peanut clusters

This is probably the first candy that we ever made for Christmas and it has been a staple of our holiday baking since the first time that we made it.  It isn't really even a recipe, just two ingredients.  It goes together quickly and is a great filler in the schedule of baking--while the sugar cookie dough is chilling you can whip out these candies.

Peanut clusters

I package of chocolate bark coating

1 package (8 oz) Spanish peanuts

Melt the chocolate coating in the microwave.  Stir in the Spanish peanuts.  Drop by spoonful onto parchment paper and allow to sit until they harden. 

chocolate covered cherries

This is another traditional candy that have made over the years.  Some years we have soaked the cherries in rum and some years we  have not and both are good.  This year the two places that I shopped for groceries only had jars of cherries without stems.  I think the stemmed ones are nice on the goodie tray.  The stems sticking out from the candy allow them to be differentiated from the other chocolate candies.

Chocolate Covered Cherries

10 oz jar maraschino cherries with stems

2 Tbsp rum

Soak cherries in rum for 2 hours, drain well on paper towels.

Fondant

1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk (eagle brand)

2 tsp light corn syrup

2 1/4-2 ½ cups powdered sugar

chocolate coating or dipping chocolate

Combine eagle brand milk and corn syrup, blend well.  Gradually add powdered sugar until a stiff smooth dough is formed, kneading in last of powdered sugar if necessary.  Wrap small amounts of fondant around cherries.  Refrigerate 20 minutes or until fondant is firm. Dip in melted chocolate.  When dry dip again.  This year since I did not have stems showing I drizzled the finished candies with a little white bark coating. 

oreo truffles

These are a fun and easy candy to make.  They require only three ingredients and come together in a very short time.  I use a food processor to crush the cookies and then add the cream cheese right into the crumbs and process until it forms a tacky mass of dark brown goodness.  The almond bark is melted in the microwave and the truffle centers are dipped and allowed to dry on parchment paper lines sheets or trays until set.

White or chocolate coating can be used.  You won't need the whole package of coating to coat the truffles but it is easier to dip having a larger quantity of the coating so consider having another purpose for the excess--perhaps some pretzels to dip or almonds to stir in for almond bark.  You could put the extra melted coating into a zipper baggie with the tip of one corner cut off and pipe cute stars or swirls or other designs.  Once they harden they can be eaten or top cupcakes or frosted cookies.

 oreo truffles

1 package regular oreo cookies

8 oz package cream cheese

almond bark coating, 

Crush all but 7 of the cookies into crumbs, using both the cookie and the cream filling.  Mix the crumbs with the cream cheese.  Shape the mixture into truffles, football shapes, balls etc. May chill to make it easier to form if mixture is too soft.  Melt the bark coating.  Dip each truffle and set on parchment paper lined baking sheet to  dry.  While the coating is still wet the extra seven cookies could be crushed and a few crumbs sprinkled on the tops of the candies.

This year we coated ours with white bark but these make great superbowl or fantasy draft party candies when shaped like footballs instead of balls and dipped in chocolate bark coating.  Once set white bark coating or frosting can be used to add details like the laces.

a center is placed in the melted coating

candy fork used to move the coated center to parchment to set

reese's peanut butter balls

This recipe was originally found in a church cookbook and called Reese's peanut butter bars.  What was the bottom layer of the bars became the centers of these candies.  Small amounts of the graham cracker mixture is rolled into balls.  The top layer of the bar is the chocolate layer and I use that to dip the balls.  The proportions are right for a 9x13 pan.  When made into balls there will not be enough chocolate to dip all of the centers so I would recommend being prepared to make  a second full or partial batch of the chocolate chip/peanut butter mixture for coating.

reese's peanut butter balls

centers:

1 cup butter, melted

2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

Mix together all ingredients, form into balls and chill or freeze.

coating:

generous cup milk chocolate chips

heaping Tbsp peanut butter

melt together and dip chilled balls to coat.  Place on parchment paper and allow to set or chill until chocolate is firm.  You may need more coating depending on the size that you make the centers.

This recipe can also be made into bars in a 9x13 pan.  Mix up the ingredients for the centers but instead of forming into balls press evenly in the bottom of the 9x13 pan.  Spread the melted coating over the top and allow to set.