Christmas Hard Candy

This candy is delicious. The recipe below is for one batch of one flavor. So, if you want many flavors, you make many batches but you will need at least two people and of course it is more fun with two. Be careful you don’t burn your fingers. This candy makes a great gift.

Ingredients

* 2/3 cup white Karo
* 2 cups sugar
* 1 cup water
* 1/2 teaspoon oil flavoring (approximate)
* 1/2 teaspoon food coloring, of choice (approximate)
* 3 cups confectioners’ sugar

Directions

1.Put a couple of LIGHTLY oiled and then wiped out, 10″ frying pan (metal–not cast iron) in the freezer for 20 minutes or so before starting the candy (one for each batch).
2.Put the confectioners sugar in a bowl and put on the table where you will be working with the candy.
3.Put the Karo syrup, sugar, and water in a large saucepan; bring it to a boil and cook over medium heat till thermometer reaches 300F to 305F (hard crack stage).
4.Immediately take off the stove and add the flavoring and the food coloring.
5.Pour into the cold pans and wait till it starts to set; it will cool around the edges first.
6.When it does, start picking up and snipping with scissors to desired size.
7.Put into the confectioners sugar and leave there, tossing every so often, till you are done.
8. When that particular flavor is done, put the candy in a sifter and sift the confectioners sugar off and put into a clean bowl; save this sugar for the next batch.
9.AMOUNT OF OIL FLAVORING THAT I USE:.
10.cinnamon–scant 1/2 teaspoon (deep red); lemon–full 1/2 teaspoon (yellow); anise–full 1/2 teaspoon (blue); lime–full 1/2 teaspoon (light green); spearmint–exactly 1/2 teaspoon (dark green); orange–full 1/2 teaspoon (medium orange); clove–level 1/4 teaspoon (this flavor is very strong–no color).

Candy Christmas Train

These are great for little and big kids on your Christmas list.

Ingredients

* 1 (16 ounce) can betty crocker vanilla frosting
* 16 ounces fun size Snickers candy bars
* 1 (1 1/4 ounce)  roll LifeSavers five-flavor roll candy
* 1 yellow M&Ms plain chocolate candy
* 1 piece aluminum foil, wrapped santa
* 1 orange slice
* 1 Hershey’s chocolate kiss, in red or green aluminum foil
* 1 (1 lb) bag red & green M&Ms plain chocolate candy
* 3 Tootsie Rolls, midgies
* 1 small red lollipops
* 1 small green lollipops
* 2 red starbrite peppermint candies
* 2 foil wrapped candies

Directions

1.Start with cardboard cut into 5″ wide by 18″ long. Wrap it with foil and tape foil to the back.
2.Set a yardstick down the middle and mark it with a pen along each long side for the full length.
3.Pipe the 2 lines with canned frosting.
4.Take 5 of the unwrapped candybars and use frosting to glue on the green and red M&Ms as wheels.
5.1″ from the end, place the orange slice, gluing it down with some frosting. This will be the cow catcher.
6.Place 1 of the candy bars with “wheels” (and some frosting for glue underneath it)butting it up next to the orange slice. Push down slightly for frosting to hold.
7.Take off wrapper from lifesavers, and open 1 end and remove some candies so that it is the same length as the candy bar. Cut off the excess wrapper leaving enough foil to fold over.
8.Pipe a line of frosting down center of 1st candy bar and then press down foil covered lifesavers (make sure that cut end is facing away from the orange slice.).
9.Put frosting on end of lifesavers foil(above orange slice, cow catcher)press on the yellow m&m as a light.
10.Pipe some frosting directly on foil base behind 1st candy bar and on the end (away from orange slice)and now press the foil santa’s feet into the frosting on the base and his belly onto the back of the candy bar & lifesafers.
11.Leave about 1.5 inches and put down the next candy car and then 1.5″ space then the next and so forth until all 5 candy bar “cars” have been placed and look centered on the foil base.
12.On the second car, frost the top and then place 3 tootsie roll midgees to look like logs, using frosting to hold them.
13.On third car, frost the top and then stick the 2 lollipops into it with them both facing forward.
14.On the forth car, frost the top and then stick on the starbrite candies on their sides facing each other with a dap of frosting between them to help them stand up.
15.on the fifth car, frost the top and then push down the foil wrapped candies.

