| ||||
|
|
Quick & EasyBy Beverly Barbour
More sweet stuff
We have barely polished off the Christmas sweets when February rolls around and cupid lifts his cute head. Then candy seems in order. For those of us who prefer homemade to store-bought, that means hitting the recipe file and mapping out the sweet road ahead.
One thing you might consider, if you haven't already invested in one, is buying a candy thermometer. They virtually insure success no matter how inexperienced you may be when it comes to the fine art of candy making. With a little care in choosing a place to store the thermometer it should last for years, Mercury never wears out it just rolls up and down forever.
Candied citrus peel can last almost forever, too. It is very expensive to buy, when you can find it, and very easy to make. Forget the cost of the fruit, because you can remove the peel and use the fruit the peel is, in effect, free. There is the cost of the sugar but that is true in any candy you might make. So, I suppose, it would be safe to say that candied citrus peel is about the least expensive candy you can make.
It also keeps well. Once made, store the peel in jars, tightly capped so that no moisture gets in. It will keep for a long while. But, of course, it won't last forever. You will find yourself nibbling on it, or throwing bits of candied peel into cookies, fruit breads, even fruit salads.
Candied Fruit Peel
Made from lemon, orange or pink grapefruit skins. Eat the fruit and the peel. The sweetened peel is the very special treat.
12 lemons or 8 navel oranges or 5 pink grapefruit
7 1/2 cups granulated sugar
6 cups water
3 drops yellow food coloring for lemons, optional
2 drops each of yellow and red food coloring for oranges, optional
1 drop red food coloring for grapefruit, optional
Preparing peel: Quarter the fruit lengthwise and remove the peel (including the white pitch) in 1 piece from each quarter, reserving fruit for another use. Cut peel lengthwise in 1/3-inch-wide strips (if using grapefruit cut peel in half crosswise first). Put peel in a large bowl and cover with cold water, then soak 1 hour; drain well. Transfer peel to a large heavy pot. Blanch by adding cold water to cover by 1 inch and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, then drain well. Repeat blanching process 2 more times. Cover peel once more with cold water and simmer until skin side is tender, about 30 minutes, then drain well.
Cooking peel: In pot add 6 cups sugar and 6 cups water to the peel. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Wash down any sugar crystals clinging to side of pot with pastry brush dipped in cold water. Add food coloring and boil syrup, uncovered and undisturbed (do not stir) until it reaches 220 F on a candy thermometer, about 30 minutes. Add peel and simmer over low heat until translucent, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat; let peel stand in syrup, uncovered, at room temperature 8 to 12 hours. (Lock up the cat.) Return syrup with peel to the range and boil, uncovered and unstirred, until it reaches 226 F, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let peel stand in syrup, uncovered, at room temperature 8 to 12 hours. Return syrup to a boil once more and boil, uncovered and unstirred, until it reaches 228 F, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let peel stand in syrup, uncovered, at room temperature 8 to 12 hours.
Dry and sugar the peel: Reheat syrup with peel over low heat just until syrup has liquefied (peel will have absorbed most of the syrup), then drain peel in colander. Immediately spread peel, separating pieces, on metal racks set in 2 shallow baking pans and dry, uncovered, until just barely sticky, 8 to 24 hours. Spread 1/2 cup of remaining sugar on a plate and roll each piece of peel in sugar to coat well, and then transfer to a sheet of wax paper. Add more sugar as needed to coat remaining peel. (Sift sugar occasionally to remove bits of peel and clumps of sugar.) Dry the sugared peel on wax paper for 1 hour. Put it into small jars to give as valentines.
Caramels
Very fine restaurants in Europe and America are now giving their guests little candy treats to take home with them. Caramels are a special favorite. Wrapped in plastic wrap twisted at each end they keep very well.
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/3 sticks butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine sugar, butter, brown sugar and corn syrup in a heavy pot over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. When sugars are dissolved, add the condensed milk in a steady stream, stirring it in as you pour. Turn heat down to medium and cook until mixture reaches 242 F. Add vanilla. Pour into a buttered pan. When cool cut into pieces and wrap each individually.
Peanut Clusters
Janice Garvert of Plainville, Kan., got tired of paying for peanut clusters and decided to experiment and make her own. This is what she came up with. Janice's candies are quick, easy to make and much less expensive than buying them.
1 package (24 oz) white bark chocolate
2 packages (24 oz) chocolate chips
24 ounces Spanish peanuts
Melt white bark and chocolate chips in microwave on medium high for about 8 minutes. Stir every 3 minutes. Add peanuts and cook 2 minutes more. Mix well and then drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Let set up in a cool place. Store in container. They freeze well if you let them thaw in the closed container you used for storing in the freezer.
Goof Balls
You can make these candies taste like Mounds candy bars by omitting the nuts and dipping in dark chocolate rather than semi-sweet. To make them taste like Almond Joy candy, use almonds and dip in either melted semi-sweet or in melted milk chocolate. They are very rich, so make the balls small; as they are dipped, the coating will make them larger.
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 pound box confectioners sugar
14 ounces dried coconut
2 cups chopped pecans, almonds or walnuts
20 ounces semi-sweet or sweet dark chocolate
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Combine milk, sugar, coconut and nuts. Chill for at least 3 hours. Roll into teaspoon size balls; chill at least 8 hours. Melt chocolate with vegetable oil in a double-boiler or microwave. Remove from heat and drop balls in chocolate, one at time. Remove with a fork and place on wax paper lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate.
PAST RECIPES
