Mom’s Christmas Candy by Charlie Wardle

     “Life is like a box of chocolates.  You never know what You're gonna get," said Forrest Gump's mom.  But with my mom life is like a box of chocolates and you know what you are getting.  She is a wonderful, nice, sweet lady who is more concerned with others than herself.  She is the type of lady that puts others first.  She would even give you the shirt off her back if you needed it.  I'm glad she never did, but she would tell us she would.  

     I once asked Mom, What do you want for Christmas?"  And her reply was "A happy family."  That's what Mom is like, always wanting to make others happy.  

       One of Mom's Christmas traditions was making Christmas candy and cookies.  She would spend hours in her kitchen preparing these Christmas treats with the help of her kids, especially Sara, Connie and Dianna.

     Mom would start a few weeks after Thanksgiving preparing all her Christmas treats.  When Mom started working she would spend weekends preparing all of them.  She had all sorts of Christmas candy she would make such as dipping chocolates, caramels, divinity, fudge, peanut brittle, peanut clusters, dipped pretzels, and toffee.  Later Sara added chocolate turtles and suckers to the Christmas candy they would make.  As Mom and the girls made these chocolates they would have the entire kitchen counters covered.  Us boys would also help a little.  We would be the ones snitching a few samples when Mom was not looking, or serving as Mom's taste samplers.  When Mom saw that there were too many missing chocolates, she would kick us out of the kitchen.  When Mom made the sugar cookies she would roll out the dough on the countertop with a thin layer of flour to keep the dough from sticking to her wood rolling pin.  We would use the cookie cutters to punch out the shapes of the cookies.  The leftover dough she would smash up into a ball and then roll the dough back out for us to punch out more cookie shapes.  I was amazed at how she would be able to use all the cookie dough.

     Mom would then bake all the cookies in her oven and then make the Christmas colored frosting.  After the cookies had baked and cooled, we would help with the frosting of each cookie.  Mom made sure that each cookie had a good coat of frosting on it.  As we were doing the frosting we had to be very careful not to lick the extra frosting off our knife, especially when she was watching.  Mom would make big boxes full of chocolates and cookies that had several layers separated by wax paper.  She would keep these boxes under her bed.  Even though Mom would hide these under her bed we all knew where they were kept and we would try many times to sneak into her room to take a few treats.  But Mom kept a close eye on her treats and we were caught many times.  She seemed to always know if someone had been in her chocolates or cookies.  We used to tease her about keeping a count on her chocolates.  Sometimes we would even ask her if she stayed up late at night counting all her chocolates to see if we had taken a few.  Weldon taught me a trick of how to snitch a few chocolates without Mom knowing and that was to dig a few layers down in the box to where Mom was not counting, but sometimes she even noticed if you dug down in the box a ways.  

     On many nights though, Mom would bring a plate of goodies for us to enjoy during a family gathering or while we were playing a game of "Rook" with Dad and Clyde.  When Mom brought out a plate of treats, it was time for us to pick which treat to enjoy. The peanut brittle, peanut clusters, caramels and fudge all went fast because they were everyone's favorites.  Also, there would be sugar cookies, and we tried to get the Santa and camel ones because they were the biggest cookies.  

Now when it came to Mom's dipped chocolates you had to pick flawless, because you wanted to get a good one.  Mom made a lot of different fondants the she would dip in chocolate.  Some of my favorites were a green mint, and yellow [lemon], orange, and red cream filling that I loved.  There were also real cherries and a walnut cream that I didn't care for and wanted to avoid.  Connie came up with a method of telling how to pick and find just the right chocolates.  She would gently crack the chocolate outer shell a little to peak inside to see the filling. Mom and Dad would get upset with her if they caught her, or if there were cracked chocolates on the plate.  Connie also came up with a way to smooth the chocolate back together with her wet finger.  How she would wet her finger to smooth that chocolate back together is a different story, but if you watched her rubbing the chocolate back together, you would avoid those chocolates.

