Nostagic Candy: Long Boy Candy Bar Recipe

The Fudges General Store was just a few miles down the road from my grandparents.  With a name like that it would certainly get your attention if you had a sweet tooth even though Fudge was a family name and not a candy but we did stop in every time we drove by the store on the way home.  We often would get a Nehi drink and a Long Boy candy bar.  The candy bar was not just a sweet thing but it lasted a long long time.

Linda and Daddy got them all the time.  It took me a little longer to discover the Long Boys because I did not think I would like it but Linda made it look so good and finally I decided to try it.  She could make a candy bar last almost all the way home and mine was gone in a minute and I would sit and be jealous until her candy bar was gone.  Back then the candy bar was about 10 inches long or my memory says it was that long. 

 Once I tasted the candy I was convinced.

There are all kinds of candy bars but Long Boys are not easy to find.  Daddy did find some recently on some website but I have not seen them in any store since 1971 when I married.

Daddy found this recipe online and I have not made it but if it says it is  Coconut Long Boy Candy it must be good!

Here it is:

1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/4cup light corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp vanilla
2 Tablespoons butter
2 cups flaked sweetened coconut

In a saucepan heat sugar, cream, light corn syrup and salt over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
Add the butter and bring to a boil over a medium high heat. 
Using a candy thermometer boil until it reaches 248 degrees.  Remove from the heat and add vanilla and coconut stirring to combine.
Prepare a 10" square pan by lining with waxed paper.   Pour the candy into the pan and allow to cool for about 30 minutes.  Cut into 1 inch strips.
Roll each 1 " strip into a rope and cut into 3 pieces.
(Although, if my memory serves me correctly, the old Long Boy candy bars were flat and long.  I may have to make mine like that.)

I have not made this but am planning on doing so soon!  I could use an assistant!  
Any takers?!

Rock Candy

Watching crystals form on a stick in a jar is fascinating especially to kids no matter how old or young they are.  When those crystals so happen to be the sweetest thing you can eat the fascination level increases still more.

I was about 12 when I first tried this experiment.  It was not a success.  In fact, it was a complete failure.  The biggest factor dooming me to failure was not using enough sugar.  If I had added a tea bag it might have been a fairly sweet glass of tea but I was no where near the saturation level.

It actually is quite an easy and fun experiment and kids love to check on their crystals daily.  In fact, the crystals will begin to form almost immediately.  After a week you will have a fairly decent chunk of sugar crystals like we did.

All you need is sugar and water and if you want to flavor the candy you can use strawberry flavoring, mint, coconut flavoring, or vanilla.  We opted for coconut and strawberry and the reviews as to the best flavor where split.

Here is what you need to do:
Bring one cup of water to a boil.
Add three cups of sugar to the boiling water and bring back to a boil.

Stir until all the sugar is dissolved.  Add a drop or two of food coloring if you wish and a little flavoring if you wish.

Pour syrup into a quart size jar making sure to omit any undissolved sugar crystals that may be hiding in the bottom of the pan.  Allow the syrup to cool for 20 minutes.

Prepare the lid and a stick (Popsicle sticks or skewers work well.) Cut an opening in the lid just big enough for the stick to fit through the lid and hold it tight so you can adjust the height of the stick when in the jar.  Wet the end of the stick that will be inserted into the jar and dip into a bowl of sugar to get sugar crystals started on the stick.  Tap the stick to get rid of any excess sugar so it will not fall off in the jar.

Once the syrup has cooled 20 minutes you may put the stick into the jar.  Adjust it to be about an inch from the bottom of the jar.  It should not rest on the bottom.  The lid will help keep dust out of the jar.  Set the jar aside and check back every 24 hours.  If sugar begins to form on the edge of the jar or on the surface of the syrup remove the stick and pour into a fresh jar.  The idea is to keep the formation on the stick and not on the jar.

You will have rock candy in 7 to 10 days.  Pull out your stick with the crystal formations and allow to dry for a couple of hours. 

