Vanilla Bean Caramels

Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
5 tbsp. unsalted butter
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean pod, split lengthwise and scraped
1¼ tsp. fleur de sel, plus more for sprinkling
1½ cups sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
¼ cup water

Directions:
Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. Lightly butter the parchment.
In a small saucepan, combine the cream, butter, vanilla extract, vanilla bean seeds, pods, and fleur de sel. Heat over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Boil, without stirring but gently swirling the pan occasionally, until the mixture is a light golden caramel color.
Remove the vanilla bean pods from the cream mixture and carefully stir the cream mixture into the caramel – the mixture will bubble up, so pour slowly and stir constantly. Continue simmering the mixture until it registers 248˚ F on a candy thermometer. Immediately remove from the heat and pour into the prepared pan. Let cool for 30 minutes, then sprinkle lightly with additional fleur de sel. Continue to let sit until completely set and cooled. Cut into 1-inch pieces (a buttered pizza cutter works well). Wrap the individual caramels in small pieces of wax paper, about 4-inch squares.

Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

Note: one of the great things about making your own ice cream is that you can control the amount of sugar or fat! You may want to use cream instead of the fat-free half and half or full-fat half and half. You could also use whole milk instead of the 1 percent milk. Because of the fat in the peanut butter, I don't think these other fats are needed.
Ingredients:
1-1/8 cups good quality, but NOT natural peanut butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1-1/4 cups 1 percent milk
2 cups fat-free half and half
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, chopped in small pieces and additional ones to garnish.

Directions:
In a medium mixing bowl, use a handmixer to combine the peanut butter and sugar until smooth. Add the milk and mix on low speed until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the half and half and vanilla. Pour the mixture into the freezer bowl; turn on the machine. Mix until thickened, about 20 to 25 minutes. Five minutes before mixing is completed, add the chopped candy though the top and let mix in completely. The ice cream will have a soft texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours. Because I like a harder ice cream, I usually freeze it for about 2 more hours. Remove from freezer about 15 mintues before serving. Garnish with additional Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

Buttercrunch Toffee

Ingredients:
1 cup almonds, pecans or hazelnuts
1 tablespoon water
4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons packed light or dark brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips or 3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions:
1. To Prep the Almonds: Spread the almonds on a baking sheet, and bake them at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring them halfway through so they toast evenly. Let them cool, and chop them finely.
2. Set aside half of the chopped nuts. Place the other half on an ungreased baking sheet, and gather the nuts into an 8-inch circle. Set aside.
3. In a small saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer, combine the water, butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar over medium heat. (Don’t overstir!) Cook the mixture until it reaches 300 degrees F. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the baking soda and vanilla until just combined.
4. Pour the mixture onto your circle of almonds.
5. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the toffee, and set aside for 2 minutes while the chocolate melts. Using a spatula, spread the chocolate over the toffee.
6. Scatter the remaining half of your almonds over the chocolate. Let the toffee cool completely.

Coffee Toffee

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons molasses (can swap corn syrup or honey)
1/4 teaspoon salt (or a heaping 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt)
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, or 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts (toasted, skinned and cooled) or another nut of your choice

Directions:
Line a small baking sheet (mine are 9×13, to fit in my puny oven) with parchment paper or a silicon mat and set aside.
In medium heavy saucepan (I used a 3-quart) with a candy thermometer attached, melt butter, brown sugar, white sugar, molasses, salt and espresso together over together. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a whisk (one that reaches into the corners is especially helpful here) until the temperature approaches 250¯F, at which point you should stir constantly until it reaches 300¯F.

Pour immediately into the prepared baking sheet — you can spread it more evenly with a offset or silicon spatula but don’t worry if you have neither. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the toffee and let them sit for a minute until soft, then spread the chocolate evenly over the candy base. Sprinkle the chocolate with chopped hazelnuts and then, if you’re as impatient as we are, you can slide the sheet onto a cooling rack in the freezer until the toffee is set.
Break into pieces and store in an airtight container. If you’re kitchen runs warm, you might prefer to keep it in the fridge so the chocolate doesn’t get soft.

