My Chocolate Fantasy

For some of us, store-bought candy just can’t compare to the flavors of the homemade sort. Many people mistakenly believe that candy creation is a very complex process, but it doesn’t have to be! There are plenty of candy recipes available that are not only quite easy to make, but quick, as well! In this article I have included a few of my favorites for you to try out.

Chocolate Covered Cherries

Ingredients:1 jar maraschino cherries3 3/4 cups powdered sugar4 tbsp cream1/2 cup butter1 tsp maple flavoring2 sqs. semi-sweet chocolate2 tbsp. butter1 (6 oz.) pkg. chocolate chips2 inch sq. Paraffin wax

Mix the powdered sugar, cream, and butter together. Add 1 teaspoon of maple flavoring, then cover the cherries with the sugar and cream mixture. Place the cherries into the refrigerator to cool. Melt the semi-sweet chocolate, butter, chocolate chips, and paraffin wax and stir well. Dip the cherries into the mixture, then place on wax paper to cool.

Rocky Road Fudge

Ingredients:1 (12 oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips1 (10 oz.) pkg. miniature marshmallows1 can Eagle Brand milk2 cup dry-roasted peanuts2 tbsp butter

Directions:Add the chocolate chips, milk, and butter into the top portion of a double boiler. Warm over a low heat until melted. Be sure to stir constantly. Remove from the heat, then stir in peanuts and marshmallows. Line a 9 x 13-in baking dish with wax paper, then pour in the chocolate mixture. Chill for at least 2 hours. Cut into squares and keep stored in the refrigerator.

Glazed Nuts

Ingredients:1 1/2 cups cashews, almonds, raw peanuts, or pecans2 tbsp butter1/2 cups sugar

Directions:Add the butter, sugar, and nuts to a skillet. Bring to a medium heat and stir until the sugar is melted and the nuts are toasted. Spread the nuts out onto wax paper or aluminum foil. Clump them into clusters, if desired. Allow them to cool.

Salt Water Taffy

Ingredients:1 cup sugar2/3 cup corn syrup1/2 tablespoons cornstarch1/2 cup water1 tablespoon butter1/2 teaspoon saltPreferred flavoring

Directions:Add the sugar, cornstarch, corn syrup, butter, and water into a sauce pan over a high heat. Stir until the mixture starts to boil. Remove from heat and add salt to the mixture. Pour onto a greased countertop and allow it to cool slightly (at least until it can be handled). “Pull” the mixture until it turns a light color. Divide into portions and add color and flavoring to each portion while it is being pulled. Wrap in wax paper to store.

White Chocolate-Covered Pretzels

Ingredients:1 lb. white chocolate1 sm. bag mini pretzels

Directions:Melt the chocolate using a double-boiler. Drop in handfuls of pretzels and ensure that they get an even coat. Remove the pretzels and place on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Put the cookie sheet in the freezer for a minute or two, then remove them to an air-tight container for storage.

So the time has arrived and you are shopping around for wedding candy. Being a newly engaged couple you already have enough on your plate. From choosing the right reception area to providing you guest the the perfect candy wedding favors, planning a wedding can be surely stressful. But choosing wedding candy favors maybe easier then you think.Favors for your wedding are available in a variety of items. When it comes to choosing your wedding day flavors it all boils down to what you like. Some candy may be in-cased in a cocktail cup, be wrapped in foil, packaged in a tin and personalized to your liking. When you purchase the items make sure you will give your guests a unique keepsake. Something they will always remember.Having common, but liked by many wedding favors for your guests could be the way to go when choosing your items. The most common, but agreeably the most delicious favor you can give your guests are chocolate wedding favors. Different shapes, sizes, color and taste are easily produced, and will be a hit at any wedding. Wedding chocolate favors also range in price, so even the thrifty bride can enjoy having personalized favors.Dipping things in chocolate can be a crowd pleaser too. The way to go now days, is to have a fondue fountain with a variety or fruits and pastries. But most brides are looking for a uniqueness in their wedding favors. Dipping chocolate on nuts and pretzels and arranging them in a personalized container, can be made at home or bought in many stores worldwide. Having a home made wedding favor will mean a lot to your guests. It will add that special touch to your big day.Not only can wedding favors come homeade, you can also personalize what you hold the candy in. From unique cocktail cups, tin boxes or just simply personalizing your foiled paper, Unique wedding favors that are personalized can be fun to create and will be loved by guest. To make your own favors there is a web of wealth, and at least one idea should intrigue you.

