Healthy Chocolate Candy

Ok, I thought I had posted this a long time ago, but I was searching for the link to give to a friend and couldn't find it. And I figured that if I couldn't find it on my own blog, then you surely wouldn't be able to so I simply must post it again. Because it is that good! (And good for you!)

I have been making this candy about every few weeks in large batches and freezing the extras. (Because I never know when I am going to get a chocolate craving!) It is also a favorite treat for the girls to choose after they take their cod liver oil. (They usually choose from this candy, a carob raisin, or a bit of raw honey). Please note that it should be kept in the fridge or freezer because it will get soft and mushy if it stays at room temperature!

You will probably think I am crazy, but I have found this candy to be the perfect way to give my girls superfoods like kelp and liver. I buy it in powder form and sprinkle some in the mixture. I promise you, you don't taste it at all!

I add in all sorts of things to my candy, depending on my mood. If I have good quality butter from grass-fed cows, I will add some of that to the mixture. I also LOVE sunflower butter mixed with it and usually add in raisins, silvered almonds, and/or dehydrated coconut as well.

Here is the original recipe (found at Kelly the Kitchen Kop, a fabulous blog that you really ought to check out!):

• 1/2 c. coconut oil
• 1/2 c. real maple syrup (use less to make them healthier)
• 1/2 c. organic cocoa powder
• 1 t. organic vanilla
• 1/2 t. sea salt

Melt together gently in a saucepan over low heat (so you don't lose the great antibacterial properties of the coconut oil!) until it’s all mixed together. You then have several options: You can drop it by dollops onto wax paper, you can drop it into candy molds or ice cube trays, or you can spread it out on wax paper covering a cookie sheet and break it into "candy bark" after it as solidified. I have tried all the options and found the latter to be the easiest by far! Stick it in the fridge or freezer for a while till hardened and then enjoy!

(Mostly) Healthy Chocolate Candy!

I was super excited to find this easy, yummy, and even (mostly) healthy candy recipe from Kelly ! I tried it several different ways, so please read the notes at the bottom for add-ins and tips :) And it definitely melts in your hand, so keep them stored in the freezer til you are ready to eat them :) I call them "mostly" healthy because they do have maple syrup in them, (so you don't want to eat them in excess) but at least it contains all natural ingredients instead of refined sugar or HFCS!

• 1/2 c. coconut oil
• 1/2 c. real maple syrup (use less to make them healthier, but they tasted too dark for me without more maple syrup!)
• 1/2 c. organic cocoa powder
• 1 t. organic vanilla
• 1/2 t. sea salt

Melt together gently in a saucepan over low-ish heat until it’s all mixed together. I kept it super easy and instead of using molds or ice cube trays, I just put some parchment paper on a couple cookie sheets and dropped quarter-sized candies onto that. (Makes about 7 dozen.) Freeze for a little while to cool them down. Freeze leftovers (if there are any:) for a quick, yummy treat.

*We made some with sunflower butter (Karis is allergic to P.B.) instead of cocoa powder and my family actually preferred those! But the best mix was 1/4 cup sunflower butter and 1/4 cup cocoa powder. We tried out all kinds of different add-ins like coconut, raisins, and slivered almonds! They were all yummy, especially the combination of all three!

*I also tried out 3 different ways of freezing them: dollops on wax paper, mini-muffin tins, and filling up a wax-paper-lined cookie sheet completely with the melted candy and breaking it into "candy bark" after freezing. The last method was the easiest because the melted form is pretty runny til frozen.

Katie's Yummy Haystacks

Another candy that I can never resist :)
Recipe from Katie Gay
Ingredients:
1 bag butterscotch chips
1 Tbs. peanut butter
1 large can chow mein noodles

Directions: Melt butterscotch chips in crockpot; add peanut butter. Add chow mein noodles and coat thoroughly. Drop into heaps onto wax paper with two spoons. Allow to cool and then enjoy!

Crockpot peanut clusters

Oh, yeah, I'm addicted to these!

Ingredients:

3 (16-ounce) jars lightly salted roasted peanuts (lightly salted is important!)
2 (8-ounce) boxes German Baker's Chocolate
1 (8-ounce) box Unsweetened Baker's Chocolate
1 (24-ounce) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla

(any other add-ins you might like: tiny marshmallows, coconut, etc)


The Directions.

Use a large crockpot. This makes about 150 peanut clusters. Spray the inside of your crock with cooking spray, and place the unwrapped baking chocolate, and bars of German chocolate in the bottom. Add all the peanuts. Pour in the chocolate chips, and add vanilla. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. While the chocolate is melting, lay out a bunch of parchment paper on your counter top or kitchen table. When time has elapsed, stir well, add in any other yummy ingredients that you thought of, and remove from heat. Use a small ice-cream scoop to plop out bite-sized piles onto the parchment paper.

