Candy Recipes

Posts Tagged ‘Kitchens’

When school holidays come around the kids are delighted. But sometimes mom isn’t so delighted. What are you going to do to keep the kids entertained these holidays? How about making some wonderful homemade candies these holidays?

Everyone loves homemade candy, (well any candy really, homemade candy is just the best). Kids especially just love homemade candy, especially if they have made it themselves. Homemade candy isn’t that hard to make if you start with one of the easier homemade candy recipes, and the kids just love getting into the kitchen and doing it themselves, then eating the results.

Just last night I was watching the looks on the faces of my kids as they licked out the bowl, and it was hard for them to wait until the candy was ready to eat before they raided the box.

And it’s important in my view to get kids started learning to cook. It’s never too early to teach kids the delights, and skills, of great homemade food, including homemade candy. In fact candy is the perfect place to start kids learning to make homemade food.

Unfortunately homemade food seems to be less of the norm than it used to be, I believe they are even making houses without kitchens now. But to me a good family time revolves around making, and eating, homemade food. And homemade candy is one of the best types of homemade food to begin with.

Remember a few things though. Allow plenty of time, because cooking with kids always takes longer, and rushing it spoils the fun. And always expect mess, so don’t worry about it. Kids cannot cook without mess, so expect to have to clean up after cooking.

And one rule that I always follow. Once you’ve found a great homemade candy recipe ALWAYS double the recipe. There’s never enough to go round if you just cook the recipe, because everyone wants more.

And as well as feeding the family, homemade candy makes a great gift. Why not get the kids making candy for grandma, the kids will love it and grandma will love her candy from the grandkids.

So if you’ve got kids, and you’re looking for good ideas for things to do in the school holidays, get them making some homemade candy. It starts them off learning a skill they’ll use all their life, the skill of cooking.

So find some simple homemade candy recipes, get the kids into the kitchen, and get started. Just don’t eat the candy all in one go, as we did last night.

Today, we all lead very busy lives and don’t have hours to spend in our kitchens baking cakes.

When I am pressed for time and need a nice dessert cake, I will reach for a box of chocolate cake mix. I don’t bake just plain cakes, I like to add things to them to make them ‘extra special’.

Cake Baking Tips:

1. Invest in a cake tester. You can pick up one for less than $6.00 at most kitchen stores.

2. Don’t over bake your cakes. I tend to remove my cakes from the oven 3-4 minutes before the recommended time because they will continue baking in the cake pan.

3. Don’t grease and flour your baking pans unless the recipe calls for it.

4. Always let your cakes cool before frosting them.

Here are some recipes that you can easily make from a box of cake mix.

Chocolate Surprise Cake

1 chocolate cake mix
3 oz. box of cherry flavored gelatin
1 c. boiling water
1 c. 7-Up soda
1 box instant pudding mix, any flavor
8 oz. tub of cool whip

Prepare chocolate cake according to package directions. When cool, poke holes on top of cake with a fork. Dissolve the cherry gelatin in boiling water and add the 7-up. Pour over cake. Whip together the instant pudding mix and milk. Fold in cool whip and use this to frost the cake.

Triple Chocolate Cake

1 box chocolate cake mix
1 3/4 c. milk
1 box instant chocolate pudding mix
2 eggs
12 oz. chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients, mix by hand until well blended for about 3 minutes. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until cake is done. Do not over bake! Cool and then remove from pan.

German Chocolate Thunder Cake

1 box German Chocolate cake mix
14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
1 jar hot fudge ice cream topping
16 oz. tub of cool whip
2 heath candy bars

Bake cake according to package instructions. Let cool for 35 minutes. Poke holes in cake with a fork. Pour sweetened condensed milk over cake and spread evenly. Wait for 5 minutes. Spread fudge topping over cake. Wait another 5 minutes. Spread cool whip over cake and sprinkle crushed candy bars over the top.

Turtle Chocolate Cake

1 German Chocolate cake mix
3/4 c. margarine
1/2 c. evaporated milk
14 oz. bag of caramels
1 c. chopped pecans
6 oz. chocolate chips

Mix cake according to directions. Pour half of the batter into 9 x 13″ pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Melt milk, margarine and caramels together. Pour over hot cake. Add pecans and chocolate chips on top of caramel mixture. Pour rest of batter over cake. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the top layer comes out clean.

Chef Bryan Beacham of Kitchens on the Square in Savannah GA whips up some quick hot chocolate on a rare cold day. Visit savannahcooks.blogspot.com for more recipes and tips.