Candy Addict?

I think I could find candy anywhere...

Example: This weekend we watched Matt's brother Paul in a boxing match, and low and behold what did I find under the chair in front of me? The lik-a-stix from Fun Dip!! It was even a fresh Valentine's day one because it said "Luv-a-ble" where it usually says "Lik-a-Stik". If I would of had one more Bud Light in me, I probably would have picked it up and ate it because everyone knows eating the stick at the end is the best part! 

The lonely lik-a-stix calling out to me...

However the combination of smelly, sweaty men surrounding me, the dirty floor, & the fact that it was already half eaten kept me from embarrassing myself in a true candy addict moment. (I had an image of me licking the floor to get that last little bit of sugar that spilled from the packet-much like a drug addict searching through a medicine cabinet...yikes!)

Maybe I can smell the sugars, or just have an eye for anything sweet, but it seems at even the least expected moments (like a boxing match) I will find that candy to tempt me. Let's just hope I can keep this addiction under control!

Great fight Paul!!

Apple Candy Take One

This weekend I tried a recipe for Apple Candy--there was no picture with the recipe so I'm not sure what they were "supposed" to look like. They do look kinda pretty, but I'm pretty sure the taste was not correct. 

The recipe starts with me cooking applesauce and adding sugars, gelatin, & cornstarch until a taffy-like mixture comes out. I cooked & cooked and added & added ingredients but it never got any thicker than the applesauce I started with. So I used too much gelatin with my gummy worms and now not enough with my apple candy (two packets). 

Nasty-ness in the bottom
of the pan

Nonetheless, I poured the mixture into the pan and let it sit overnight like the recipe directed. I dumped/plopped it out on the counter and dusted it with powdered sugar. 


Only one piece got eaten. The flavor wasn't horrible, it was just the gummy/runny/chunky texture that wasn't enjoyable as all candy deserves to be. So, in the trash it went, I couldn't even get Matt to try any--I guess the look on my face after I tried it was enough to keep him away from it...haha! 


If you have heard of or made a candy like this before, please let me know what I did wrong--it has potential! Can't get everything perfect on the first try right?

Know Your Candy Bars?

So, if you are still following this blog, you must be at least a little bit of a candy lover. Let's just see how you would score in this Guess The Candy game. Guess what kind of candy bars are shown without the wrappers on, and we'll compare scores!

www.guessthecandy.com

I scored a 90% (hey no one is perfect right?) I got the Fastbreak & Smores mixed up, guess I will have to go out and do some research to figure out the difference. I like that I am supposed to go see the dentist...I'll be there tomorrow, AND every day next week!! 

My Candy Bowl

This is my candy bowl--I don't think I can call it a dish because of it's gargantuan size. It was a graduation gift from my fellow candy-loving sister, Kylie. You can put candy in the little compartments around the outside of the dish for decoration-very clever!

You can see it's exploding with Valentine's day leftovers. It makes me happy! :)

Chocolate Potato Chips

The results are in, and you all voted for me to whip up some Chocolate Potato Chips. Done! Here is the finished product:

So how do they taste? Well, about what you would expect--the chocolate and the salty chips are an interesting balance (think trail mix). While they are definitely a treat of interest, I can't believe that these would fly off my candy store shelves! Here's the recipe if you'd like to give it a try:


Chocolate Potato Chips


1 bag Potato Chips (preferably thick cut like Ruffles)
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate


1. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler (or hot pot of water with glass bowl set atop for chocolate).


2. Dip the potato chips into chocolate and set on sheet of wax paper. If you'd like to spice up these treats you can sprinkle toppings such as M&M's, nuts, or sprinkles on top while the chocolate is still soft.


3. Let the chips set until chocolate is hardened, you can place them in the fridge, but ONLY for about ten minutes as the chips will get soggy if you leave them longer.


4. Store completed Chocolate Potato Chips in airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Enjoy!

Well there you go, if you are a sweet & salty kind of person, this is right up your alley, and very easy to make at that. If not, I wouldn't get too excited, e.g. Matt ate one chip, made the bitter beer face, said "well I tried one...", and walked away. Hey at least he tried one!


Check out my new poll and vote for the next candy to hit my little kitchen.

Kelso vs. Gummy Worm - Round 1

I've attempted (attempt is the key word here) to make gummy worms and while I did end up with something that resembled a colorful gummy steak, well done, I can't say that it would be digestible by humans.