Swiss Maid Fudge is a second generation old fashioned candy store that first opened its doors in 1962. We have been treating our customers to mouthwatering homemade chocolate and delicious fudge handmade in our Wisconsin Dells store ever since. In the beginning Swiss Maid Fudge wanted to share what it felt was a deliciously creamy and flavorful fudge recipe with its customers. Since then, Dells Fudge has expanded its line of homemade candy to include homemade chocolates, salt water taffy, caramel apples, caramel corn, brittles and crunches along with buttery homemade caramel. Wisconsin Dells homemade chocolate and other homemade candies are cooked in copper kettles and our fudge is poured and paddled on special tables to produce the smoothest, creamiest fudge you will ever taste. Our homemade chocolate centers are made from scratch and then hand coated in creamy chocolate. One of the several Wisconsin Dells homemade candies available includes caramel apples dipped in our special caramel recipe which are then topped with freshly roasted nuts, chocolate, or other delicious toppings… Our homemade candy and homemade chocolate is simply mouthwatering!Only natural ingredients go into the homemade candy confections – 100% Wisconsin sweet cream butter, heavy cream, and pure chocolate and vanilla. Our homemade fudge and other homemade candies contain no artificial preservatives because we strive to bring you the purest candy possible. Dells Fudge ships everything directly to you immediately after it is made to guarantee you “natural freshness”.At Wisconsin Dells Old Fashioned Candies, all of the homemade candy is made the old European way using copper kettles and cooked over open gas fired cast iron stoves and mixing on marble tables.All of Dells Fudge homemade candies are made from scratch the old world way. Everything is cooked in small batches to ensure freshness. At Dells Fudge we use the finest and freshest ingredients in everything we make without artificial preservatives to extend shelf life.When you want to make the perfect gift, send the very best… Make it homemade from Swiss Maid Fudge.Corporate gift ideas come in many shapes and forms but nothing is as satisfying as the sweet taste of Dells Fudge gourmet homemade candy and homemade chocolate. A unique and original way to communicate that important message can be by giving Swiss Maid Fudge homemade candies or homemade chocolate. Reward or thank your employees for a job well done or thank that special client, friend or family member. Swiss Maid Fudge homemade candy or homemade chocolate would be the perfect way to express that sentiment. Our Wisconsin homemade candy can also be gift wrapped with our signature wrapping to make your gift of homemade candies more personal. You can choose between our holiday gift box and our regular gift box for your fudge orders during the holiday season.  Swiss Maid Fudge also offers a large selection of homemade candy or homemade chocolates for your party or special event. Nothing says thank you like delicious homemade candy or homemade chocolate! Surprise your guests with a delightful treat.Wisconsin Dells Homemade Chocolate and Candy are our pride and we create only the most delicious homemade candies for our customers. If for any reason our finest homemade candy or homemade chocolate does not live up to your highest expectations, Dells Fudge will be happy to give you a replacement or full refund. However, we are confident you will be 100% satisfied and you will keep coming back for more!

