Gooey Candies...yum...yum

Caramels

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1-16oz. pkg. packed brown sugar
2 cups light cream
1 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla

Line a 8x8x2 inch baking pan with foil, making sure foil folds over edges of pan. Butter foil and set aside.
In a heavy 3 qt. saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add brown sugar, cream, and corn syrup. Mix well. Cook and stir over medium to high heat to boiling. Carefully clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Cook and stir over med. heat (248 degrees), firm ball stage.
Remove the saucepan from heat. Remove thermometer.. Stir in vanilla. Immediately pour caramel mix into prepared pan. When caramel mix is firm, use foil to lift it out of pan. Use a buttered knife to cut into 1 in. squares. Wrap each piece into clear plastic wrap. Makes 2 lbs.
Walnut Caramels:
Prepare as above, except sprinkle chopped walnuts onto bottom of the buttered prepared pan. Pour hot mix over nuts.
Mocha Caramels:
Prepare as above, except reduce butter to 3/4 cup and melt 2 squares unsweetened chocolate with the butter. Add 1 tbsp. instant coffee crystals to butter mix with sugar, cream, and syrup.
Short cut caramels:
Prepare as above except, substitute 1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk for the cream. This mixture will take less time to reach 248 degrees. About 15-20 min. as opposed to 45-60 min.
Caramel Apples:
Wash and dry 14-16 small tart apples; remove stems. Insert wooden skewer into stem end of each apple.
Prepare as above, except don't por mix into prepared pan. Working quickly, dip each apple into hot mix, turn to coat. Set on a buttered baking sheet. Chill.

Penuche

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup light cream
1/3 cup milk
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Line an 8x4x2 or 9x5x3 in. loaf pan with foil, making sure foil folds over edges. Butter foil, and set aside. Butter the sides of a heavy 2 qt. saucepan. Combine sugars, cream and milk. Cook and stir over med. heat to boiling. Clip candy thermometer to side of pan. Cook and stir over med. low heat till mix reaches 236 degrees, soft ball stage (15-20 min.) Remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla, but don't stir. Cool, without stirring, to 110 degrees (lukewarm, about 50 min.) Remove thermometer. Beat mix vigorously till penuche just begins to thicken; add nuts. Continue to beat till mix becomes very thick and starts to loose it's gloss (about 10 min. total). Spread into prepared pan. Score into squares. Cut when firm. makes 1 /4 lbs.

Saltwater Taffy

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
2 tbsp. butter
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract, rum
flavoring, or a few drops oil of
cinnamon (optional)
Few drops food coloring (optional)

Butter a 15x10x1 in. pan; set aside. Butter the sides of a heavy 2 qt. saucepan. In saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup, 1 cup water, and 1 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook and stir over medium high heat to boiling. Clip candy thermometer to side of pan. Cook over mid. heat till mix reaches 265 degrees, hard ball stage. About 40 min. remove saucepan from heat. Stir in butter. Stir in flavoring and coloring if desired. Pour into prepared pan. Cool for 15-20 min. or till easy to handle.
Butter hands and divide candy into four pieces. Twist and turn each piece till it becomes a creamy color (about 10 min.) Candy is ready if it cracks when tapped on counter. With buttered scissors, snip taffy into bite size pieces. Wrap in clear plastic wrap. Makes about 1 1/2 lbs.

Pralines

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup light cream
3 tbsp. butter
2 cups pecan halves

Butter sides of heavy 2 qt. saucepan. In it combine sugars and cream. Cook and stir over med. high heat to boiling. Clip candy thermometer to side of pan. Cook and stir over med., heat till mix reaches 234 degrees, soft ball stage (about 16-18 min.). Remove from heat. Add butter, but do not stir. Cool without stirring to 150 degrees (about 30 min.). Stir in nuts. Beat till candy just begins to thicken but is still glossy (about 3 min.). Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper. If candy becomes too stiff, stir in a few drops hot water. Store tightly covered. Makes about 36.
Chocolate Pralines:
Prepare as above, except add 2 squares finely chopped unsweetened chocolate with the butter.

Divinity

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
1 or 2 drops food coloring (optional)
1/2 cup chopped candies fruit or nuts

In a heavy 2 qt. saucepan mix sugar, corn syrup, and 1/2 cup water. Cook and stir over med. high heat to boiling. Clip candy thermometer to side of pan. Cook over med. heat, without stirring, to 260 degrees, hard ball stage (about 10-15 min.). Remove from heat, remove candy thermometer.
In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites with a sturdy, freestanding electric mixer on med. speed till stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Gradually pour hot mix in a this stream over whites, beating on high about 3 min.; scrape bowl. Add vanilla and food coloring. Continue beating on high till candy starts to lose it's gloss. When beaters are lifted, mix should fall in a ribbon that mounds on itself. This final beating should take 5-6 min.
Drop a spoonful of candy mix onto waxed paper. If it stays mounded, the mix has been beaten sufficiently. Immediately stir in fruit or nuts. Quickly drop remaining mix from teaspoon onto waxed paper. If mix flattens out, beat 1/2-1 min. more; check again. If mix is too stiff, beat in a few drops of hot water till candy is a softer consistency. Store tightly covered. makes about 40 pieces.

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