I am making homemade vanilla now for Christmas gifts. Just a bottle of vodka and vanilla beans. I bought my vanilla beans from amazon. Someone from this site told me about amazon and the beans are very reasonable there. I think the company is something like "JR Mushrooms" or something. I have 4 bottles in my closet right now... Yummmy! I go back and open them every once in a while just to smell!!!

mcdonald:
so your recipe is really vanilla? I never heard of anyone making that. Is it cost effective? Does it taste like pure vanilla or vanilla extract? Oh man. You got head a spinnin.

mcdonald.. Im also making some vanilla the same way. I started mine in July.Its getting darker every week and yes it smells wonderful !

jovigirl. I sure can ! I used a decorating bag( point down) and then added the red hots first, then crumpled up plastic wrap for the hair.Then added a baggie of cocoa then the mini marshmallows. I tied it with Christmas ribbon and added googly eyes and a cotton ball on the tip. If You need a picture just pm me your email and I can send it .Thanks for asking !

im thrilled I just found this thread, im gonna go search for a recipe to share....

Thanks for all the mouthwatering recipes so far!

Jess

Wow, what a great thread! I love all the little treats!

My guilty from-childhood pleasure : pb & brown sugar sandwiches! I know, I know...but the sugar gets a little melty...yum. I also love to put a blob of pb in a bowl and cover it with a bit of honey or maple syrup.

Unfortunately my (DH's) family is a bit snobbish when it comes to gift giving. Unless my daughter made it, homemade gifts are just "Oh, thanks....." No one in my family, except my husband's aunt, likes my cakes either. I've been told by non-family I should start a bakery, so I'm not bad at it. I suggested to do a funny/gag gift exchange, it was immediately shot down. We have a white elephant with a $25 per person minimum.

Wish I lived near my mom's family, they would love these kind of gifts!
Thanks for the youtube movie on fruit bouquets, I'm going to have to try one of those! And maybe I'll ship some gifts off to some family that'll appreciate it! Or maybe I'll just eat them all myself!

Definitely trying the vanilla!

Oh man, I have some home made vanilla... I bought the beans from a trusted seller on eBay... he has a whole store front, and they are dirt cheap! You wouldn't believe it!! I have made tons of things with vanilla beans, and it's so fun!!

Real vanilla bean ice cream....that you can see the little flecks in.....

Lilybird: I love your idea for this thread as candy is my passion and I haved a selection of recipes that exceeds my kitchen - ha, ha! I will post in the next few days.

Also, does anyone have a good recipe for Pumpkin Fudge? I made some last Thanksgiving and although it tasted great the final product dried out too quickly.

This sounds like a lot-a-fun!

Melvira - I LOVE MILK TOAST! My mom made it for us all the time. Any other time I've talked about eating it, I've gotten weird looks. We don't do cinnamon toast (although that sounds DELICIOUS) just dry toast with a little bit of salt. I know it sounds funny, but it's is SO good.
I can't wait to tell my mom that we're not the only ones eating it!
Anyone else out there that eats Larschman and Berries?

Pumpkin fudge?!?!? OH YAH!! I hope someone has that!!!

There was a pumpkin fudge recipe floating around here last year sometime. I have no clue how to track it down -- it's buried in one of the threads. Sounded good though!

Pumpkin fudge?!?!? Sounds delicious !

Oooh, yes please pumpkin fudge!!! I just bought some yesterday from BJ's, it is sooo good. I would love to make it myself. It doesn't help that I'm pregnant and want to eat every sweet in sight!

MJ

Pumpkin Fudge

2 T. butter
2.75 c. sugar
2/3 c. evaporated milk (5 oz. can)
6 oz. white chips
3 oz. marshmallow creme
3/4 c. pumpkin puree
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla

Line a 9x9 pan with aluminum foil and set aside.

Heat milk and sugar over Medium heat in a 3 quart saucepan; bring to a boil while stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Add the pumpkin puree and cinnamon and bring back to boil for 2 minutes. Add the marshmallow to the hot pumpkin mixture- the whole mixute will expand as the marshmallow heats so be careful the saucepan is large enough. Bring the whole mixture back to a low rolling boil stirring occasionally for 10 mins. If you have a candy thermometer, the boiling point will be about 240 degrees.

Remove from heat and add white chips and vanilla. Stir til creamy and all chips are melted. Pour into prepared pan. Cool.

Note: 1 cup of walnuts may be added, if desired. Add after chips are all melted.

Oh no ya'll didn't. Ya'll thought you were going to slip by me but I've caught you.

Well I will have to go dig out my holiday treats.

These aren't really candy recipes but little poems I attach to candy for quick little gifts and I'm going to do some for a fund raiser this year.

Attach to a green candy cane:
When the Grinch discovered
There was no way,
To Keep Christmas from coming
On Christmas day,
He devised a new plan...
Though not quite as mean.
He licked all the candy canes,
Til he turned them all green.

I've done the next one for years. You use the round pepermint candies. If anyone wants the template for the seed packet and the picutre for the front of it just PM with your email and I'll send it to you.

Candy Cane Garden Seeds
I once knew a gardener
who could grow
Braight tasty candy canes right
out of the snow.
I asked him to share his
secret with me
And this is what he said
Quite readily

To garden in winter is
difficult you see
It takes alot of care and a
very special seed.
I'll give you some to grow
your own little treats
You'll soon reap a harvest
of candy cane sweets.