Maple Pecan Candies

Ingredients:
1 cup pure dark amber maple syrup
2 cups sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. light corn syrup
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup toasted, coarsely chopped pecans

Directions:
Lightly oil a 9 x 9-inch baking pan. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the maple syrup, sugar, cream and corn syrup. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat until it reaches 236° F on a candy or instant-read thermometer.

Remove from the heat and transfer the mixture to the metal bowl of an electric mixer. Let stand at room temperature until it has cooled to 110 ° F. (This takes quite a while, so go find something else to do for a bit.)

When the mixture has reached the appropriate temperature, add in the vanilla extract and beat with the paddle attachment on medium speed just until it begins to thicken and loses its gloss. Be careful not to over-beat, which can cause a grainy texture.

Use a rubber spatula to fold in the chopped pecans. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan and spread into an even layer. Allow to cool and set for several hours before cutting and serving.

Truffles

Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup sugar (I like mine a little sweeter)

Directions:
Bring the cream and sugar to a boil over low heat, pour over the chocolate and stir until smooth. (At this point I separated mine into 4 different bowls; one for each flavor.)

For the Peppermint:Add 1 or 2 drops peppermint extract to the ganache and stir to combine.

For the Orange:Add a sizable splash of Grand Marnier orange liquer and stir to combine.

For the S’Mores:Add 1 or 2 drops pure vanilla extract (I used vanilla paste) and stir to combine.

For the Raspberry:Add a sizable splash of Chambord Raspberry liquer and stir to combine.

Cover and chill the bowls for at least 4 hours or overnight. Roll into walnut size balls, roll in desired topping and chill until ready to serve. As far as toppings, I used crushed up candy canes for the peppermint, powdered sugar for the orange, and cocoa powder for the raspberry. For the S’Mores truffles, I chopped up marshmallows and placed a small piece inside of each truffle, then rolled them in graham cracker crumbs. Pretzels are also a great topper.

Chocolate Pecan Caramels

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1-1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans, (toasted if desired)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup corn syrup

1/4 cup water

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

2 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Line a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan with foil; butter the foil with about 1 Tbsp butter. Sprinkle with pecans and chocolate chips; set aside. In a heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add brown sugar, corn syrup and water. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in milk. Cook, stirring constantly, to firm ball stage (248 degrees). Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour into prepared pan (do not scrape saucepan). Cool completely before cutting. Makes about 2-1/2 pounds (about 6 dozen).
Notes:
-You're not supposed to scrape the saucepan, because grains of sugar on the side can cause your caramels to crystallize. But I couldn't just let all that caramel go to waste, so I scraped it into a small buttered custard cup. We ate it in like 5 seconds flat. Mmmm.

Chocolate-Peppermint Bark

Ingredints:
12 oz chocolate chips
1 pound white chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 cup peppermint candy, crushed

Directions: .
Preheat oven to 250. Line a 9x13 pan with foil, letting it hang over the sides. Spray foil. Pour the chocolate chips in an even layer on the foil. Place in oven for 5 minutes or until almost melted. Remove from oven, smooth with an offset spatula or knife. Place in refrigerator until cold and firm, about 20 minutes.
Melt white chocolate chips in a double boiler or in a metal bowl over simmering water (don’t let bottom of bowl touch water), until chocolate is almost melted. You can use your microwave for this if you’re brave! Remove bowl from water and stir until completely melted, stirring in extract. Let cool a little bit so it doesn’t melt the chocolate layer when you pour it on top. Pour this over chocolate layer, and, working quickly, spread to cover. Sprinkle with crushed candy.
Chill until both layers are firm. Lift foil out of pan and shake off excess candy. Trim edges. Cut into 2” wide strips. Peel bark from foil and cut each strip as desired. Chill in covered container. Makes about 2 pounds.

