Making Home-Made Candy and Chocolates
As a committed chocolate lover I sometimes prefer to make my own
chocolates rather than buy commercial brands.
It just so happens that the ones that I like the best - the ones with
lots of nuts and the rich Belgian chocolate - are very expensive. If I
take a few moments to mix some nuts and chocolate in the microwave for a few
minutes I can have chocolates for the week at a much more affordable price.
Also, relatively no preservatives or additives; except what is in the
chocolate base.
HARD CANDY
This site would not be complete without a few hard candy recipes.
Once again, sometimes it's not always about the money. I can make
very fine peppermint or butterscotch candies at home that taste great and
don't include any nasty preservatives or fillers.
WARNING: Although these recipes taste great
there are a few things to keep in mind when working with candy:
- IT'S HOT; MOLTEN SUGAR. Be careful when pouring
your materiel; it's hot and can burn you; proceed with caution.
- TEMPERATURE IS EVERYTHING Making food is like
physics and chemistry. Certain reactions happen at certain temperatures
or when different ingredients are combined. Make sure your materiel is
at the proper temperature before proceeding to the next step
- GADGETS ARE COOL - Cool moulds, dipping tools (one
for strawberries; one for almonds for example) makes your end product
look more professional and therefore more appealing.
- YOU 'GOTTA BE FAST When working with liquid sugar
or chocolate you only have a few moments to complete your pour or mix
before it hardens.
- MIS EN PLACE To be fast (see above) you should
have your workspace prepared well before you pour. An open, accessible
workspace with lots of wax paper or sufficient moulds allows you to work
fast and safely.
Here are a few basic hard candy recipes:
- Peppermint Hard Candy
- Creamy Butterscotch Hard
Candy
- Maple Syrup Hard Candy -
also known as "Tire au Neige"
- Sour Lemon Candy
Making chocolates is even easier; it's just a matter of
buying the proper moulds. You can buy specially designed
chocolate pellets at most quality bulk food stores. You
simply heat 10 or 12 of these pellets in the microwave for a few
moments until warm, mix vigorously till smooth and pour.
Easy breezy.
The chocolate pellets also come in various colors and flavors. Hey,
sometimes green and pink chocolate is exactly what you are looking for;
believe it or not it's available and tastes great.
Add some nuts or fruit. Try 1/2 chocolate 1/2 shredded
almonds. Or 1/2 trail mix. Get jumbo almonds or strawberries and
do some dipping. Avoid pre-salted nuts.