Any leftover syrup can be poured into a shallow pan and left out overnight to allow sugar crystals to form for more rock candy.  It still tastes like rock candy but jut is not attached to a stick. 

Homemade Candy Corn Fresh Off the Farm

When I was a child I loved candy corn.  In fact, I still do.  Back then it was my favorite....now it is a real temptation to me but chocolate is really tops for me.  Either you love candy corn or you just can't stand it.

Never did I ever envision making candy corn myself.  Candy corn was found in the candy aisle at the store and if you behaved yourself your Mom just might grant your wish for it.  Recently I was browsing candy recipes online and I ran across several recipes for candy corn.  I could hardly wait to make it.

Today I had about an hour and fifteen minutes unplanned so  I whipped out the ingredients and got the candy making underway. Once the candy began to cool enough to get the food color in it and begin shaping it then the rest of the family started getting involved.  As you can see from the pictures the kids were right in there having a great time with the shaping.

It was not until after we had all the coils joined together did we realize our mistake.
The bottom of candy corn is yellow, the top is white and the orange should be in the middle.  Oops!

No matter!  We had a great time.  We plan to do it again and next time we might make it right!

Here is the recipe.

Homemade Candy Corn
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup salted butter

2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/3 cup powdered milk

1 Tablespoon vanilla
Red and Yellow Food coloring

Sift and measure the powdered sugar and place in a bowl with the powdered milk.  Set aside for later.

In a saucepan combine granulated sugar, corn syrup and butter.  Cook on high heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil.

Lower heat to medium and continue cooking and stirring for five minutes.

Take off of the heat and stir in reserved powdered sugar, powdered milk and vanilla.  Stir until smooth.

Divide the dough equally into three bowls.  Add yellow food coloring to one bowl.  Add yellow with a drop of red to get the orange color to the second bowl.  Leave the third white.

Turn out onto waxed paper, parchment paper or whatever you typically use for rolling out dough.  (The candy can cool for awhile.  The dough is pliable for a long time.)

You will be making a coil of each color and joining all three colors to make one long rope.  You may find it easier to divide each color into two or three equal parts so your coils are not so long.  Once you have a coil of yellow, orange and white stick the coils together flat on your surface to make a multi-colored strip.  Cut through the strip, cutting triangles making "corn" kernels yellow at the bottom of the triangle, then orange, and tipped with white.

Let candy sit out for a couple of hours to cool and begin to harden. Do not stack them.  They will stick together at this point. 

Milky Way Bars are out of this world!

Candy corn was invented around 131 years ago by Wunderlee Candy Co. and in the 1900s was being produced by Goelitez, that is now known as (my favorite candy comes from it) Jelly Belly! Jelly Belly has now been producing it for 100 years! The yellow part of the candy corn is actually the top of it! Candy corn has its name because it’s supposed to look like a corn kernel.
Joel

This is kind of a cross between a brownie and candy and was the recipe of choice when I gave Joel his candy options.

Milky Way Bars

14 oz. pkg. caramels
1/3 cup + ½ cup evaporated milk
1 German Chocolate cake mix
½ cup butter
2 eggs
12 oz. chocolate chips

Melt caramels with 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Mix cake mix, butter, ½ cup evaporated milk, and eggs. Spread half of batter in greased 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Take out and spread on caramels, sprinkle chocolate chips over caramel, and add rest of batter, spreading carefully. Bake 20 minutes.

The Easiest GOOD Fudge You'll Ever Make!

This recipe is mine. I adapted it from the Leche Quemada recipe I've posted recently.  I have made it for several years and always get compliments when I take it anywhere. It is EASY! It is FAST! You can make it in the microwave and have fudge in 15 minutes or so. This is not that powdered sugar type fudge that tastes more like overly sweet frosting. This is a deep chocolate fudge - creamy and rich.
You will need need only 4 ingredients - 5 if you add vanilla, 6 if you add nuts.



