My Chocolate Fantasy

Jackie Beem asked:


Everyone has people in their lives that they don’t know very well, yet during the holidays or other occasions you would like to give them a small gift just to say “I’m thinking about you at this time”, “Thank You for just being around”, “Welcome to the neighborhood” or “Thank You for the job you do”.

This might be elderly, lonely people in your neighborhood or church, people you work with, the postman, UPS/Fedex delivery person, paper boy, cleaning personnel in your office, new neighbors, etc.

Because you don’t know a lot about these people’s likes and dislikes it is often hard to find an inexpensive gift for them that they won’t just chunk in a drawer and forget about for years to come. I think we all really struggle with our thoughts trying to come up with small thoughtful gifts that people in this category can appreciate and enjoy.

A number of years ago I found that homemade Chocolate Fudge Candy was a good solution for this problem. It is something that most anyone can enjoy, no matter their age or ***. It is something they can proudly share with friends or family.

I have had to take into consideration whether or not to add nuts. I have found that some elderly people have a problem chewing the candy with nuts. I just make a batch without nuts for those folks. I usually add marshmallows or cherries to their candy.

Here is a simple recipe that I use:

18 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 (14 ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk

Dash salt

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

½ to 1 cup chopped nuts

In heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt chips with Sweetened Condensed Milk.

Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients. Spread evenly into wax

Paper-lined 9×11 pan. Top with nut halves or cherries. Spread them at intervals for the square size you would like to have. Chill in refrigerator 2 hours or until firm. Turn fudge onto cutting board; peel off wax paper and cut into squares.

I usually use Ziploc containers. I line with wax paper, put a layer of Chocolate Fudge squares, then a layer of wax paper, then more fudge squares alternating until my container is full. I use small containers for some and medium size ones for others. At Christmas they usually make these in red and green. I get the red and green ones at that time and top them off with a Christmas bow which makes a ready wrapped present ready to hand out.

When making a batch with nuts, I usually use pecans or walnuts. If I have to make some fudge without nuts, I use miniature marshmallows, candied cherries or coconut. I have one 96 year old lady that loves coconut and can still chew nuts so she gets a batch with both nuts and coconut.

Some variations are to use White Chocolate Chips or Carmel Chips. I have also mixed in a few Carmel Chips in with the semi-sweet Chocolate Chips.

Even though I do most of my homemade Chocolate Fudge Candy gift giving during the Christmas holiday, I use it for gift giving all year round.

This doesn’t take a lot of time, unless you have a lot of people you need gifts for at one time, and it is really well received by all.

If you don’t have time to make your on Chocolate Fudge Candy gifts you can find a nice ready made Gourmet Chocolate Fudge gift selection at: Country Candy Delights

Linda Wilson asked:


One of the best ways to make memories with your children or grandchildren is to allow them in the kitchen with you.  Kids love to bake and they enjoy eating and sharing with others the goodies they make.  It is also a fun learning experience for them, one they don’t even realize is a lesson.  Organing ingredients, following the instructions in the recipe, working together to make something special, and don’t forget clean-up.  It is important for children to learn that after the fun, there is clean-up to be done.  If you work it right, they will even think that is part of the fun.  Counting and measuring is also a good math lesson.  So don’t try to keep your children out of the kitchen.  Invite them in and have fun together.  Homemade Chocolate Sandwich Cookies is a recipe they will love as they get to put the cookies and filling together to make “sandwiches”.  They may not get them perfect but life is not about perfection in everything.  You aren’t trying to make a masterpiece, just a cookie!  And the kids will love dunking the Chocolate Dunk Cookies in the chocolate mixture.  Note:  When baking with chocolate and children, be sure they wear aprons, smocks, or older clothing.

HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE SANDWICH COOKIES

This recipe is from an old Midwestern State church cookbook.

1/2 cup butter or oleo

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup milk

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsps baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup cocoa

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together in the order given. Beat until smooth. Drop by rounded teaspoon on buttered cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 7 minutes. Do not over bake. Cool and make sandwiches using the filling recipe below.

Marshmallow Filling:

1/2 cup white shortening

2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup marshmallow cream

1 tsp vanilla

3 or 4 tsps milk (adjust amount for the right consistency)

 

Cream shortening and sugar together and mix in rest of the ingredients. Spread between cookies and make sandwiches. Wrap individually in plastic wrap to store so they won’t stick together.

CHOCOLATE DUNK COOKIES

1 3/4 cups flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

8 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate, divided

3/4 cup margarine, softened

2 tbsp firmly packed Splenda brown sugar blend OR 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3/4 cup SPLENDA granular

1/4 cup egg substitute

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In small mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.  Coarsely chop 5 squares of the chocolate and set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, beat margarine, brown sugar, and SPLENDA with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add egg substitute and vanilla extract; mix well.  Gradually add flour mixture to egg mixture beating until blended.  Stir in chopped chocolate and nuts.  Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.  Dough drops should be two inches apart.  Bake 11 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool 1 minute before removing from cookie sheets.  Cool completely on wire racks.  Melt 3 squares of chocolate in microwave as directed on package.  Dip one half of each cookie into the melted chocolate.  Place in single layer on waxed paper and let set until chocolate is set.

Note:  This recipe uses some ingredients that make it diabetic friendly.  You can make the following changes, if you do not have diabetics in your family:  Substitute 1 egg for the egg substitute and 3/4 cup granulated sugar for the Splenda granular.

Enjoy!