Home-made candy, yes or no?

[Dan Murphy]

Not sure if I have ever had homemade candy, made by someone at home. I do really like fudge from the fudge shops though.

 

[jdb in AZ]

I love my fudge recipe, and melt-in-your-mouth caramels, and cashew brittle, and candied cashews. I also love store-bought Lindt peppermint truffles, Snickers and Reese's Peanut Butter cups in their festive holiday wrappings.

We also received some "Toffee to Go" from a friend (it's available out of Florida via on-line ordering.) Not going to try to out-do that -- it's fabulous.

 

[QueenIsabella]

I usually make fudge. Not this year, though--DD18 "stress bakes" and loves to make cookies. Meanwhile, DS15 also enjoys baking, and recently completed a semester in Culinary--he plans to take the second class next year. So, between the two of them, we're up to our ears in cookies. So, no candy this year. However, I can offer you some pudding pie, decorated sugar cookies, buckeye balls, snickerdoodles, spritz cookies, fudge ecstasies...

 

[a1tinkfans]

I used to make and build chocolate houses, churches and sleighs and filled them with more chocolate ( dark/white/milk) or choc dipped strawberries. I sold them like crazy.. it was a Huge undertaking.

 

[Disneylover99]

Not a fan.

 

[disneychrista]

I am making fudge for New Years. I mentioned finding a way to make my fudge vegan to my daughter around Thanksgiving and on Christmas she asked if I was planning on making it for New Years, since I hadn't for Christmas. So tomorrow I will be making fudge.

 

[NotUrsula]

For those wondering, Divinity is a type of nougat, traditionally a white version, with pecans. It's notoriously tricky because it won't set up correctly if the relative humidity is above 50%, and <35% is optimal.

I grew up near New Orleans, where in the old days you could only make divinity in winter. Some time around Thanksgiving we would get all of the ingredients (except the eggs) and measures gathered up in a box in readiness to jump to make it if a good day presented itself. That tended to happen about a week before Christmas in years when we got lucky. Now I hear that it's possible to seal up your workspace and use dehumidifiers to dry the air out enough, but I've never tried that. Divinity has never been on my candy-making rotation as an adult; it's just too tricky to have to wait for the perfect weather.

PS: Today's project was pralines.

 

[evilmommie]

I made some candy today, something I usually only do at Christmastime (we delayed our celebration). It's a lot of effort, but I truly love the stuff; it's just a lot more special than what you can buy in a store. (That may be because I have so many childhood memories of making it, but it's still darned tasty, LOL.)

So, how do you feel about it? Love it? Hate it? Hate the effort of making it? Favorite kinds?

What did you make?
Yes, I make Christmas candy. mhmmm…fudge, caramels and marshmallows.

@DLgal OMGOSH…Sees scotchmallows. To die for!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

other chocolate dipped or covered items.

My sister-in-law makes white chocolate dipped dried apricots. I really like them.

 

[aprilgail]

I am not a fan of the "chocolate" people think they are making at home using those horrible melting wafers- those are not real chocolate and tastes terrible.

 

[Pooh2]

Usually do buckeye, needhams, fudge and many different cookies.
Thought about making rocky road fudge for this evening but currently have a cooling cheesecake, pumkin pie and cookies for tonight.
Our gathering is dwindling due to covid by the hour so I might end up delivering lasgna and dessert to the doorsteps of those affected so we don't have a crazy amount of food in the fridge!

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

Up until 2020, I would do candy and send to work with DH, the kids for snacks, to pack meetings/band meetings, or for bake sales. Some of the ones we've made over the years:

Caramel popcorn balls.

Rice Krispy truffle balls.; Truffles (various flavors, like eggnog, peppermint, orange chocolate, etc); Rum balls.

fudge

Hard candy (like jolly ranchers, with assorted flavors like cinnamon, lemon, etc) Either as lollipops, or in sheets, that are cut/broke into pieces to suck on.

Marshmallows (I love to make them with half honey, half corn syrup, so they get that honey flavor. Great dipped in chocolate and put on homemade shortbread cookies!)

Caramels (sea salt and dipped in dark chocolate sometimes)

Peppermint (or other types) Bark. (white chocolate, pistachio, dried cranberry, with some dried orange rind is a favorite)

Christmas 'crack' (butter, brown sugar cooked into a toffee, poured over saltine crackers and top with chocolate chips to melt)

Sponge candy (dipped in white chocolate colored for Christmas)

Spiced nuts (pecans usually)

 

[NotUrsula]

I am not a fan of the "chocolate" people think they are making at home using those horrible melting wafers- those are not real chocolate and tastes terrible.

I'm with you on that. Luckily, I don't know anyone who would expect an adult to eat that stuff; the only times I've encountered it have been at kids' parties.

 

[DLgal]

I am not a fan of the "chocolate" people think they are making at home using those horrible melting wafers- those are not real chocolate and tastes terrible.

I agree, it tastes like plastic.

When I make chocolates, I use either Trader Joe's Belgian dark chocolate, Valhrona, or Ghirardelli baking bars. It's a pain to temper it, but it's worth it. I like to mix salted peanuts with dark chocolate and drop spoonfuls onto waxed paper to make clusters. Then I sprinkle them with maldon sea salt flakes. That's the only "candy" I make myself at this point.

 

[wowsmom]

I agree, it tastes like plastic.

When I make chocolates, I use either Trader Joe's Belgian dark chocolate, Valhrona, or Ghirardelli baking bars. It's a pain to temper it, but it's worth it. I like to mix salted peanuts with dark chocolate and drop spoonfuls onto waxed paper to make clusters. Then I sprinkle them with maldon sea salt flakes. That's the only "candy" I make myself at this point.

Did you know that Ghirardelli makes candy wafers? You don't have to use the Wilton.

 

[mel&me]

I dont make it but love trying it when other people already have.

 

[DLgal]

Did you know that Ghirardelli makes candy wafers? You don't have to use the Wilton.

Ghirardelli makes melting wafers, yes. They are considered a candy compound, not straight chocolate. I prefer pure chocolate. If you don't have to temper it, it has added stabilizers and oils.

 

[OhhBother]

This year, I made fudge with walnuts and Martha Washington candy - just like my mom does every year. I also did a loaf cake, cupcakes and several different types of Christmas cookies. I was in a baking mood this year!

 

[wowsmom]

Ghirardelli makes melting wafers, yes. They are considered a candy compound, not straight chocolate. I prefer pure chocolate. If you don't have to temper it, it has added stabilizers and oils.

Yup, but they do at least taste better than Wilton if you don't feel like doing the work.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

Still not back to normal Christmas socializing has led to a total shortage of moose munch in the house, In sheer desparation to keep the Moose Munch in Christmas I made it myself. I had no idea how easy it was to make caramel. I might just start caramelling everything now.