All of our neighbors and friends enjoyed a olate of Mom's Christmas chocolates and cookies each Christmas, because she enjoyed sharing them with everyone she could.  If she started to run low before Christmas Mom wuld make some more.  Sometimes though, right before Christmas, those sugar cookies would get a little hard, and she would have to finish those off as she made a new batch.

     Billy's Eagle project, Mom and Billy made plates of cookies and her chocolates fir akk the single sisters in our ward.  How Billy got that approved by the Scout Committee I will never know.  Mom and Billy made those treats, and then went around the ward delivering them.  It was a very easy Eagle Scout project.  Maybe they also made a few plates for the Scout Committee members.  

Christmas Treats recipes.

Caramels

2 cups sugar

½ cup butter or margarine

2 cups whipping cream

¾  cup light corn syrup

• 1 Grease bottom and sides of square baking dish,

8x8x2 or 9x9x2 inches, with butter.

• 2 Heat all ingredients to boiling in heavy 3-quart

saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly.

Cook about 35 minutes, stirring frequently, to

245°F on candy thermometer or until small

amount of mixture dropped into cup of very cold

water forms a firm ball that holds its shape until

pressed. Immediately spread in baking dish. Cool

completely, about 2 hours.

• 3 Cut into 8 rows by 8 rows, using kitchen

scissors or sharp knife. Wrap individually in

waxed paper or plastic wrap. Store wrapped

candies in airtight container at room

temperature.

Divinity

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup water

Pinch of salt

1 pint marshmellow creme

1 tsp vanilla

Combine sugar, water and salt in a pan and bring to boil without stirring.  Continue to boil until it reaches hard ball stage.  Pour over marshmallow creme and beat until consistency to drop from a teaspoon on wax paper.  Add vanilla then scoop into teaspoon portions on wax paper.

Fudge

4 ½ cups sugar

1 can evaporated milk

1 square margarine

1 large package chocolate chips

1 (10 ½ ounce) package  miniature marshmallows

1 ½ cups broken nuts

1 teaspoon vanilla

Boil sugar, evaporated milk and margarine for 12 minutes, stirring constantly.

Take off stove then add chocolate chips, marshmallows, broken nuts;

stir in vanilla. Then pour out into pan and let it set until firm.

Peanut Brittle

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon water 1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ cups sugar 1 cup water

1 cup light corn syrup

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 pound shelled unroasted peanuts

• 1 Heat oven to 200ºF. Butter 2 cookie sheets, 15

1/2x12 inches, and keep warm in oven. Mix

baking soda, 1 teaspoon water and the vanilla;

reserve.

• 2 Mix sugar, 1 cup water and the corn syrup in 3-

quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring

occasionally, to 240ºF on candy thermometer or

until small amount of syrup dropped into very

cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when

removed from water.

• 3 Stir in butter and peanuts. Cook, stirring

constantly, to 300ºF or until small amount of

mixture dropped into very cold water separates

into hard, brittle threads. (Watch carefully so

mixture does not burn.) Immediately remove

from heat. Quickly stir in baking soda mixture

until light and foamy.

• 4 Pour half the candy mixture onto each cookie

sheet; quickly spread about 1/4 inch thick. Cool

completely, at least 1 hour. Break into pieces.

Store in covered container.

Peanut Clusters

1 package (16 oz) vanilla-flavored candy

coating (almond bark)

1 package (16 oz) chocolate-flavored candy

coating (almond bark)

1 jar (16 oz) dry-roasted salted peanuts

1 jar (16 oz) dry-roasted unsalted peanuts

• 1 In 4-quart or larger slow cooker, place candy

coatings. Cover; heat on Low heat setting 2 to 3

hours, stirring occasionally, until completely

melted.

• 2 Pour peanuts over melted candy mixture, and

stir until coated. Drop by tablespoonsful onto

cooking parchment or waxed paper. Allow to set

completely, approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.

