Easy Fudge- Better Homes and Gardens

This is a pretty basic easy fudge recipe. I've seen variations of this that use powdered sugar instead of granulated, but you have to double the quantity or something like that. I'm not sure what the exact conversion rate is. 

I won't lie and say this is the most delicious fudge recipe around, but it's probably the easiest (microwave? Hello!), and one of the most versatile. You can substitute the chocolate chips for any flavor you wish, marbleize it, add chunks of delicious goodness, etc. For instance, this year I used dark chocolate chips and added in crushed up chocolate oranges in lieu of walnuts to make dark chocolate orange fudge. Yummers! The possibilities are endless, and it's so fast and easy to whip up that you'll find yourself making multiple batches just because you can.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2  cups  sugar
• 1  5-ounce can (2/3 cup)  evaporated milk
• 1/2  cup  butter
• 2  cups  tiny marshmallows
• 1  cup  semisweet chocolate pieces or chopped bittersweet chocolate (the higher quality of chocolate, the better your fudge will turn out so splurge on the Ghirardelli vs. the generic store brand)
• 1/2  cup  chopped walnuts
• 1/2  teaspoon  vanilla

Directions

1. Line an 8x8x2-inch baking pan with foil, extending the foil over the edges of the pan. Butter the foil; set pan aside.
2. Butter the sides of a 2-quart heavy saucepan. In saucepan combine sugar, evaporated milk, and butter. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture boils (about 10 minutes). Reduce heat to medium; continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 6 minutes.
3. Remove saucepan from heat. Add marshmallows, chocolate pieces, walnuts, and vanilla; stir until marshmallows and chocolate melt and mixture is combined. Beat by hand for 1 minute.
4. Spread fudge evenly in the prepared pan. Score into squares while warm (super important- this stuff is a beast to cut when it's chilled if you don't). Cover and chill for 2 to 3 hours or until firm. When fudge is firm, use foil to lift it out of pan. Cut fudge into squares. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Makes about 2 pounds (64 pieces).
Peanut Butter-Chocolate Fudge: Prepare as above, except substitute 1/2 cup peanut butter for the butter and, if desired, peanuts for the walnuts.
Nutrition Facts per piece: 58 cal., 3 g total fat (1 g sat. fat), 1 mg chol., 14 mg sodium, 9 g carbo., 0 g fiber, 1 g pro.
Daily Values: 0% vit. A, 0% vit. C, 1% calcium, 1% iron
Exchanges: 1/2 Other Carbo., 1/2 Fat
Microwave Directions: In a 2-1/2-quart microwave-safe bowl microwave butter, uncovered, on 100 percent power (high) for 45 to 60 seconds (for 1,000- to 1,300-watt ovens) or 60 to 75 seconds (for 600- to 800-watt ovens) or until melted. Stir in the sugar and evaporated milk. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 7 minutes (for 1,000- to 1,300-watt ovens) or 10 minutes (for 600- to 800-watt ovens), stirring every 3 minutes. Carefully remove bowl from microwave oven. Add marshmallows, chocolate pieces, nuts, and vanilla, stirring until marshmallows and chocolate are melted and mixture is combined. Beat by hand for 1 minute. Pour into prepared pan; continue as above.

Circus Popcorn

Camille Farias

1-1/2 c sugar
1/2 c milk
1/4 c butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 drops food coloring
3 drops raspberry, coconut, strawberry, etc. extract (optional)
1 c unpopped popcorn (2 bags microwave popcorn)

Boil all ingredients to soft ball stage. Pour over large pan of popped popcorn. Stir until hardened. Let sit for 2 minutes. Stir again to break up the clumps.

*I make this for my step-son's birthday party every year. We make the popcorn in different colors and flavors, to creat a rainbo effect. It's always a big hit, and SOOOO easy to make.

