I just updated my lens on Creative Gift Giving for the holidays.

Chia Pet Rescue

I have been posting some of my favorite holiday treat recipes. My holiday festivities are not complete without toffee. This is a recipe that I have use for years and it is still my favorite toffee recipe.

1/2 C boiling water
1 C packed brown sugar
1 C sugar
1/3 C light corn syrup
1/8 t salt
1/3 C butter
1 C semisweet chocolate chips
1 C toasted almond slivers

• Add sugars, corn syrup, and salt to boiling water. Once it is dissolved cover the pan and cook over high heat for about 2 minutes. There shouldn’t be any sugar crystals left on the sides of the pan. Using a candy thermometer, cook without cover until temperature reaches 240 degrees. Do not stir. Add the butter and continue cooking until the temperature reaches 300 degrees. This is the hard crack stage.
• Pour into a buttered 13 X 9 inch baking dish. While this is cooling slightly, melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or microwave.
• Spread about 1/2 of the melted chocolate over the toffee and sprinkle with about 1/2 of the almonds. Invert the candy onto a wax paper lined baking sheet. Spread the remaining chocolate and almonds over the toffee.
• Once the mixture has hardened, break into chunks.

Check out my Creative Gift Giving Ideas lens for packaging ideas.

Note: I have added a blog category for my recipes. So you can filter my entries by Recipes! Have a happy Eat an Apple Day!

Chia Pet Rescue

Truffles for Santa

I used to shy away from making truffles as part of my holiday gift-giving candy because they tend to be difficult. However, a few years ago I was looking for something different to spice up my usual gift boxes. I found this recipe for Chocolate Raspberry Truffles that is really easy and is REALLY good. It has become another favorite of the recipients of my candy packages.

Chocolate Raspberry Truffles

1 C semisweet chocolate chips
1 8-oz pkg softened cream cheese
3/4 C crushed vanilla waffers
1/2 C raspberry jam (preferrably seedless)
Finely chopped almonds or walnuts

Melt the chocolate chips in a heavy saucepan or microwave. Stir until completely smooth. Allow to cool slightly.

Beat the cream cheese and chocolate until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the vanilla wafers and jam. The mixture should be fairly stiff. Refrigerate for several hours until the truffle mixture is firm.

Roll into small balls, about 1 or 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Roll the truffles in the finely chopped nuts. Store your truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerators. These can be kept in the refrigerator for several weeks so this is a good item to make ahead of time for gift-giving.

Tips: You can use any type of jam you prefer to flavor your truffles such as apricot or orange marmalade. I have even used a hot pepper jam (yummy and adds a bit of spice). But my favorite is still rasberry. You can also substitue cocoa or powdered sugar for the nuts. I use cocoa many times because some people are allergic to nuts.

Check out my Creative Gift Ideas lens for ideas on wrapping and other fun items to make.

Chia Pet Rescue

One of our Christmas traditions is to make holiday treats and give them as gifts. Every one’s favorite are my caramels. I  have people ask me for them all the time. And I always have to tell them they need to wait until Christmas. This is a special treat I save for the holiday season. This recipe has been a family secret, but I thought it is about time to share this tradition and recipe.

Chia Pet’s Christmas Caramels

2 C Sugar
1 C Light Corn Syrup
1/4 t salt
1 pt of Cream
1/2 C Unsalted Butter
1 t vanilla

Mix sugar, syrup, salt and 1/3 of the cream in a large pot. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil over medium heat.

Boil until quite thick. Remove lid and slowly add the remaining cream while stirring continuously. Add the cream slowly enough that it does not stop boiling. Continue boiling and stirring until candy reaches 234 degrees on a candy thermometer. Candy should be a caramel color.

Add butter and vanilla. Continue stirring until temperature comes back to 234 degrees. Pour candy into a buttered 9 X 9 inch pan. Do no scrape pan. Cool, cut and wrap.

Notes: Caramels should be a nice deep caramel color. The darker the color, the harder your caramels will be. I have also noticed that humidity affects how fast your caramels will cook. If it is very humid, it will take longer.

However you say it. Just say Merry Christmas!

Gift giving tip: I like to wrap the caramels in colorful plastic wrap and put them in festive mugs for Christmas gifts. Find original and fun containers for your candy and food gifts. For example, sometimes I make fabric origami boxes for gift giving!

Chia Pet Rescue