Here is a thread on making vanilla extract
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-663.html

We have sooooo many kids in our family and it gets too expensive for us to buy them all Christmas presents, so I make them caramel apples. I usually put whatever topping each kid likes. Most of them love the apple pie caramel apples.

Apple Pie Caramel Apple

6 granny smith apples
1 box of nilla wafers, or any vanilla cookie you like. Crushed
2 tsps of apple pie spice, or add till you like the taste
caramel, homemade or kraft caramels (about 2 bags)
white chocolate, melted
Stick to put in the apples. I've used popsicle sticks, chopsticks, cinnamon sticks(these work well with the apple pie apples). Use whatever works for you

Mix cookies and apple pie spice together. Dip the apples in the caramel and make sure to let the excess drip off. Set the dipped apples on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes. Dip apples in chocolate, let excess drip off. Pat the cookie mixture on the apples 9 or how ever you like to get it on the apple) and let dry.

I've added brown sugar and bakers sugar to the cookie mix. You can really come up with any combination you like.

After they are dry I put them in cello bags and put ribbon around them. My DD loves these so much, for her 10th birthday we had a "Make your own Caramel Apple" table. It was a HUGE hit! Also very messy

here is a great link for making caramel apples, I wish I would've seen this before my first attempt at them(I made a gigantic mess )

http://dyannbakes.com/index.php?post_id=271377

PS....I love dyannbakes.com

nickshalfpint, the caramel apple table sounds great!

Thanks justgale for the candy poems. I love stuff like this!

Hi All This is a recipe out of an old candy book. I just have to share it. The chocolate covered cherries turn out just like the ones you buy at the store. Hard chocolate shell and gooey center. It's a little more time consuming but all worth it. Here it is:
CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRIES

3 cups sugar
1 cup plus 1 tbsp water
¼ cup light corn syrup
60 maraschino cherries with stems
(Do not use fresh cherries)
24 ozs. Semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped,
or 24 ozs. Semisweet chocolate chips
Butter or margarine for greasing the pan and
The cookie sheet

PREPARING THE FONDANT Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and set aside.
Combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until the
Sugar dissolves completely and the syrup comes to a boil.
Clip a candy thermometer on the inside of the pan and cook the syrup, without
stirring, until it reaches 240° (soft ball stage).
Immediately pour the hot syrup into the prepared 9 x 13-inch pan. Let the syrup cool
undisturbed until the bottom of the pan feels lukewarm to the touch.
Using a heavy wooden spoon, stir the lukewarm mixture until it forms a ball. Some of this fondant may stick to the pan.
Seal the ball of fondant in a 1-gallon size plastic bag, removing as much air from the bag as possible. Let the fondant rest 1 minute before continuing.
With the fondant sealed in the plastic bag, roll the candy with the heel of your hand, pressing down toward the counter. Continue this light kneading motion until the fondant looks smooth and creamy and feels like firm cookie dough, about 10 minutes. Set the fondant aside. The fondant can be made up to a week ahead of time and kept well wrapped in the refrigerator.
Drain the cherries, reserving the liquid. Place the cherries on paper towels to absorb any excess liquid.
Butter a large cookie sheet. Line it with wax paper and set aside.
Place the fondant in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water. If you donât have a double boiler, simply place the fondant in a medium bowl that fits snugly over a pot of simmering water. Stir the fondant until it melts. Rest a candy thermometer in the melted fondant and continue to stir gently, working around the thermometer, until the fondant reaches 150°F. Turn off the heat.
Stir in 2or 3 tablespoons of the reserved cherry liquid to give the fondant a pink color and a mild cherry flavor. Should the fondant fall below 150°F, turn the heat on low and bring the water back to a simmer just until the temperature reaches 150°F.
To dip, hold one cherry by the stem and quickly dip in into the melted fondant to cover the cherry. Avoid getting fondant on the stem. Place the dipped cherry on the prepared cooking sheet. Repeat the process with the remaining cherries. Stir the fondant occasionally. If the fondant becomes too thick as you dip, add more of the cherry liquid, 1 Tbsp. at a time, until a thinner consistency is reached.
Melt 12ozs. Of the semisweet chocolate in the top of a clean double boiler set over hot water.
When the chocolate has melted completely, remove the top part of the double boiler or the bowl from the hot water. Add the remaining 12ozs of chocolate and stir until all of the
chocolate is melted.
Insert a candy thermometer into the chocolate, its temperature should be 88 to 90°F. If the chocolate is too cold, place it back over the hot water until the temperature reaches 88 to 90°F.
Dip the cherries by the stem into the chocolate to cover the pink candy coating. Repeat the process with the remaining cherries.
Let the cherries sit at room temperature for 2 hours. Place them in the refrigerator overnight, and the chocolate will harden while the centers liquefy. Store the cherries in a single layer in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Tammy

Ok file updated!

Fiddle, I'd love to see these santa things you were talking about. Knowing you, it's probably something awfully cute that I'm going to want to do! Will you email me?

I would love to email you Mel !

Me too! Me too! Please?

Me too. Can you post it on here?

Ok, those are beyond adorable you guys!!! What a hoot, and a great idea! I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm having trouble seeing pictures in these threads, that's why I asked Fiddle to mail it to me!

I have emailed anyone that asked me to .Or asked for you to pm your email to me so I can ! Thanks Mel !