My parents got to taste test, or gnaw-test, my creation. Mom said that maybe I could use the recipe for bulletproof vests or drink coasters (because they are apparently very similar in composition?), Dad used it as a weapon, which explains why my Twizzlers licorice often is used as a whip... but sadly neither could claim it as an edible anything.  

"In 1981, German gummi candy manufacturer, Mederer Corporation, developed the first gummi worm under the Trolli name. The intent of the gummi worm was to create a candy that would be mildly shocking to parents. Gummi bears and worms remain the top selling gummi items on the candy market today." www.farleysandsathers.com

Well, I have the shocking part down...

Trolli, hands down, has the best "Gummi" candies around. The brand has been passed through many famous companies such as Mederer, Favorite Foods, Inc., Nabisco, Kraft, Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, and now Farley's & Sathers Company based in Round Lake, MN, which is only about 2 hours from Vermillion. In the past I have actually applied for a production line job at Farley's & Sathers with no luck due to lack of experience-if only they could see me now! Wait...never mind...probably a good call on their part.

Anyhow, even though Trolli has been under different ownerships, their products are always consistently delicious, unique, & NOT rubber-like. Trolli is my "gummi" idol.

Since I don't have any worm-shaped candy molds, I settled for pouring the mixture into a pan and cutting worm shaped slices. Except that I couldn't cut through my gummy rubber slab with a knife :( The recipe I tried called for lots of gelatin, about 17 packets of Knox unflavored gelatin!! Gelatin is used as a gelling agent in cooking, and is a common ingredient in foods like Jello Jigglers, marshmallows, jams, candy corn & other gummy candies. And yes, it's made from animal bones... but my view on gelatin is much like my view on hot dogs: who cares-they are delicious!

Since I've never tried making any candy like this, I'm not sure exactly went wrong but I'm assuming that the large amount of gelatin was the problem? I've decided not to share recipes that don't turn out because I don't want to place blame on the recipe when it could very well be on the confectioner (if I can call myself that yet), so a recipe will be posted only after a successful treat is created.

I've found a second recipe to try, with less gelatin. I wanted a candy adventure, and I guess everything won't turn out on the first try right?

Check back for round two of Kelso vs. Gummy Worm coming soon.

Bite My Butterfinger!

As my craving inspired me earlier today, I found a recipe for super simple butterfinger candy bars. Only 3 ingredients! Candy corn, peanut butter, and chocolate. Yes, candy corn is available year round, not just halloween. I chose to use the crunchy peanut butter for a little added crunch and semi-sweet chocolate chips for dipping because that's what I had on hand. In the future I will probably use milk chocolate just because I like that better, but you can use either per your taste.

Here's the recipe:


16 oz candy corn
16 oz peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)
12 oz chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate)


1. Line a 8x8inch pan with wax paper. Set aside.


2. Melt the candy corn in the microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir and continue melting in 15 minute increments, stirring between each nuke. 

Melted Candy Corn

3. When completely melted, add peanut butter. Pour mixture into prepared pan and cool in fridge until set. Cut into pieces (fun size).

Wax paper makes for easy clean-up which 
is nice as sticky candy dishes are not fun.

3. Melt chocolate in double boiler, or in a glass bowl set atop very hot water. For smoother chocolate you can add 2 tablespoons of shortening.

My version of a double boiler .
The larger bottom sauce pan has water in it.

4. Dip fun size bars into chocolate with a fork and set on wax paper to cool. Store layered between wax paper in an air tight container. Enjoy!

Like I said, these will be super easy for you to make...I of course, had to make a giant mess. I really like stirring things together, so before reading the recipe through, I combined the candy corn and the peanut butter. I didn't try it, but I'm guessing the peanut butter would have hindered the candy corn melting process. So, I had to fish out the candy corn pieces from a giant clump of peanut butter...this gave me literal peanut "butter-fingers"[insert rimshot]. 

Assembly line dipping

Accidentally Mixed Together
DON'T do this!

After separation - icky sticky mess

After that fiasco everything went very well and they turned out great! So if you are craving a crispity, crunchity, peanut buttery treat--here ya go!

Candy Intake=Inspiration?

I just want to share that since I've started this blog, 4 days ago, my intake of candy has increased dramatically. I can't stop thinking candy and when I think candy, I eat candy.


Example: I just had to take a break and open up a fun size butterfinger that was stashed in my purse.


Which now makes me think about how to make them. Looks like I found my project for this evening. Crispity, Crunchity, Peanut Buttery Butterfinger! I hope I will make Bart & Homer Simpson proud.

Check back tomorrow for results!

Chocolate Pizza

What's not to like about Chocolate Pizza? Nothing! Especially since it's an easy candy to make while I build my confidence.


