Makes 24

1 small box commercial white frosting mix
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound box confectioners sugar
1 cup pecan pieces

Boil water. Mix in dry frosting mix, corn syrup and vanilla in water. Beat mixture on highest mixer speed for about 5 minutes. (When ready, the mixture forms stiff peaks.) Gradually stir in sugar while mixing on low speed. Blend in pecans. Spoon the mixture by teaspoon onto a cookie tin lined with waxed paper. Allow to sit uncovered. Once the mixture feels firm to touch, turn over, cover tin and allow to stand overnight.

From the kitchen of Grace Fugate Spensor

Makes 3 dozen

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup corn syrup
1-1/4 cups powdered sugar
1-1/4 cups powdered milk
1/2 cup pecan pieces

Mix all ingredients and roll into little balls.

From the kitchen of Betty Lou Shaw

Makes 1 pound

4 1/2 cups of sugar
1 small can of evaporated milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla
3 6 ounce packages of chocolate morsels
1/2 pound of margarine (2 sticks) melted
1 cup of nuts

Cook sugar and milk (7 minutes from when it starts to boil). Add remaining ingredients except vanilla and mix. Add vanilla last. Spread in a greased pan and let cool.

Put wax paper on baking sheet. Arrange nuts in clusters of 4 and place 1" apart. Melt caramels and margarine. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla til thoroughly mixed.. Drop by teaspoons into center of cluster touching all 4 pecans to hold together. Cool.

Melt chocolate and shortening. Spread over caramels.

Makes 3 pounds

28 ozs milk/semisweet chocolate (chips fine, good quality blocks of chocolate best)
2 tblsps butter
1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk NOT evaporated
1/4 tsp salt 1 1/2 tsp extract (vanilla for basic fudge)

In heavy saucepan, or double boiler, over medium heat, melt butter, chocolate, milk and salt. Remove from heat and quickly add extract, stir till smooth (sets fast). Pour into wax paper lined 13X9" pan. Chill till firm.

VARIATIONS: Toss in the following after removing from heat, quickly stir till blended and pour into prepared pan.

TURTLE FUDGE:

chopped pecans chopped caramels

ROCKY ROAD:

dry roasted, unsalted, no skins, peanuts mini marshmallows raisins

TAFFY'S FAMOUS:

raisins coconut dry roasted, unsalted, no skins, peanuts

CHOC-CHERRY

chopped maraschino cherries well drained and left to dry on paper towel cherry extract instead of vanilla chopped pecans (optional)

ORANGE:

orange extract in place of vanilla chopped orange slice jelly candies

CREME DE MENTHE

creme de menthe extract (no vanilla) *Andes chopped creme de menthe candies

PEPPERMINT:

peppermint extract (no vanilla) crushed candy canes or peppermints

PEANUT BUTTER:

14 ozs chocolate (white choc or milk choc) 1 can 14oz sweetened condensed milk NOT evaporated 1/2 cup peanut butter 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract peanuts optional

Melt milk, choc, salt as above. Remove from heat, stir in peanut butter (and nuts). pour into prepared pan. chill till firm. 2 lbs....use 8 or 9" square pan.

4 Cups sugar
2 Cups cream
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla

In heavy, deep skillet (chicken fryer or dutch oven size), bring to a boil, stirring continuously over medium to medium high heat till spoonful dropped in cold water forms soft ball (at least 30 minutes of stirring...DO NOT scrape sides of pan while stirring or when pouring out because this will cause your candy to crystalize, i.e. FAILURE OCCURS). Begin to test after mixture has cooked down.

Pour on to 3 greased dinner plates. Allow to cool completely.

When cool, beat with back of tablespoon until mixture turns solid, adding vanilla just at the end of this process. It helps to have two helpers for this step as "beating" is tiring and hard on the hands. Appeal to men to help you because that is the tradition in our family. Males find it hard to turn down an appeal for strength. Keep covered with a moist towel any candy you are not working with.

Form into "snakes" i.e. long ropes about 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter. Cut into bite size pieces.

MORE INGREDIENTS

3/4 lb sweet chocolate
1/4 lb un-sweet chocolate
1/2 cake parafin
Nut halves

Melt together. (I use the microwave for this though Grandma didn't live to see them, it's easier and less likely to burn. Follow your microwave instructions for melting chocolate, stirring in the parafin at the end.)

Using two toothpicks, one to spear and one to push candy off of toothpick number one, dip each piece in chocolate. Place on wax paper. Immediately place a nut half (Grandma used walnuts; I like pecans; suit yourself) on the top where the toothpick hole gapes open. Do not wait to place the nut halves because if the chocolate has hardened, nut placement will cause the chocolate to crack, spoiling the looks (but not the taste). This is a good kid job...another tradition in our family. Enjoy. submitted by Marilynn

I like to use different flavors of extract, vanilla, rum, peppermint, creme de menthe, even maple yum!!

2 cups sugar
1 cup white corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp butter 2 cups
raw spanish peanuts
2 tsp baking soda

Using a large heavy kettle, boil first 4 ingredients together until mixture reaches thread stage (238 degrees). Add butter and peanuts. Stir, cook until golden brown. (300). Remove from heat and add baking soda. Mixture will bubble up. Mix well and pour onto large area of counter covered with tin foil sprayed with cooking spray. As it cools pull as thin as possible. When cool, break into pieces and store in air tight container.

3 jars of maraschino cherries with stems
2 tblsp brandy (can use real or extract)
milk choc candy coating for dipping
colorful one inch square candy foils or foil candy cups (available where cake and candy decorating supplies are sold...*Walmart)

In a large clean glass quart size jar (mayo jars), pour cherries and all thier juice. Add the brandy. Let set for a day. Remove cherries to thick layer of paper towels. Let set to dry for several hours, changing paper towel if needed. When cherries are dry to the touch, dip in melted chocolate candy coating. Place one a foil square or in a foil cup. Let dry. When dry, if using the squares, wrap the foil up around the cherries to seal, will look like tree ornaments. If preferred omit the brandy entirely and just dry cherries, then dip. May use other flavors, rum, whiskey, etc.

1 lb. butter
2 cups sugar
1 cup almonds chocolate for coating
1 c ground almonds

Melt butter, add sugar, cook till a clear brown (almond roca color!!! the sugar has to almost carmalize from the opaque early stages of cooking).

Add almonds stir about 30 seconds (to toast nuts). Pour into buttered 9x15x2 jelly roll pan. When cool spread with melted chocolate and immediately press ground almonds into chocolate. When cool, break into desired size pieces (like peanut brittle). Store in refrigerator. Will keep indefinitely.

Motteler Kitchens

3 cups (750 ml) Semi sweet Chocolate Chips or White Chocolate Chips
1 can (300 ml) Low Fat or Regular Eagle Brand
2 tbsp (30 ml) rum extract (optional)
Finely chopped nuts
Cocoa powder:
Melted Chocolate Chips or White Chocolate Chips (for dipping)

Melt Chocolate Chips: remove from heat. Stir in Eagle Brand and extract. Chill 3 hours or until firm. (hehehe)

Shape into 1-inch (2.5 cm) balls; place on wax paper-lined trays. Chill until firm. Roll in nuts, cocoa or dip in melted Chocolate. Chill.

Makes about 5 dozen candies....ENJOY!!!