Betty Crocker Divinity

2-2/3 c sugar,
2 c light corn syrup
1/2 c water
2 egg whites, stiffly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c broken nuts (walnuts, pecans) optional

mix sugar, syrup, and water in pan and stir over low heat until dissolved. Then cook without stirring to hard boil (260 degrees)

pour into egg whites and add vanilla. Mix until dull and fold in nuts. Drop quickly from tip of buttered spoon or into buttere pan and cut into squares

Virginia Fudge (Penuche Fudge)

Lyn Babb

1 cube + 2 tbsp butter
2 c brown sugar
1/2 c evaporated milk
1/2-1 c chopped nuts
1 tsp vanilla
3 c sifted powdered sugar

melt butter in sauce pan. add brown sugar and milk. boil, stirring constanly for 3 min. Keep sugar crystals from forming on sides of saucepan. Remove from heat. Add vanilla, powdered sugar, and nuts.
Make sure candy is free from lumps and pour into 8x8 pan.

Cool completely before serving.
Store in refrigerator.

*This is my favorite candy recipe of all time. It reminds me of all my favorite holidays, because when I was little mom always made it for Christmas and Thanksgiving. It's a nice change from the chocolate-blitz you're usually hit with around Christmas, so I like to give this away as a holiday gift.

Baked Caramel Corn

2 gallons popcorn, popped

2 c brown sugar
2 cubes butter (not margerine)   boil in heavy saucepan 5 min.
1 c karo syrup

immediately remove from heat and add 1/2 tsp soda and 1 tsp vanilla

pour over popcorn and coat well. Divide onto 2 cookie sheets (greased).
Bake at 250 for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes

Cool on wax paper, separated and store in tightly sealed containers. Will remain
fresh for 2-3 weeks.

*I learned this recipe from a college roommate as well. It is the best/easiest caramel corn recipe I've ever used. I like to make this and give it away at the holidays, because it's always a crowd pleaser.

Cracker Candy

Deana Nicols Griffin

1 c brown sugar (packed)
1 c butter (not margerine)
1 (12 oz) pkg chips (chocolate, white chocolate, peanut butter, butterscotch, mint, etc)
Saltine Crackers

Cover bottom and sides of cookie sheet with tin foil. Cover bottom with crackers. Melt butter over medium heat and add sugar. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour over crackers and spread evenly. Cook for 5 minutes at 350.

Cover with chips and let them melt, then spread evenly. Freeze. Remove from foil and break into pieces. Store in sealed container or ziploc in refrigerator.

*This has been a holiday staple in my house since I learned the recipe from my college roommate back in 2001. It sounds weird, but tastes crazy-amazing.

Divinity

Beat 2 egg whites stiff.
2 c sugar, 1/2 c hot water, 1/3 c corn syrup, 1/4 tsp salt
Combine in sauce pan and cook stirring constantly until boils. Cover for 2 min, then uncover and cook w/o stirring to hard ball (254 degrees).

Pour egg whites in a steady fine stream while beating until mixture loses gloss.
Stir in 1 tsp vanilla and 1/2-1 c pecan or walnut pieces

Drop by teaspoonfulls onto baking sheets covered with wax paper

Jello Popcorn Balls

Lyn Babb
1 c. white corn syrup
1/2 c sugar
1 (3 oz) pkg jello- any flavor
1/2 lb peanuts (coarsely chopped)
9 cups popcorn popped

Bring syrup and sugar to a boil. Remove from heat. Add jello stirring until dissolved. Add nuts and pour over popcorn, stirring well. Quickly form into 1-1/2 inch balls.

Makes 4 dozen

Butterscotch Nut Fudge

1-3/4 cups sugar
1 cup nuts
1 jar marshmallow cream
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup butter
 1-2/3 cup Butterscotch chips
1 tsp. vanilla

Grease 8x8 pan. In saucepan combine sugar, cream, milk, and butter. Cook until mixture boils. Boil and stir 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add chips, stirring until melted. Stir in nuts and vanilla. Pour into pan and cool.