The best thing about this recipe is how much you can make it your own--you can really put whatever toppings you prefer on it-just like a real pizza! 


This makes a really big pizza so it's perfect for taking to holiday gatherings or parties where you can share it with many guests, but if you are just making this pizza on a Friday night I would definitely half the measurements. That way it will be easier to make it into a pizza shape vs. a big block like I made.

Chocolate Pizza
(Adapted from Bruce Weinstein's The Ultimate Candy Book)


32 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups crushed Frosted Flakes cereal
Red food coloring
1 cup smooth peanut butter
6 ounces white chocolate, grated


1. Line a large cookie sheet and line it with wax paper. Set it aside.


2. Melt about half of the chocolate. The best way is a double boiler, if you don't have one, simply place the chocolate in a glass bowl that fits snugly over a pot of hot water and stir occasionally.


3. When the chocolate has melted completely remove the bowl from the hot water and add the remaining chocolate. Stir until all chocolate is completely melted. You may need to place the bowl back on the hot water to melt all chocolate completely. (*See candy temperature note)


4. Add the cereal flakes until mixture is thoroughly coated.


5. Spread the "crust" mixture into a 16-inch circle (if you have a pan large enough). If not just pour into a cookie sheet with edges, which is what I did.


6. Blend several drops of red food coloring into peanut butter to make it look like tomato sauce. This will take quite a bit, but it will get there. Spread the "sauce" over the hardened chocolate "crust". Sprinkle your toppings  and the grated chocolate "cheese" over the top. 


7. Break or cut the pizza with a pizza cutter into desired sizes. Store the pizza intact or in pieces layered between wax paper in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.


8. Enjoy!!

The girls loved topping the pizza with lots of "em-i-ems"

Candy Pizza Topping Ideas
Candy Corn
Caramel Corn
Chocolate covered peanuts
Chocolate covered raisins
Chopped nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, pistachios)
Dried Fruits (banana chips, apple rings, apricots, dates, figs, etc)
Crumbled candy bars
Granola
Gummies (bears, frogs, worms, peach rings, etc)
M&M's
Nonpareils 
Pretzels (crushed or whole)
Sprinkles


*Candy Temperature Note: The best temperature for dipping or mixing melted chocolate is 88 to 90°F. I haven't gotten my candy thermometer yet, so like many of you, I just guessed it, which is okay for this recipe, but I have a feeling that on more complex candies this will make a huge difference.

Jalen's favorite was licking the
chocolate covered spoon!
Can you blame her?

This is a great project to do with kids. I got to spend the day with my nieces Jalen, Verity, & Truin so I enlisted their help. 


The white chocolate cheese looks so real that Verity kept asking me when she could eat the shredded cheese. I used a standard cheese grater with white chocolate baking squares. I only used about 3 oz and in hind sight I wish I would have used the whole box! I can never get enough white chocolate.


Make this recipe into your own, with unique toppings and it'll soon be a family favorite.

My Kelso-sized piece of Chocolate Pizza

Valentine's Aftermath

Today is one of my favorite holidays: the Day-After-Valentine's Day!

All the stores put their Valentine's suckers, chocolates, gummies, sweethearts, and sugary goodness on clearance. Candy and clearance = two of my favorite things! This is my time to stock up on little boxes of nerds and fun sized candies, perfect for a portable snack or a treat for when my nieces and nephews come to visit. That's what aunts are for right?

I read on about.com that kids receive about 39% of all Valentine's candy purchased, while women (wives, mothers, girlfriends, etc) come in second with 36%. Men get a measly 6%, grandparents 3%, and pets actually get 1% (I guess people buy their pets Valentines???) I did the math and that leaves about 15% left for the rest of us who just go and buy the candy for ourselves. Come on, you know you are one of those 15%...there is no shame here.

Also, this is the best time to buy conversation hearts because they pretty much never expire. Hard to believe that these sugar hearts with quirky sayings were around when Abraham Lincoln was president. They have evolved through the years in shape, production, flavors, and of course the sayings. These always crack me up. The makers of NECCO Sweethearts Conversation Hearts add about 10 new themed sayings every year. My past faves:

"TWEET ME" - I can just imagine giving this one to my grandma & the confusion that would follow
"FAX ME" - who has a fax machine for personal use anymore, or ever for that matter!?
"URA TIGER" - naughty conversation heart, naughty...
"URA QT" - I feel like I saw this on a license plate yesterday
"1 800 CUPID" - that's not even enough digits to be a phone number, come on!
"MY PET" - because everyone likes to be referred to as a dog/cat/fish/gerbil/etc...
"THANK YOU" - but they are missing a "UR WELCOME", maybe next year

All kidding aside, my Valentine's Day wouldn't be complete without these sweet little hearts, so I will buy into the commercialism of Valentine's day and load my basket full of discount candy today and quite frankly, I'm proud of it!

