. Return to the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the dipping chocolate.

5. Place the chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl and melt in the microwave, stirring after every minute. Be sure to watch the chocolate so that it does not scorch. Stir until the chocolate is entirely smooth, and allow it to cool slightly until it is warm but not hot.

6. Using dipping tools or two forks,(or a toothpick), dip the candies in the melted chocolate and return them to the baking sheets. Repeat with remaining candies. Chill until the chocolate is completely set.

•3 ounces white chocolate confectionary coating (optional)

7. If desired, melt the white chocolate candy coating in the microwave. Drizzle the coating over the finished candies by waving a chocolate-dipped fork over the candies. Alternately, you can place the melted coating in a plastic bag and snip off a small corner of the bag to form a homemade piping bag. This creates an extra step, but allows more control in the decorating process. Refrigerate until the coating is firm.

Editor's Note:

These traditional chocolate-dipped cream candies are a snap to make, and have a delicious coconut-pecan taste. Traditionally, the chocolate is melted with paraffin wax to give the candies a hard, shiny finish. I dislike the texture and taste of wax, so my recipe omits that step. If you would like to try the traditional method, add 1 block paraffin wax to the chocolate when you melt it. (4 oz. cooking wax (shaved) ).

Dipping Chocolate

**** 12 oz. Bark Coating, Chocolate Flavored (I really like the Kroger brand). ****

PEANUT CLUSTERS

Ingredients:

16 oz. dry roasted peanuts, lightly salted
12 oz. Bark Coating, chocolate flavored (I really like the Kroger brand)
2 sheets of 14 inch long wax paper
Makes forty clusters

Directions

You will need a double boiler or a thick bottomed pot that distributes heat well. The object is to spread out the heat so you don't scorch the chocolate bark.

Measure out 16 ounces of peanuts in a container, and have them standing by. Place the two pieces of wax paper on a section of the counter for later. Get out the 12 ounces of chocolate bark. You find this stuff in the baking section of the grocery store. The package may have some claim like, "Perfect for Candy Making!"

Turn your stove (gas or electric) on the lowest setting you can manage.

Add the 12 ounces of bark to the bottom of the pan and stir constantly with a spatula. You want it to melt slowly.

Once the bark is all melted, add 1/3 of the peanuts and stir them in. Be sure all are coated thoroughly. Add another 1/3 and stir them in. Add the last 1/3 and stir the whole mix until all the peanuts are covered in chocolate. Immediately remove from the heat.

Place the pot on a pot holder or trivet next to the wax paper. Using a teaspoon, spoon out a teaspoon's worth of the mix and drop it on the wax paper. It will spread out some, so don't get the globs too close together.

Within ten minutes of setting out all the mix, the clusters should be cool enough to hold together and pop off the wax paper. It is even easier if you can wait an extra 10 minutes or so before packing them up. If you put more than one layer in the container, separate the layers with a small piece of wax paper.

I have tried several kinds of Bark Coating, and I really like the Kroger brand. This is a quick and impressive candy.

Editor's Note: Easy

OLD FASHION CHOCOLATE FUDGE

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup evaporated milk
6 tablespoon butter, plus extra for buttering dish
3 tablespoon light corn syrup
4 tablespoon heaping, cocoa
3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Mix sugar and cocoa, add syrup and milk. Cook in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until small drop forms a soft ball in cold water (234 to 240 degrees on a candy thermometer). Remove from heat. Add butter, pecans and vanilla. Beat with a mixer or by hand. Pour into a slightly buttered oblong glass dish. Dust with cocoa and sprinkle with more pecans. Cut into squares. Work fast, as mixture thickens quickly.

Servings: 36 pieces
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Difficulty: Easy

DIVINITY

Ingredients:

2 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
3 egg whites
3/4 cup cold water
1 cup white corn syrup
4 cup sugar

Directions:

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stir together the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Stir only until sugar has dissolved. Do not stir after this point. Cook syrup mixture until it reaches 250 degrees on a candy thermometer, bringing it to a hard ball stage.

While the syrup is cooking, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Once the sugar mixture reaches 250 degrees, carefully pour a slow steady stream of syrup into the stiffly beaten egg whites, beating constantly at high speed. Add the vanilla and continue to beat until mixture holds its shape, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in pecans.

Using two spoons, drop the divinity onto waxed paper, using one spoon to push the candy off the other. This may take a little practice because the technique is to twirl the pushing spoon, making the candy look like the top of a soft serve ice cream. If the candy becomes too stiff, add a few drops of hot water. You will need to work fast when making this type of candy.

Let sit for 30 minutes and serve.

Servings: 8 to 10 servings
Prep Time: 45 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Difficulty: Moderate

HAYSTACKS

Ingredients:

2 (6 ounce) packages butterscotch morsels
1 (5 or 6 ounce) can chow mein noodles (or package)
1/2 cup salted peanuts

Yield: 2 dozen

Variation: Add 3 to 4 tablespoons peanut butter and/or use a 4 ounce can of shoestring potatoes instead of chow mein noodles.

Method:

Melt butterscotch morsels in a saucepan over medium to low heat.

Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter if adding peanut butter. Add chow mein noodles and salted peanuts; coat well.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Let set until cool, 30 to 60 minutes.

Store in a tightly covered container.

PEANUT BRITTLE

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups shelled peanuts
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Alternate

Yield: Approximately 60 pieces

3 1/2 cups raw peanuts
2 cups sugar
1 cup white corn syrup
1/4 cup water
Dash salt
2 teaspoons soda

Method:

Put sugar, syrup, water and salt into a cast iron skillet or heavy fry pan.

Bring to a boil and add peanuts. Cook until peanuts are light brown and syrup mixture begins turning a golden brown, stirring often. Remove from heat and quickly stir in soda.

Immediately pour onto buttered baking sheet or jelly-roll pan, pulling or spreading as thinly as possible. Cool completely. Break into pieces and store in tightly-covered container.

Editor's Note: The best you will ever taste!