Homemade (and inexpensive) gifts for the candy lover

Do you have a candy lover or two on your gift list? (I’m raising my hand; hint, hint.) It’s easy to make some tasty gifts to satisfy your friends and family members with a sweet tooth.

By making them yourself, you are not only saving money but also showing your love with a handmade gift. It’s great for teachers, postal carriers, and wonderful neighbors. Such a gift is ALWAYS appreciated, even when it disappears in a few days minutes.

Here are some of my favorites (if you’re wondering what I’d like).

Candy Flowers

This is perfect if you aren’t one to cook or make candy per se, but want a homemade touch.  It looks impressive but isn’t too difficult to pull together quickly.

Here’s what you need:

• 1 large flower vase
• Floral foam
• 1 package bamboo skewers
• Hot glue gun
• Wrapped candy (candy bars, wrapped hard candies, taffy – pretty much any size and shape of wrapped candy will work)

Here’s what you need to do:

Glue the wrapped candy to the blunt end of each skewer. You’ll be gluing the candy to the side of the skewer toward the end. Glue several small wrapped candies in a row. Then stick the pointed ends of the skewers into the floral foam to make a tasty arrangement. You can even be crafty and shape it as a Christmas tree.

Cherry Cordials

You had me at cherry!  (Well, that is my last name.)  This cherry cordial recipe has a lovely liquid center! You prefer a creamy center, leave out the invertase in the recipe below.

Here’s what you need:

• 1 20-ounce jar of maraschino cherries (no stem)
• 1/4 cup soft butter
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons liquid from the jar of cherries
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon liquid invertase (this is an enzyme that helps sugar to dissolve into a liquid – find it in the baking or candy-making section of your grocery or on Amazon)
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Here’s what you need to do:

Drain the cherries, reserving the liquid. Pat cherries dry with paper towels and allow cherries to sit on paper towels on a wire rack while you make the fondant.

In an electric mixer, cream the butter, corn syrup, 2 tablespoons cherry liquid, almond and vanilla extracts, and invertase. Turn off the mixer and add the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest setting until the mixture forms a fondant ball. It should be about the consistency of soft play-dough, but not as stiff as modeling clay and not too soft and sticky to handle. Add a bit more powdered sugar if necessary.

Mold a quarter-size amount of fondant around each cherry and place it on a wax paper-covered cookie sheet. When all the cherries are covered, place them in the refrigerator for about half an hour while you melt about the chocolate in a double boiler. If possible, don’t let the chocolate get above 115 degrees F. This makes for a much smoother coating.

Using a fork, dip each fondant-covered cherry in the chocolate and coat it thoroughly. Place on a wax paper-covered cookie sheet and seal any holes in the chocolate coating by dabbing on more. Allow the cherries to harden and store at room temperature while the fondant liquefies. It should take about a week.

Hint: this needs some taste testing throughout the week.  (Oh darn!)

Classic Chocolate-Covered Toffee

This recipe is simple and just completely amazing.  (My husband would eat it all if he could.)

Here’s what you need:

• 2 sticks butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips (milk or semi-sweet)
• Optional: chopped nuts or coarse sea salt

Here’s what you need to do:

In a heavy saucepan, combine butter and sugar. Stir over medium heat until the butter is melted, and then bring the mixture to a boil. Stirring occasionally, simmer until it reaches 285 degrees F. It will be a rich, amber color.

Then pour the mixture onto a parchment paper-covered jelly roll pan and sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips. After a few minutes, spread the softened chocolate with a rubber spatula.

If you choose, you can add some chopped nuts or even some coarse sea salt on top of the chocolate.

Refrigerate for an hour or so, then break into pieces and place in an airtight gift container.