With the coming of fall, there are a lot of new and yummy treats that just taste better around this time of year. There’s candy corn, which is available sometimes during the year but is at its best during the fall, there’s ginger snaps, and there are caramel apples. The gooey, yummy caramel apples which are available in the fall are a favorite among people of all ages. But caramel apples are not just caramel apples anymore, and neither are candy apples. There are now gourmet apples available in a range of flavorsHere are some of the flavors that gourmet caramel apples come in.ChocolateThese are apples that are dipped in different kinds of chocolate, like dark chocolate, white chocolate, milk chocolate, and flavored chocolates. These kinds of apples are nice if they are being used as a gift for a holiday.  NutsThere are different types of caramel apples with nuts.  They can come with pecans, walnuts, cashews and almonds.  Along with the nuts and caramel, some of them come with chocolate as well.DecoratedThere are caramel apples that come with different decorations.  Sometimes they come with marshmallows on them and sometimes little candies.There are a few things that you should keep in mind when you are ordering a caramel apple for someone.Allergies – You need to make sure that you are aware of any allergies that the recipient may have.  You want your friend to be able to enjoy the treat and not have to worry about having a reaction.Likes and Dislikes – You want to know what they like and they don’t like. You don’t want to buy a white chocolate candy apple for someone who doesn’t care for white chocolate. Make sure that you that you know what they like and don’t like so that you are sending them something they will enjoy.Consider Delivery Times – Since this is an item that can melt depending on the temperature and it’s something that will perish, pick your delivery times carefully.  Do what you can to make sure that someone is going to be home to accept the package and get it put in the refrigerator. This way you will know that it will stay fresh and that it won’t melt.Gourmet candy apples and caramel apples are very delicious and fun gifts to give and receive. When you are ordering one for yourself or someone else, you want to make sure that you are getting one that you know that they will like. With so many different kinds of candy and caramel apples, it isn’t hard to find one that will suit everyone’s tastes. You want to make sure that you are choosing apples that are going to be enjoyed and that can be eaten without having to worry about an allergic reaction. Think about the recipient and choose the apple that is best for them, and you will have the satisfaction of knowing that they can eat their treat and savor every bite.

There is nothing quite like caramel candy for bringing back childhood memories and forcing smiles onto the faces of even the grumpiest individuals.  This soft chewy candy has been tempting taste buds since the 1700s when a Scottish mother was trying to make some candy when some sugar fell into a lit candle and was left there.  After her nap, as the story goes, this anonymous woman found a sweet brownish substance in the candle that she named after her daughter Caramel.  Candy makers and other manufacturers use this gooey substance constantly today, in everything from chocolate bars to ice cream.

Basically, caramel is a soft chewy candy that is made by boiling milk, sugar, butter, vanilla extract, water, and glucose or corn syrup at no more than 248 °F.  There is a wide range of different candy in this category though, including caramel apples, caramel with nuts such as praline, nougat or brittle, and caramel in various candy bars and boxed chocolates.  Caramel is also often used as a topping on ice cream or an ingredient in baked goods.

There are also hard caramel candy products such as Werthers Original, which have the color and flavor of the softer varieties but a consistency like that of a sucker.  This type of candy must be heated to a higher level than 248 °F though, which is also known as the firm ball stage.  Unlike the creamier counterparts, caramels such as Werthers Original are intended to be cooled to a rigid and immovable state.

There is really no end to the different things you can do with caramel. Candy makers have been using this sweet and gummy substance for centuries now and there is really no end in sight.  There are literally hundreds of candy products on the market today that utilize the sweet power of caramel.

Here is a mobile phone that is not only a pleasure to your eyes but also has the capability to stun you with its unique collection of features. The Latest one from LG, LG Chocolate Pink has a great design.
LG Chocolate mobile phone has quite a lot to offer apart from its stunning looks. The LG Chocolate Pink has a rectangular shape that’s vaguely reminiscent of a chocolate bar. The slider mechanism slips up and down easily but firmly; we needed only one finger to make it work.
With support for TFT, 256K colors, the two-inch display shows off everything beautifully, from photos to graphics to its simple, user-friendly menus. You can change the backlighting time, the font color, and the brightness.
Other basics include its weight just only 83 g, a voice recorder, all type of messaging, an alarm clock, a calculator, a unit converter, a world clock, a calendar, and a memo pad. As for high-end features, there’s Bluetooth, GPRS, 1.3 MP, 1280 x 960 pixels Camera, e-mail, and USB data storage and transfer capability, and you can use the phone as a modem.
The LG Chocolate Pink’s music player is serviceable but nothing fancy. The MP3 player in the LG Chocolate Pink looks great with different equalizer modes and random playback. You can play music in MP3 and AAC formats. The included stereo headset is top quality. The 1.3-megapixel camera takes pictures in resolution 1,280×960 and great quality settings. Equipped with small built-in light and low noise level, the LG KG800 Chocolate works nicely in night mode.
You can personalize the LG KG800 Chocolate Pink with a variety of wallpapers, sound alerts, and menu colors. If you want more options or more ring tones, Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3, AAC, you can download them via the WAP 2.0 browser. The LG KG800 Chocolate has a rated talk-time battery life of 6 hours and a standby time Up to 200 Hrs
So, bring home LG Chocolate Pink and enjoy a new experience LG Chocolate Pink