Let cool before eating---this takes a long time---hours. It is best to leave them overnight so you don't pick at them :)

These are addictive. The chocolate flavor is quite rich, and tastes dark. If you aren't a fan of dark chocolate, use milk chocolate chips! The salt flavor from the nuts is subtle, but is there, and it makes your tongue itch for more.

Found at: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/12/crockpot-peanut-clusters.html

Cinnamon Fudge

As I am always looking for different/unusual desserts to take to parties and covered dishes, I was excited to find this kind of fudge from Recipe Girl that I had never seen before :)

Cinnamon Fudge

Wonderful!

3 cups granulated sugar ¾ cup butter 2/3 cup evaporated milk 10 ounces cinnamon chips 7 ounces marshmallow creme 2 tsp vanilla extract

1 Line a 9x13-inch pan with foil; coat with cooking spray. 2 In a heavy bottom 3 quart sauce pan, combine sugar, butter and milk. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. 3 Boil for 5 minutes, stirring all the time- if using a candy thermometer- let it get up to at least 234 degrees. Remove from heat and stir in the cinnamon chips until melted. Add marshmallow creme and vanilla; beat until blended. 4 Carefully pour mixture into the prepared dish. Let cool to room temperature; gently lift out of the pan and place on a cutting board. Cut into squares.

Yield: About 32 pieces

Gigi's Chocolate Fudge

My grandmother made pounds and pounds of this yummy fudge so that we could all take some home after the holidays :)


Ingredients:
4 ½ cups of sugar
1 can evaporated milk
½ lb butter
1 ½ of large Hershey’s Milk Chocolate candy bar
1 bag of Nestles semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 large jar marshmallow cream
2 cups of nuts
2 tbs vanilla flavoring

Directions: Cook sugar, butter, and milk until it comes to a boil. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Pour into buttered dish. Chill and cut into pieces.

Gigi's Peanut Butter Fudge

This was my other favorite fudge that my grandmother made every year!

Ingredients:
½ cup butter/ marg.
5 cups sugar
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1 (18 oz) jar creamy peanut butter
1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow cream

Directions: Butter sides and bottom of a large Dutch oven, leaving excess butter n pan. Add sugar and evaporated milk, stirring well. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches soft ball stage or a candy thermometer registers 234. Remove from heat; add peanut butter and marshmallow cream, beating with a wooden spoon until blended. Pour into a buttered 13x9x2 inch baking pan or dish; cool before cutting.

Gigi's Peanut Butter Rolls!

Since its getting close to Christmas, I thought I should post some of my grandmother's awesome candy recipes. This was my favorite growing up :)

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Confectionary sugar

3 Tbs. butter, softened

14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk

1 Tbs. vanilla flavoring

Small can of peanut butter

Extra confectionary sugar for rolling out dough

Directions: In a large, bowl, mix together sugar, butter, condensed milk, and flavoring. (Mixture will be very thick and needs to be worked with hands.) Roll out on board sprinkled with confectionary sugar. Spread peanut butter on and roll up like a jelly roll. Freeze for an hour and then slice. Keep chilled in fridge until ready to serve.

Hawaiin Turtle Cups

Even though I try really hard to mainly cook healthy food, I do make some exceptions for the holidays :) And I absolutely love to find candy recipes different from what everyone else is bringing to the parties! My husband loves macadamia nuts, so I thought these were a great idea:) I will probably grease the pans with coconut oil, because I think the flavor will mix nicely. I got the recipe from Simple and Delicious magazine.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups vanilla or white chips
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
18 caramels
2 tsp. heavy whipping cream
12 dried pineapple pieces, chopped

Directions: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt vanilla chips; stir until smooth. Pour by teaspoonfuls into greased miniature muffin cups; set aside the remaining melted chips. Sprinkle the center of each muffin cup with nuts. In another micro-safe bowl, melt caramels and cream; stir until smooth. Pour over nuts Reheat reserved chips if necessary; pour over caramel mixture. Top each with pineapple. Chill for 30 min. or until set. Carefully run a knife around the edge of each muffin cup to loosen candy.

Pumpkin Pie Fudge

I hope someone else enjoys pumpkin as much as I do, because I keep finding yummy recipes that I just have to post so I won't lose them :) I'm always looking for holiday goodies that are different from the norm and was excited to stumble across this recipe for yummy pumpkin fudge!

Ingredients:

3 cups sugar

¾ cup unsalted butter, melted

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

2 tbsp. corn syrup

2 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice

9 oz. white chocolate, chopped

7 oz. jar marshmallow crème

1 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Stir together first six ingredients in a 3 ½ - quart saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer registers 234° (soft-ball stage).

Remove pan from heat; stir in remaining ingredients until well blended. Pour into a greased aluminum foil-lined 8-inch square pan. Let stand 2 hours or until completely cool; cut fudge into squares.