Homemade Rock Candy

For our recent birthday party, we decided to do a science experiment for our party favors.  Rock candy!  It was pretty easy to make, tasted great and was fun to do with 'Lil Lass.  It was a great exercise in patience, as well.  We let ours sit for about two weeks.  It was fun to watch the sugar crystals grow!

Peanut Butter Cups

I recently made these peanut butter cups and they were delicious.  I would recommend keeping them refrigerated if you’re going to have them around for any length of time (but bring them to room temperature before you eat them).  It’s a very delicate process.

The peanut butter filling on the bottom of the chocolate patty ….

The completed candies.

Peanut Butter Cups

• 2 cups milk chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs

In 1-quart saucepan combine chocolate chips and shortening. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth (3 to 5 minutes).  Pour a little into the bottom of your cupcake paper.  Refrigerate until set.  In 2-quart saucepan combine butter or margarine and peanut butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until melted (4 to 6 minutes). Stir in confectioners’ sugar and graham cracker crumbs. Make about a 1/2 inch circle of filling, and press into each chocolate cup.  Spoon about 1 teaspoon melted chocolate on top of filling or just enough to cover. Freeze until firm (about 2 hours) carefully peel off paper cups. Store refrigerated.

Cherry Cordials

I decided to try this interesting venture of making cherry cordials…

First I made the fondant…

Melting the chocolate.  I think partially melted chocolate looks so beautiful, with it being both glossy and dull.  And who doesn’t like to look at chocolate, anyways?

The maraschino cherries.

The dipped cordials.  Now they just have to set for two weeks.  Can I wait that long?

Cherry Cordials
For the fondant:

1 pounds powdered sugar

1/2 can sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon almond

Other ingredients:

2 jars maraschino cherries (or so)

melted chocolate

Knead the fondant ingredients until smooth and creamy.  Put in a ziplock bag for 24 hours.  Roll over the cherries and freeze until hard.  I found that the fondant was really sticky, and it was easiest to roll it over the cherries with hands that had been dipped in cold water with fondant that was warmed slightly (just set it out on the counter for a few minutes) – but just slightly!   Put the fondant covered cherries in the freezer until they are frozen solid.  Then, dip the frozen cherries in the melted chocolate.  Let sit for about two weeks so the cherry juice and fondant mix a little.



Oh, are you wondering if I waited the whole two weeks?  Um, well, no, I didn’t.    But they were much better after the whole two weeks then after only two hours, or two days, ect…