Candy bar is a lovely rectangular piece of heaven that can be enjoyed by anyone. As the name indicates these are long bar shaped confectionary. Candy bar is a broad term and includes sugar milk, cocoa solid and cocoa butter bars. The presence of different delicious ingredients classifies the candy bar into dark chocolate, white chocolate and milk chocolate. Different ingredients such as emulsifying agents, soy lecithin and vanilla extracts are used in the manufacturing process of the candy bar.

Candy bars covered with chocolate coating are a favorite of everyone. The layers of grains, nuts and fruits have now replaced the plain candy bar. Different forms of candy bar such as nougat, cookie, fudge, fondant, marshmallow, coconut marzipans, and caramel are available in the market.

Candy bar with nutritional value are also available now a days. Different percentage of vitamins and proteins are added in this bar maintaining its sweetness. Power bar is a famous bar that is widely consumed by the health conscious people. Brands like Ferrero, Dolphin, Charles chocolate, Annabelle Candy Company, Hershey food corporation, ION, Ganong bros limited, Idaho candy company, Hansel, Gandour, Ganong Bros limited, Kraft Foods Cadbury Schweppes and many more sell a variety of these candy bar packs.

American chocolate bar is available in three various flavors of vanilla, strawberry and chocolate. Some are centered with nice creamy soft chocolate nougat. These bars are also known as milky way bar in many parts of the countries. Crispy rice, caramel chocolates bars are low in cholesterol but contain a very high level of fats and sugar. Each bar contains approximately 90 calories. Pink colored diet chocolate bar contains 60 % less fats than any other chocolate bar. The calorie conscious people can consume this bar while still maintaining their weights.

Sugar coated orange flavored chocolates are available in white, yellow, orange and in some parts of the country they are available in green, pink, mauve and brown colors. These are also available in egg flavor that contain tiny egg particles in it. Fruit pieces are also added in the bar and are known as Fruities.

Candy bar enveloped with almond bite with a sweet coating of honey are available in a pack of six pieces in each pack, separately wrapped in wax papers first and then in the wrappers. A bar filled with roasted peanuts and covered with vanilla nougat is an all time favorite of the people who love nuts. Biscuit filled bars coated with caramel and milk is the right bar to increase the energy levels with its glucose contents. Fresh coconut filled bar with a covering of milk or dark chocolate is the perfect bar for accurate sharing as it is available in two halves in the same pack.

Candy bar like breakaway, butterfinger, bourneville, brown pudding, break and a wide variety of candy bar packs is available to light up the occasion or festival. Many of these candy bar packs are available in bulk as well as wholesale rates with different flavors. However, the final quality of all these candies and candy bar depends up on the ingredients used in manufacturing process.

Candy bars, also known as the chocolate bars are a type of confectionery that are available in a rectangular bar form. Candy bars is a delectable treats that include cocoa butter, sugar, milk and cocoa solids. Depending on the presence of some scrumptious ingredients, these candy bars are classified as white chocolate, milk chocolate and dark chocolate. Ingredients such as vanilla extracts, emulsifying agents and soy lecithin are also sometimes added to these candy bars.