Happy Day-After-Valentine's Day everyone!

Like A Kid In A Candy Store



My "kid in a candy store" moment caught
on camera. This was taken a couple years
ago at a market in Barcelona, Spain.



I love candy. Plain and simple. Love it.

I feel as though I am not alone in this statement, I believe there isn't a person in this world who can honestly say that they've never experienced that feeling of euphoria after biting into their favorite candy. Pure happiness. After all, there is reasoning behind the saying "like a kid in a candy store"

englishbaby.com gives this definition:

"like a kid in the candy store" (expr.) feeling as though all of one's wishes are coming true; feeling as though one has everything in life; feeling that one is extremely fortunate to be in such a situation; delighted because of the wonderful situation one is in; extremely happy because of all the good thing that are happening

Can it really get any better than that??? Being completely happy with the situation you find yourself in. Isn't that what every person strives for in life? I think I can safely answer yes for everyone.

Sadly, it seems that feeling of extreme happiness occurs less & less often as we grow older. The stresses and worries of the world weigh heavy in our minds day to day. Why can't we always feel like a kid in a candy store? There is hope though. That hope lies in passion. Those lucky enough find something that they are truly passionate for and apply it to their daily lives are the truly happy ones.

My passion? You guessed it-candy! Today, Valentine's Day, I truly felt like a kid in a candy store. My wonderful boyfriend, Matt, hit a home run with his gift: two heaping bucketfuls of my favorite fruity candies, Skittles and Starburst (formerly known as Opal Fruits), every flavor that Vermillion, SD had to offer! Which in case you were wondering are: 

• 

  Skittles Originals (Orange, Lemon, Lime, Grape, Strawberry)
• Skittles Tropical (Banana Berry, Kiwi Lime, Mango Tangelo, Pineapple Passion Fruit, Strawberry Starfruit)
• Skittles Wildberry (Berry Punch, Melon Berry, Raspberry, Wild Cherry, Strawberry)
• Skittles Crazy Cores (Blue Raspberry Lemon, Cherry Lemonade, Mango Peach, Strawberry Watermelon, Melon Berry)
• Skittles Sour (Orange, Lemon, Lime, Grape, Strawberry) only very sour!!!
• Skittles Fizzl'd (Berry Punch, Melon Berry, Raspberry, Strawberry, Wild Cherry)
• Skittles Blenders (Strawberry Lime Blast, Green Apple Watermelon, Melon Berry Blast, Tropicolada,  Mango Lemonade Blast) *Matt's advice: "Don't pour the remaining 'fizz sugar' of the giant empty bag into mouth at once, it will literaly fizz out of your mouth"...haha!!!

• Starburst Original (Cherry, Lemon, Strawberry, Orange)
• Starburst FaveReds (Cherry, Strawberry, Fruit Punch, Watermelon)
• Starburst Summer Fun Fruits (Cherry Splash, Lemon-Limade, Kiwi-Banana, Strawberry Watermelon)
• Starburst Tropical (Pina Colada, Mango-Melon, Strawberry Banana, Royal Berry Punch)
• Starburst Sweet Fiesta (Cherry Mango, Strawberry Pineapple, Melon Berry, Peach Guava, Cherry Mango)
• Starburst Sour/Sweet (Sour Watermelon, Sour Green Apple, Sweet Strawberry, Sweet Blue Raspberry)

Yup, pretty much the best Valentine's gift ever (forget the flowers!) Mars/Wrigley Company knows me all to well. Whether I eat them one by one, which I prefer, or by the handful like Matt, I will definitely be "tasting the rainbow" of fruity flavors for the next couple weeks. Yes, this will all probably be gone by the time March rolls around...don't judge.

I love candy. I want to have my own candy store so I can be a kid in it everyday. 

But before I do, I want to learn all about the wonderful world of candy, how to make it, where it came from, and most importantly, how to eat it!! So this Valentine's Day, I'll begin by starting up this blog, eating my Skittles and Starburst, researching the very entertaining web pages: skittles.com & starburst.com, and tomorrow I'll be on to a new candy adventure. I'm inviting you (whoever you are) to come along on my journey to become the eternal "kid in a candy store." Let's go!