Easy Chocolate-Mint (or Chocolate-Orange) Sandwhich Mints

These make lovely professional looking candies. Great for gifts! These are a simpler, quicker version of Sandwich Mints or Chocolate orange Sandwiches..

Ingredients

21 oz Milk Chocolate (we use Merkins Cocoa-lite Molding Chocolate or Guitard A'Peels Chocolate), Divide for two layers.

10 1/2 oz Merkins Light green, Merkins Orange,  or White chocolate/ Vanilla Coating. You will need to color the white coating.

Peppermint oil (Not extract) 7 drops in each layer.

** Optional for Orange Chocolates: Orange oil 10 drops in each layer.

Instructions

Prepare a jellyroll pan-- 17.5 x 12.5 with sides.  Cut wax paper about 2 inches longer than pan. Use your fingernail to crease all four edges so the wax paper will sit smooth and flat. put a thumb print size of chocolate at each corner between the wax paper and the jellyroll/sided cookie sheet pan. This will hold the wax paper firm.

You can pre-mark the edge of the pan with a sharpy every inch as a guide to cutting. Some like their squares about 1.5 inches. Others mark their pan every 1 1/2 inches along their long side and 1 3/8 inches along the short side of the pan, so the mints will fit in candy presentation boxes. Really, you can cut them any way you like, even rectangular. Just keep the size consistent!

Melting the Chocolate

As chocolate is melted it will hold its shape so it will need to be stirred. Be cautious and work with only the amount stated. Chocolate can burn, so melt it slowly and stir the chocolate. You will be working one layer at a time.

Microwave Method: Work half the chocolate/coating (10.5 ounces) at a time, place in a microwave bowl and heat for 30 seconds at a time and then stir.  Place back in the microwave and repeat until the chocolate is the desired consistency.

Stove Top Method: Work half the chocolate/coating (10.5 ounces) at a time, place in a bowl that is slightly smaller than your pan. Place water in the pan and heat and stir until the chocolate is the desired consistency.

Oven Method: set to lowest setting, put 10 1/2 oz chocolate in 3 separate bowls and heat for about 20 minutes. Stir. Turn off oven and leave the bowls you are not working with in the oven..

Layering the Chocolate

Work quickly~ the less you work you chocolate the better.It will look smoother. Once you pour the chocolate in your pan it begins to cool and set up, so do this quickly!!! Add the suggested amount of oil per layer and stir in. Pour chocolate zigzagging back and forth across the wax paper to get chocolate to the edges rather than clumping in the middle. Spread gently but quickly to the edges. Gently tap the whole pan up and down, as well as gently shake the pan until the surface is smooth. This brings bubbles to the top and evens the top into a smooth layer. Cool until the chocolate loses its shine, which means the chocolate is set up. If you wait too long in between layers they wont bond together. If this happens soften with blowing hot air from a blow dryer then let sit on counter just until the shine is gone and then move forward.

Do the same with each layer.

Cutting the Squares

As soon as the top layer loses its shine it is ready to cut. Use a sharp paring knife. Gently lift up ends of wax paper to loosen. Do not leave too long or it will harden too hard and cutting will just cause it to crack! Wearing disposable gloves at this point is a good idea, because it is easy to mar the surface with finger prints! Use a T square or make one from a yard stick to guide you in cutting your squares. Even if you pre-marked your pan edge, this step helps keep your lines smooth and straight. Take time to do this carefully so they look professional. lastly, take knife around edge to make sure chocolate does not stick to the edge. Reserve the jagged edges and freeze to add to homemade ice cream, to decorate desserts, or snacking.

Kitchen Aide, Chicago Cutlery, and other high end cutlery make good paring knives. Rada makes a strong sharp paring knife with a thin blade; they are inexpensive and work well.

Enjoy!

Donna's Christmas Saltine Toffee (aka Ikea Crack)

I made some "Terribly Terrific Toffee." It is made with semi sweet chocolate chips.  I am not a semi sweet fan except maybe in our family's chocolate chip recipe. Someone on Pinterest called it "Christmas Crack," someone else called it "Southern Crack," because it can be addictive.  I played with the recipe and decided to use European milk chocolate bars from Ikea, instead of semi-sweet morsels. I like this the best!

Ingredients

40-42 Saltine Crackers

1 cup+ (2 sticks) Butter

1 cup firmly packed Golden Brown Sugar

3 IKEA 3.5 ounce Milk Chocolate Bars 

Directions 

pre heat oven to 350. Line a  jelly roll pan with heavy foil. Brush generously the bottom and sides of the foil with butter. Lay out saltine crackers edge to edge Place 2 sticks of butter in large pan on low heat.  Add firmly packed brown sugar and stir to dissolve.  Turn the heat to medium high and stir constantly until boiling.  Then turn the burner down to a low heat simmer.  Simmer four minutes.  Spread evenly over crackers. Some crackers will float.  It is OK for this hot mixture to get under the crackers then they are even more yummy! Just use your mixing spoon to push them back down and realign crackers side to side.  Bake in oven six to eight minutes or until the toffee is bubbly. Remove from oven, cool three to five minutes before sprinkling with chopped up chocolate. Let chocolate soften. Then use a spatula to spread chocolate evenly over the top of the toffee mixture.  Let sit to cool and firm. Cut and serve.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Sandwich Mints

My sister-in-law, Beatrice, made these for my wedding reception held at her home in December 1977.  These are creamy, three layer mint squares, and they are so yummy!

