Say "I love you" With Chocolate. . .

Raspberry Filled Chocolate Bars

I have a weakness for chocolate. . .dark chocolate. . . and raspberries.  So let's combine them and enjoy a moment of pure bliss, shall we?

You will need a chocolate mold.  I found this one at Williams Sonoma last week.  It is actually a brownie mold--but hey, it works great for chocolates!  (I have yet to make brownies with it).

Ingredients:

Chocolate--to melt (I used Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet chips)

Raspberry filling (see recipe below)

Raspberry Filling:

You will need-

2 cups raspberries

1/2 cup sugar

3 Tbs corn starch

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine in pot and bring to boil.  Heat and stir until thickens.  

Press through sieve to remove seeds.

Cool completely.

For Chocolates:

Melt chocolate in microwave one minute at a time, stirring until all smooth.

Pour first layer into mold and freeze for five minute.  (Be sure to tap the mold to make sure the air pockets get out.)  

Paint chocolate around edge of mold so the filling won't show through on the sides.  Freeze a couple more minutes.  

Add raspberry filling (or peanut butter or whatever you want).  Freeze for 5 - 10 more minutes.

  

Pour top layer of chocolate--tap to remove bubbles.  Freeze for 10 - 20 minutes.  

Remove from freezer and dump out chocolates.  Then enjoy. . . or what for it to thaw a little, then enjoy.

White Almond Fudge

This creamy fudge is a lovely compliment to your Christmas Candy Arsenal.  I have a weakness for almond flavored. . .anything, actually.  If I could master a good Almond English Toffee all would be right with the world.  I will keep you posted on that front.  In the meantime, enjoy this creamy little treat.

You will need:

4 cups sugar

1 cup cream

1/3 cup milk

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup corn syrup

1 pkg white good quality white chocolate chips.

1 tbs almond extract

Dump it all in the pot.  Stir until boiling.  STOP stirring and let it boil until the temperature reaches 225 degrees.

Take it off the heat.  Stir in white chips.  Continue to stir until chips are melted. Add Almond flavor and stir until creamy.

Pour into 8X8 inch buttered pan.  Cover and let sit for several hours, or overnight.  Cut into squares and enjoy.

Perfect Penuche

This is a treat we try to make every year.  This year we finally manage to turn it out to perfection (which is more than I can say for a couple other candies I still haven't mastered).  Finally getting it right is really very rewarding.  

Penuche is a brown sugar fudge that is known for its grainy texture, but adding corn syrup makes it creamier and oh so much more satisfying.

Ingredients:

2 lb. bag of light brown sugar

1  cup of evaporated milk (if you don't have it substitute 2/3 cup dry milk + 3/4 cup of water. . .I did)

1/2  cup butter

4  tbs. light corn syrup

1/4  tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

In a medium saucepan mix brown sugar, milk, butter, corn syrup and salt.

Cook--stirring until butter is dissolved.  Then cook without stirring until soft ball stage is reached (or 238 degrees on a candy thermometer.)  

Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm.  Add vanilla.  Beat until thick. It should loose its glossiness as it firms.

Pour into a buttered 9 inch square pan or 11X7 inch pan.  When firm, cut into squares.

Enjoy. . . in moderation, of course. There are lots of other candies to make, after all.  Save some love handle real estate for the next treat.

Peppermint Bark

The Christmas tree is not the only thing a candy cane can, or should, adorn.  I like mine atop a bit of chocolate.  This little holiday treat is lovely to look at and even lovelier to eat.  And since I am a non-partial chocoholic I chose to make mine with both white and dark chocolate.  

The cast--small though it is:

Good quality white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, and a handful of candy canes.

Line a cookie sheet with tinfoil.

 

Melt the chips in the microwave a minute at a time on 50% power, stirring in between, until they have melted.  (If your white chips get a little dry you can add a teaspoon of Crisco to moisten it up again)

In the meantime, crush your candy canes.

Pour your melted chips onto the pan--make a pattern if you like.  

Then swirl a spoon or knife or fork, or your finger--whatever, around on the pan to just get the white and dark chocolate to swirl together.  Don't over blend or you will have blah chocolate color.  

Then sprinkle your crushed candy cane over the top, lightly tamping down larger pieces so they get good and embedded in the chocolate.  

Refrigerate for at least half and hour to harden up the chocolate.  Then break the bark up and enjoy.  To keep them firm store in a closed container in the fridge.

Marshmallows

Every year around the holidays I make several batches of marshmallows.  Sure I could buy them at fancy shmancy food stores for a buck a piece, but why do that when they are fun, quick and inexpensive to make.  And they taste much better fresh.  To keep it a special treat I only make them in December. . . mostly.  

All you need is:

1/2 cup water

3 Tbs. Knox gelatin 

2 cups sugar

2/3 cup corn syrup

1/4 cup water

1/4 tsp salt

1 Tbs. vanilla

powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:

Prepare a 9X13 pan by rubbing down with butter and sprinkling it with powdered sugar.

In the mixer add the gelatin to 1/2 cup of water and allow to bloom for ten minutes.

In a saucepan combine 1/4 cup of water, the sugar and corn syrup and bring to a boil.

Continue to boil until the temperature reaches 250 degrees F (hard ball stage).

Running mixer on low, drizzle the boiling sugar mixture into the gelatin mixture.  Turn up speed and add salt.

Mix on high until volume stops increasing (about ten minutes).

Add a tablespoon of vanilla.

Pour into prepared pan and smooth the best you can--it will stick to your spatula, buttering it will help.  It won't be great but that's okay.  Sprinkle powdered sugar on top and keep smoothing with your hands.

Allow to set, on counter, for several hours, or overnight.

Cut into squares, powdering the sides with powdered sugar to prevent sticking.

Store in air tight container. Or eat immediately in a large mug of hot chocolate.  My favorite is Stephan's Hot Chocolate.  I also like to give these as a neighbor gift and sometimes make homemade hot chocolate mix to go with it.