 

Toffee

1 cup sugar 1 cup butter or margarine

¼ cup water

½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

½ cup finely chopped pecans

• 1 Heat sugar, butter and water to boiling in

heavy 2-quart saucepan, stirring constantly;

reduce heat to medium. Cook about 13 minutes,

stirring constantly, to 300°F on candy

thermometer or until small amount of mixture

dropped into cup of very cold water separates

into hard, brittle threads. (Watch carefully so

mixture does not burn.)

• 2 Immediately pour toffee onto ungreased large

cookie sheet. If necessary, quickly spread

mixture to 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle with

chocolate chips; let stand about 1 minute or until

chips are completely softened. Spread softened

chocolate evenly over toffee. Sprinkle with

pecans.

• 3 Let stand at room temperature about 1 hour, or

refrigerate if desired, until firm. Break into bite-

size pieces. Store in airtight container.

Peppermint bark

1 package (16 ounces) vanilla-flavored

candy coating (almond bark), broken into

pieces

24 hard peppermint candies

• 1 Cover cookie sheet with waxed paper, aluminum foil

or cooking parchment paper. Place candy coating in 8-

cup microwavable measure or 2-quart microwavable

casserole. Microwave uncovered on High 2 to 3

minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until almost

melted. Stir until smooth.

• 2 Place peppermint candies in heavy plastic bag; crush

with rolling pin or bottom of small heavy saucepan.

Pour crushed candies into wire strainer. Shake strainer

over melted coating until all of the tiniest candy pieces

fall into the coating; reserve the larger candy pieces.

Stir coating to mix evenly. Spread coating evenly on

cookie sheet. Sprinkle evenly with remaining candy

pieces. Let stand about 1 hour or until cool and

hardened. Break into pieces. <BR> <BR>Chocolate-

Peppermint Bark: Substitute chocolate-flavored candy

coating for the vanilla candy coating. <BR> <BR>

Drizzled Peppermint Bark: Heat 1/2 cup semisweet

chocolate chips or white baking chips and 1 teaspoon

shortening until melted. Drizzle over Peppermint Bark

before letting stand 1 hour.

Chocolate Fondant

4 cups of sugar

1 cup milk

1 1/2 cup heavy cream

4 tbsp.light Karo syrup

2 tbsp. butter

Combine sugar, cream, syrup, milk and butter in a pan.

Heat at med high until boil, stir constantly.  Lower to medium

Heat until  fondant reaches softball stage (225 degrees).

Pour into pan and let cool to the touch. 

Beat and work fondant with a wooden spoon until it loses its gloss

and becomes the consistency of cookie dough.

Add flavoring like mint, orange, nuts, almond extract, peppermint and others.

Wrap fondant in wax paper coated with flour.

Refrigerate for weeks until fondant is hard.

set fondant out and roll into small ball for dipping chocolate.

Dip Chocolate

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or white

vanilla baking chips

2 teaspoon shortening or vegetable oil

• 1 In 1-quart saucepan, melt chocolate chips and

shortening over low heat, stirring frequently.

Remove from heat.

2 Dip lower fondant into chocolate mixture;

allow excess to drip back into saucepan. Place on

waxed paper-lined tray or cookie sheet.

 

 

Christmas Sugar Cookies

Cookies

1 ½ cups powdered sugar

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon almond extract

1 egg

2 ½ cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Frosting

2 cups powdered sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons milk or half-and-half

• 1 In large bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar,

the butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, almond extract

and egg until well blended. Stir in flour, baking

soda and cream of tartar. Cover and refrigerate

at least 3 hours.

• 2 Heat oven to 375°F. Divide dough in half. On

lightly floured, cloth covered surface, roll each

half of dough 3/16 inch thick. Cut into assorted

shapes with cookie cutters, or cut around

patterns traced from storybook illustrations . If

cookies are to be hung as decorations, make a

hole in each 1/4 inch from top with end of plastic

straw. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

• 3 Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until light brown.

Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool

completely, about 30 minutes.

• 4 In medium bowl, beat all frosting ingredients

until smooth and spreadable. Tint with food

color if desired. Frost and decorate cookies as

desired with frosting and colored sugars.

•