French Cremo Center Layer

(makes a double batch)

Ingredients

4 Cups Sugar

2 Cups pure Whipping Cream (preferably without carrageenan or other additives- as they can make the recipe grainy)

1/2 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar

Directions for French Creme Center

In a heavy pan, combine all ingredients and stir lightly to mix. Cook to boiling ( 228 degrees at sea level, adjust for altitude). Pour mixture on a clean marble slab or clean formica counter top. Do not touch for 30 minutes.  Eye drop 15 drops of oil of peppermint and 15 drops of green food coloring. Using a spatula, work like fondant by pulling and folding for about 20 minutes. Knead with hands when when solid.  If the fondant begins to crumble or powder, put hands in softened butter and knead into fondant. This should be spreadable like a thick frosting.  Store in an air tight container. These can be molded in silicon molds or can be used as centers for Sandwich Mints. 

Ingredients for Sandwich Mints

French Cremo center

1.5 lbs Merkin's Marquis Dipping Chocolate

Directions for Sandwich Mints

In a double boiler melt 1.5 lbs. of chocolate.  Place wax paper on cookie sheet. Pour melted chocolate on cookie sheet and spread evenly and thinly with a spatula. Cool. Spread a layer of French Creme over the chocolate. Spread a layer of melted chocolate over the French Cremo  center. Put a layer of wax paper over the chocolate. Let it sit until firm and cool to the touch. Remove wax paper and cut into squares with a sharp knife using a yard stick to measure squares.  

Optional 

For a marbled candy, swirl chocolate and French Cremo together and cut into squares.

Other colors and mint flavors such as wintergreen and spearmint, or other flavors can be used in this recipe, in place of the green and mint.

Pulled Buttermints

My friend Joy Andrews taught me how to make these delicious creamy buttermints. These make great gifts and treats at weddings.

Ingredients
3 cups sugar
1 cup hot water
1/4 lbs. butter
2 teaspoons Karo syrup
2+ drops oil of peppermint
2+ drops color

Directions
Bring sugar, water, butter, and karo syrup to a boil. Boil 3 minutes with lid on pan, take lid off and bring to 252 degrees.

Pour onto marble slab, keep raising edges so they won't get brittle. Work until it is still hot but warm enough to handle. Work fast. Pull in ropes, fold, twist, pull again, and continue until the ropes lose their gloss and are getting stiffer. Cut quickly with buttered scissors or sharp knife. Place on wax paper in an air tight container to mellow (a tin) for 3 days. These mints get hard fast and then 3 days in an airtight tin turns them creamy and softens them.

Creamy Chocolate Nut Surprise

These are delightfully delicate, messy to make, but well worth the effort!

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs. Hershey Almond Bars or 24 ounces Hershey Kisses and 1/8 cup chopped Almonds
9 ounces Cool Whip
Vanilla Wafers finely crushed

Optional Ingredients: Substitute other nuts, such as pecans, hazelnuts or macadamia nuts!


Directions
Wear food handling gloves for this one.
Melt Chocolate slowly so it does not burn.
Mix with thawed Cool Whip. If you do not thaw the Cool Whip first the chocolate will not mix thoroughly.
Chill in the fridge one hour to firm up mixture.
Drop into spoonfuls of chocolate mixture into vanilla wafer crumbs by rounded teaspoon full.
Roll into balls.
Roll in more crumbs.
Chill till set. 

This recipe freezes well in an freezer jar.

Roger's Hershey Kiss Marshmellow Fudge

Ingredients
4 1/2 cup sugar
1 large can evaporated milk
1 stick butter (1/2 cup butter), cut into half tablespoon slices
24 ounces Hershey Kisses (currently, by size, this would be about 151 kisses!)
2- 7 ounce jars of marshmallow creme
1 cup coarsely chopped almonds or walnuts
2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions

Boil sugar and evaporated milk for 9-10 minutes. Place all of the other ingredients in the Bosch mixing bowl. Pour boiling mixture over other ingredients in the mixing bowl. Mix with dough hook for 2-4 minutes, until the mixture loses it gloss. Pour in buttered jelly roll pan, cool, and cut. We actually cut it and put it in the freezer!

Caramels

Melt in Your Mouth!

Ingredients:

1 cup white corn syrup
2 cups granulated sugar
3 cups heavy whipping cream (for the creamiest results use cream that has no additives, including no carrageenan)

Directions:

Blend corn syrup, sugar and 1 cup of cream in a heavy pan, and cook to the chewy ball stage (test in a bowl of ice water).
Add second cup of cream and repeat cooking to the chewy ball stage.
Add third cup of cream and repeat cooking to the chewy ball stage.
The candy becomes a lovely caramel color as it cooks.

Pour into a buttered 9x13 pan.

Cool. Turn out onto cutting board, cut into small squares, and wrap individual pieces in waxed paper.

Optional:

Place pecans (or any other nut) in the bottom of the buttered pan. Pour Caramel over the nuts. Cut, then lay squares on waxed paper and pour melted semi sweet chocolate chips or melted milk chocolate (I prefer Merkins Marquee Chocolate) over each individual square. Pack in an airtight container once the chocolate hardens.