                        Linda's Easiest Ever Microwave Fudge
1 can Sweetened condensed milk
5 tablespoons butter (you can add up to 8 tablespoons depending on how creamy you want your fudge)
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar (if all you have is dark brown, that's fine)
1 cup Ghiradelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips

Line an 8' x 8' heat resistant pan with foil and butter it lightly. Set aside.
In an 8 cup heat resistant, microwave safe measuring cup or bowl, melt the butter. Use a good brand so that it doesn't foam up during the last stages of cooking.
Add the brown sugar and milk. Stir well. Put in the microwave on high for 6 minutes, stirring after every 2 minutes. Remove after 6 minutes and place on heat resistant surface. Use a hand mixer to briefly mix to incorporate the bubbles that have formed on the surface. Add the chocolate chips. Continue to mix until smooth and creamy. Mix for a couple of minutes for the smoothest fudge.  If you want, add a teaspoon of vanilla. You could also add chopped nuts at this point.
Pour out into the foil lined pan and spread to the edges. Let it cool.
That's it! The number of servings is dependent on how big you make the squares, of course.

NOTE: Confession time! I used a pan a little too big, so my fudge was thinner than usual. I just stacked them up two slices high while they were still setting up. No harm done, but it gives me an idea. What if I put a filling of some kind between them? Maybe melted Andes mints? Peanut butter? Hmm.......maybe I'll work on that some day! If you try something and like it, let me know!

UPDATE: I still make this fudge a lot when I'm in a pinch for something quick! I added 1 cup of marshmallow creme along with the chocolate chips last time and it was delicious!

Easy Leche Quemada

Okay, I'll bite! Candy is MY thing, after all! This recipe is simple and very quick. All you need is a large (8 cup) heat resistant  measuring cup or bowl and a microwave, apart form the ingredients.

Microwave Leche Quemada

In a large, heat resistant measuring cup or bowl put:
1 stick butter (1/2 cup) (Use a good brand of real butter. The cheap stuff foams up and over the cup near the end of cooking!!!) Melt the butter and add:
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk (I use Eagle Brand)
Mix well and microwave on high for 7 minutes, stopping every 2 minutes to stir well. Watch the last half of the time to be sure it doesn't start foaming up out of the container. If it does, you will have to keep stopping and stirring it down. (I think cheaper butter has more water in it and the steam causes it to do this. That's only my theory, but I've found that the good stuff doesn't foam!)
While it is cooking, prepare a piece of aluminum foil (about 12" wide) by spraying with a little Pam and sprinkling cinnamon over it.
After cooking, remove from the microwave and place on a heat proof surface. Beat with a hand mixer until it cools a little. Add some vanilla (about a teaspoon) or a little rum (again, about a teaspoon) and 1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts. Beat these in well. Pour out onto the aluminum foil and spread it in a log. You can do this by pulling the sides of the foil together to form a channel for the candy to "flow" into, then crimp the foil together to hold it in a log shape. When hardened, cut into slices.

This recipe is so easy, you can have candy in no time at all.

October Challenge: Candy

October is upon us!  

The beginning of the fun fall and Winter holidays.

Generally we grab a bag of candy while buying milk and eggs and our groceries with hardly a thought. 

But before the convenient of the corner grocery stores 

it was a treat to make candy at home. 

Some families made a party of pulling taffy or making candies.

What kind of candy can you make at home this month?

(This one is for you Joel, and for all of your siblings and cousins who love sweets and candy!)

Here the challenge contest for October:

Any person entering a recipe for candy or sweets during the month of October 

AND 

answering  one of the questions below will be entered into the drawing for a
$5 Sonic card.

Questions:

 What significance do Irish farmers called the Celts have to do with Halloween?

Can you name one Irish tradition or superstition coming from the Celts?

Can you provide me with a fun quick fact on the history of candy corn?

An advertising slogan was 

"Sometimes, you feel like a nut, sometimes, you don't!"

Who was the candy producer, what kind of nut is it and what candy bars are referenced and when were they first sold?

Now you have all the information you need.
Just pick a recipe, submit it along with your answer to one of our questions and you are entered!


On Your Mark,

Get Set,

GO!