Buttery Cashew Brittle

Ingredients:
2 sticks salted butter (no substitutions)
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon light corn syrup
1 1/2 cup cashews (whole, halves or pieces - salted or unsalted)

Directions:
Line a baking sheet with a lightly buttered piece of waxed paper, set aside. In a heavy medium sized saucepan, heat the butter, sugar and corn syrup on medium low heat. Stir occasionally and heat until temperature reaches 290 degrees on a candy thermometer (about 30 minutes). Take pan off heat and stir in cashews. Pour mixture out onto the waxed paper lined pan, and spread the candy out across the pan. Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then in the fridge for 5 more minutes before peeling off the waxed paper. Break into bite sized pieces and store in an airtight container.

Candy Bar Cookies

Ingredients:
1 tube (16-1/2 ounces) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
4 nutty s'mores trail mix bars (1.23 ounces each), chopped
1 package butterscotch chips
2-1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup chopped walnuts
1-1/2 cups miniature pretzels
1 package peanut butter chips
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 package milk chocolate chips

Directions:
Let dough stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften. In a large bowl, combine dough and trail mix bars. Press into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with butterscotch chips and marshmallows. Bake 3-4 minutes longer or until marshmallows begin to brown. Sprinkle with walnuts; arrange pretzels over the top. In a small saucepan, melt the peanut butter chips, corn syrup and butter; spoon over bars. In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Transfer to a small plastic bag; cut a hole in a corner of the bag. Drizzle chocolate over bars. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm before cutting. Yield: 3 dozen.

Saltwater Taffy

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups light corn syrup*

1 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon flavored extract (we used key lime extract)

3-4 drops food coloring (optional)

wax paper candy wrappers, about 1 1/4 inch by 3 1/2 inches

Directions:

Prepare two baking sheets by spraying them with nonstick cooking spray or lining them with sili-pats or greasing them with a thin layer of canola oil.

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees.Dissolve the salt in the water. Combine sugar, corn syrup, and salt water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously until sugar dissolves. Then continue cooking without stirring until candy reaches 260 degrees(hard-ball stage). If you were to drop a bit of the mixture into a cup of cold water it should form a solid but flexible ball at this stage.

Remove from heat immediately and stir in extract. Pour half (or more than half if you only want a thin stripe of color) of the mixture into a prepared baking sheet and place it in the oven to stay warm. Skip this step if you want solid colored or white candy.

Add food coloring to the remaining candy. Pour the candy out onto a heat-safe cutting board or sili-pat. Allow it to sit until it forms a thin “skin”, just a couple of minutes.Using a heat-safe scraper or spatula, begin spreading the candy out and pushing it back together. This will allow the mixture to cool to the point where you can pick it up without burning yourself.

Meanwhile, oil your hands with a bit of canola oil. As soon as the candy is cool enough to handle, pull it in long strands then fold the strand back onto itself and repeat, twisting and pulling, until it has a satiny finish and is opaque. Pull into a long rope about 1” thick. Place on the prepared baking sheet on the counter and remove the other batch of taffy from the oven.

Make sure you really, really stretch out the candy. The more you stretch, the softer it will be. Candy that is not stretched enough will be hard and difficult to chew.Repeat the above procedure with this batch. Twist the two strands together until they do not separate.Pull the twisted candy into long strips, 1/2-inch in diameter, and cut with oiled kitchen shears into pieces about 3 inches long. Alternately, twist into 1 inch wide strips then cut into 1/4 -1/2 inch chunks for coin-shaped taffy.

Allow to cool completely before wrapping individually in waxed paper by placing the taffy logs in the middle of the waxed paper then folding it over lengthwise and twisting the ends shut.Store in an air tight container.

*Note: I like to use HFCS-free corn syrup. It is a little more difficult to find (the ubiquitous Karo contains HFCS) but is available at some grocery stores, health food stores and I've actually had great success finding it at Asian grocery stores like H Mart. If you are using conventional corn syrup make sure it does not have vanilla added, I've found nearly all of the Karo other other common brands of light corn syrup have vanilla added.