These bars are covered with chocolate and are a favorite among everyone. A variety of bars which contain layers of fruits, grains nuts have replaced the plain candy bars. Various forms of the candy bars such as caramel, nougat, cookie, fudge, fondant, marshmallow, marzipan, coconut are also available in the market

Some candy bars are manufactured as nutritional supplements, commonly known as power or health bars. Various vitamins and proteins are added in these bars maintaining its sweet taste. The most famous candy bar in this category is the power bar which serves the purpose of the nutritional bar. Different famous brands of candy bars are: Dolphin, Ferrero, Charles chocolate, Ganong bros limited, Annabelle candy company, Cadbury Schweppes, Hershey food corporation, ION, Idaho candy company, Hansel, Gandour, Ganong Bros limited, Kraft Foods and many more.

Orange flavored sugar coated chocolates are available in eight colors i.e. orange, white, yellow and in some places in green, brown, pink and mauve colors. These are also available in egg flavors (small particles of egg in them). Some of the candy bars also contain fruit particles in them and are known as Fruities. Red and white colored maple leaf shaped chocolates are available in Canada. These red mapled shaped chocolates are a representation of the Canadian Flag.

Musketeers are an American chocolate bar available in three different flavors of strawberry, chocolate and vanilla. These are centered with nice creamy chocolate nougat. It is also named as Milky Way bar in some parts of the countries. Hundred grand bars contain crisped rice, caramel and chocolate. It is low cholesterol bar but is very high in sugar and fats. One candy bar is laden with nearly 190 calories. Pink colored milk chocolate is a diet bar with nearly sixty percent less fat than any other chocolate bar. It is extremely safe for the calorie conscious people.

A candy bar that consists of almond bits and is dipped in honey is available in a pack of six pieces each separately wrapped in the wax paper and than in the wrapper. A bar with the filling of roasted peanuts and a cover of vanilla nougat is the perfect chocolate to lighten up any occasion. Candy bar with biscuit filling accompanied by caramel and milk chocolate is the right bar to boost the energy levels with its glucose contents. A candy bar filled withy the fresh coconut and a covering of dark and milk chocolate is available in two halves in the same pack.

Many more candy bars like break, breakaway, bourneville, brown pudding, butterfinger and many more candy bars are available to add a touch of special feeling to any occasion.

Chocolate and candy making today is undergoing a renaissance in public awareness and status. This comprehensive book combines artisan confectionery techniques with accessible explanations of the theory and science as well as formulas for use in production. Fundamental information for the confectioner includes ingredient function and use, chocolate processing, and artisan production techniques. The book contains 140 formulas and variations for beautiful confections, including dairy-based centers, crystalline and noncrystalline sugar confectionery, jellies, and nut center and aerated confections.

Candymaking is in the midst of a revolution. The public is increasingly hungry for hand-crafted chocolates and confections, heightening appreciation for the work of artisan confectioners who use traditional techniques and fine ingredients. Now, master confectioner Peter Greweling of The Culinary Institute of America has at lastproduced the bible of artisan confectionery—a comprehensive guide to the ingredients, theory, techniques, and formulas needed to create every kind of chocolate and confection.

Illustrated throughout with nearly 200 striking full-color photographs and illustrations, Chocolates & Confections provides a comprehensive foundation in confectionery, offering accessible explanations of theory as well as illustrated step-by-step guidance on technique, from tempering chocolate to candying fruit. It also includes helpful charts that pinpoint common candy-making pitfalls and how to avoid them, guides to the best quality chocolate and other all-natural confectionery ingredients, as well as information on packaging and storage.

Chocolates & Confections features chapters on every confectionery type—cream ganache, butter ganache, non-crystalline sugar confections, crystalline sugar confections, jellies, aerated confections, and nut centers—and includes nearly 150 formulas for classic confections, such as marzipan made using fresh almonds, as well as contemporary variations such as Madras, a coconut curry butter ganache. From truffles, butter ganache confections, hard candies, brittles, toffee, caramels, and taffy to fondants, fudges, gummies, candied fruit, marshmallows, divinity, nougat, marzipan, gianduja, and rochers, it demonstrates how to produce world-class confections and provides the in-depth background information candy-makers need to formulate their own signature creations.