Easy Microwave Hard Christmas Rock Candy

Follow the directions exactly and be careful and use oven mits.

Ingredients

* 2 cups sugar
* 1 cup light corn syrup
* 1 teaspoon lorann flavoring oil (1 dram)
* food coloring (optional)

Directions

1.Use a good heavy glass bowl such as a pyrex brand. Grease a 11 X 15 inch jelly roll pan. Mix sugar and corn syrup into microwave safe glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap such as Saran Wrap tightly.
2.Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Take out carefully, remove plastic wrap and stir. Put on a new piece of plastic wrap and microwave another 3 minutes. Take out carefully and stir again. Put on another new piece of plastic wrap and microwave another 3 minutes — Take out again, remove plastic wrap, add oil carefully and food coloring if using and stir — pour into your greased jelly roll pan and spread out onto sheet — you can sprinkle powdered sugar over top if desired — place in a cool place to harden — after it hardens break up into pieces and store in airtight container. Enjoy.

Christmas Cool Whip Candy

Ingredients

* 3 (8 ounce)  Hershey Bars
* 2 (12 ounce) cartons Cool Whip, thawed
* 1-2 cup vanilla wafer crumbs

Directions

1.Melt chocolate in microwave, stir until smooth.cool slightly.
2.Stir in cool whip, drop by tspful into crumbs or nuts.
3.Cover all sides and place on waxed paper .
4.Store covered in refrigerator.

Christmas Jelly Candy

Ingredients

* 5 (1/4 ounce) envelopes unflavored gelatin
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 2 cups desired fruit juice (or nectar such as cranberry, grape, orange or apricot)
* 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

1.In 1 1/2 quart saucepan combine gelatin and sugar.
2.Add fruit juice;wait 5 minutes.
3.Bring to boiling; reduce heat.
4.Cook and stir till gelatin dissolves.
5.Add lemon juice.
6.Pour into shallow pans or paper bake cups.
7.Cool; chill till firm.
8.(If desired loosen sides. Carefully turn out of pans, using a wide spatula. Cut with cookie cutters. Place on wire rack to dry.) Cover pans or store cutouts in single layers, between waxed paper, in airtight containers up to 5 days.

Christmas Peppermint Candy Cheesecake

Ingredients

* 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup melted butter, plus
* 2 tablespoons melted butter
* 1 1/2 cups sour cream
* 2 eggs
* 1 tablespoon flour
* 2 teaspoons vanilla
* 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
* 1/2 cup coarsely crushed candy cane
* whipped cream
* chocolate leaves
* more coarsely chopped candy canes

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 325.
2.Blend graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup melted butter in bottom of ungreased 8″ springform pan; press mixture evenly over bottom.
3.In blender or food processor, blend sour cream, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, eggs, flour and vanilla until smooth.
4.Add cream cheese and blend; then blend in 2 tablespoons remaining melted butter until completely smooth.
5.Stir in crushed candy canes,then pour mixture over crust in pan.
6.Bake in lower third of oven for 45 minutes.
7.Remove; allow to cool.
8.Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
9.The chocolate leaves will form the petals of a poinsettia flower, with the crushed candy canes in the very center.

Christmas Bark Candy

Ingredients

* 1 (12 ounce) package vanilla chips or milk chocolate chips
* 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
* 1 1/4-1 1/2 cups miniature M&M baking bits or broken pretzels, pieces

Directions

1.In a microwave safe bowl, heat chips and oil at 50% power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave 10 to 20 seconds longer or until chips are melted, stirring occasionally.
2.Cool for 5 minutes.
3.Stir in baking bits or pretzels. Spread onto wax paper lined baking sheet. Chill for 10 minutes. Remove from refrigerator; break into pieces.
4.Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Candy Wreath

Ingredients

* wire clothes hanger (or 8-inch wide round lamp shade ring)
* 2 1/2 bags candies, wrapped in colored foil
* curly ribbon

Directions

1.Make a circle out of a clothes hanger or use lamp shade ring.
2.Tie curly ribbon around one end of the candy, then tie the other end around the wreath.
3.Keep pushing the candy together so that it is stuck out in every direction.
4.This is an excellent gift and very beautiful when done.
5.You can make them in all sizes, the smaller the better.