Welcome to Holiday Candy Land!

At our house, we have a tradition to play a few solid games of Candy Land at Christmas time while making Christmas goodies, candies and treats. In between batches of fudge and decorating sugar cookies, I sacrifice my last thread of holiday sanity to a game I know I can win, but I never do.

(It's way more fun to watch your four-year-old's eyes light up when they realize they just drew the winning blue card.) It's about the giving right? Back to the Christmas treats...whether you are making just enough to share at the office or oodles of goodies to spread around town, try some of our favorite holiday candy recipes. You won't be disappointed!

Caramel Pecan Fudge

Caramels

Cherry Peanut Butter Balls

Chocolate Coffee Truffles

Chocolate Peppermint Truffles

Enjoy your holidays and create some candy bliss for the neighbors with some of our favorite candy recipes! Visit us on Facebook to share your favorite Christmas goodies or visit Alicia's Recipes for all sorts of recipe ideas.

And if your four-year-old wants to play Candy Land, practice losing graciously.

Tasty Treats For Christmas!

With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, all the running around and preparations you are solely responsible, you deserve a treat today!  But how to treat you and your family and stay on budget for your holiday shopping and baking?

We have compiled a list of recipes that double as delicious gifts and delightful bites to keep your spirits high and your budget in tact.  Try one (or all four) on your family and see if they pass the Christmas treat test.

Be sure to post pictures of your results at our site.  We love to see what's shakin' and bakin' in your kitchen!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Rocky Road Clusters

Chocolate Peppermint Truffles

Chocolate Walnut Fudge

Christmas Balls of Sweetness!

Back again with our baking theme in mind for the holidays, I seem to have focused on round shaped baked goodies this morning.  Here is what I am thinking: I'll make up several different kinds of cake balls, fudge, toffees, and other type goodies.  Then I'll fill some festive holiday tins with the goodies.

(I have started recycling empty aluminum coffee cans, the big ones, instead of holiday tins as they can get kind of expensive to buy new each year.  I use Christmas themed or other pretty scrapbook paper to cover the outside of the coffee cans with, maybe add some ribbon or stickers, a pretty gift tag and...Voila!  Up-cycled goodies containers for your holiday gifts!)

All you have to do is bake, fill, and give!  You are ready to knock the neighbors, your kids' teachers, soccer coaches, and family members socks right off with how creative, thrifty, and kitchen-savvy you are...Sounds like a win-win solution to me.  Now get to filling those tins!

Don't forget to post pictures of your results to our site.  We love to see what's shakin' and bakin' in your kitchen!

Buckeye Candy

Cake Balls

Chocolate Cake Balls

Buckeye Candy

Today's recipe is...

Buckeye Candy

18 oz. creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 boxes powdered sugar
1/2 lb. butter
1/2 stick paraffin (may substitute shortening)
12 oz. pkg. chocolate chips

Mix together first 3 ingredients and roll into small balls. Put a toothpick in each one and lay on wax paper. Refrigerate until cold. Melt paraffin and chocolate chips in double broiler. Dip balls into chocolate and place in refrigerator. Great for Christmas time gifts.


Click the recipe name to:

• Get a printer friendly version
  
• Leave a comment
  
• Upload a photo
  
• Save to your recipe box
  
• Send to a friend
  

More you might like:

Thanksgiving recipes
Christmas Recipes
Christmas Candy recipes
Christmas Cookie recipes

Halloween Ghosts On Broomstick

Today's recipe is...

Halloween Ghosts On Broomstick

1 pound white chocolate chips
1 rope black licorice
12 Popsicle sticks

Place the white chocolate chips in a smaller pot and set it over a larger pot of simmering water. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly until the chocolate is fully melted. Remove from heat.

Cover 2 cookie sheets with wax paper. Arrange the wooden sticks on the wax paper, 6 to a sheet. Spoon ghost-shaped blobs of chocolate onto the paper, partially covering each stick. Press 2 licorice pieces into each ghost for the eyes. Freeze ghosts for 15 minutes or until hard.

Click the recipe name to:

• Get a printer friendly version
  
• Leave a comment
  
• Upload a photo
  
• Save to your recipe box
  
• Send to a friend
  

More you might like:

Halloween recipes
Bisquick Recipes
Jello recipes

Halloween Candy Corn Popcorn Balls

Today's recipe is...

Halloween Candy Corn Popcorn Balls

1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 (10-1/2 ounce) bag miniature marshmallows
1 small box gelatin, any flavor
12 cups popped popcorn
1 cup candy corn

Microwave butter and marshmallows in large microwavable bowl on HIGH for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until marshmallows are puffed. Stir in gelatin until well mixed.

Pour marshmallow mixture over popcorn and candy corn in large bowl. Mix lightly until well coated. Shape into 15 balls or other shapes with greased or wet hands. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and tie with raffia or ribbon, if desired.

Yields 15 popcorn balls

Click the recipe name to:

• Get a printer friendly version
  
• Leave a comment
  
• Upload a photo
  
• Save to your recipe box
  
• Send to a friend
  

More you might like:

Halloween recipes
Bisquick Recipes
Jello recipes

Red Hot Popcorn Firecrackers

Today's recipe is...

Red Hot Popcorn Firecrackers

1 quart unsalted popped popcorn
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup red cinnamon candies
String licorice

Keep popcorn hot and crisp in a 300-degree Fahrenheit oven. Butter sides of a heavy saucepan. In it, combine sugar, water, corn syrup, vinegar and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Clip candy thermometer to pan. Cook syrup to 250 degrees (hard ball stage) over medium heat.

Remove from heat; add vanilla and candies; stir until candies are partially melted. Pour slowly over popcorn, stirring just to mix thoroughly. Butter hands lightly; quickly form popcorn into shape of king-size firecrackers. Insert a short piece of licorice in end of each one for a fuse.

Yield: 4 to 6 firecrackers.

Click the recipe name to:

• Get a printer friendly version
  
• Leave a comment
  
• Upload a photo
  
• Save to your recipe box
  
• Send to a friend
  

More you might like:

Halloween recipes
Bisquick Recipes
Jello recipes

Almond Nougat Candy

Today's recipe is...

Almond Nougat Candy

1-1/2 c Light corn syrup
2 c Sugar
1/4 ts Salt
1/4 c Water
2 Egg whites
1/2 ts Almond extract
Red or green food coloring
1/4 c Soft butter or margarine
1 c Toasted chopped almonds
1/4 c Chopped candied cherries

Mix first 4 ingredients in heavy saucepan. Cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Cook, without stirring, until a small amount of the mixture dropped in cold water forms a hard ball (250-F). Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry, in large bowl of electric mixer. Gradually beat in about one fourth (not more) of the syrup, and continue beating until mixture holds its shape. Cook remaining syrup until a small amount of mixture separates into hard and brittle threads when dropped in cold water (300-F). Gradually beat into first mixture, and continue beating until the mixture begins to hold its shape. Add flavoring and food coloring to tint a delicate shade. Beat in butter; continue beating until very thick and satiny. Stir in nuts and cherries. Press into a buttered 8x8x2" pan, smoothing top. Let stand until firm. Turn out of pan, and cut in 1 1/2" by 1" pieces. Wrap each piece individually in waxed paper. For best flavor, store several days in a cool place before serving.

Click the recipe name to:

• Get a printer friendly version
  
• Leave a comment
  
• Upload a photo
  
• Save to your recipe box
  
• Send to a friend
  

More you might like:

Halloween recipes
Bisquick Recipes
Jello recipes

Mint Meltaways

Today's recipe is...

Mint Meltaways

1 cup butter
1 cup (about 5 oz) crushed butter mints (to crush mints, place in a plastic bag and roll with a rolling pin)
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 TB sugar

In a small mixer bowl, cream butter at medium speed of electric mixer until light; add crushed mints, mixing well. Add flour; blend well at low speed. Chill dough one hour. On waxed paper, roll out or pat dough into 9-in square. Sprinkle with sugar. Cut into 1-1/2 inch squares. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Using a small cookie cutter or floured thimble, press a design on the surface of dough. Bake in 325 degree oven for 15 to 18 minutes or until pale golden brown.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Click the recipe name to:

• Get a printer friendly version
  
• Leave a comment
  
• Upload a photo
  
• Save to your recipe box
  
• Send to a friend
  

More you might like:
Apple recipes
Peach recipes
Fruit recipes

Ohio Buckeyes Candy

Today's recipe is...

Ohio Buckeyes Candy

12 oz Jar creamy peanut butter

2/3 c Softened margarine

1 tsp Vanilla

1 lb Confectioner's sugar

6 oz Package semi-sweet chocolate chips

6 oz Package milk chocolate chips or, use 1 package chocolate made for candy making

3 tb Melted paraffin

Mix together. Use hands to make into smooth 1 inch balls. Chill. With toothpick, dip all but the very top of balls into melted warm mixture.

Drop onto wax paper to harden. Chill.

Leave a comment, upload a photo, get a printer friendly version, or save to your recipe box!