Sugar Cone Christmas Trees
sugar ice cream cones
chocolate chips
white chocolate chips
assorted candies for decorating
waxed paper
Gather your ingredients. Spread out sheets
of waxed paper to work on. Microwave chocolate or candy melts
in shallow bowl just until it starts to melt and stir until
itâs smooth. Roll a cone in chocolate with two fingers
inside cone to hold it. Lift cone out with two fingers inside
cone and without touching the outside. Place a gumdrop on
top and press gently. The gumdrop should make it easier to
stand the cone up on waxed paper. Before the chocolate hardens,
decorate the cone with assorted candies. Let decorated "trees"
stand until chocolate hardens. Store sealed in cool place.
Note: White chocolate seems to harden much faster than regular
chocolate, so decorate the white "trees" right away
and let the regular chocolate ones set up a minute before
decorating.
Some ideas for candy decorations include M&M's (regular
and mini sizes), gumdrops, marshmallows, cinnamon decors,
silver ball decors, sprinkles, colored sugars, and decorator
icing (see below).
To make decorator icing, mix confectioners sugar with just
enough milk and food coloring to make a thick icing. It should
be thick, but still able to pipe through a decorator's tip.
If itâs too thick add more milk (a little at a time)
and if itâs too thin, add more confectionerâs
sugar. Pipe the icing with a decorator's bag and tips or put
in the corner of a freezer bag and twist shut; snip off the
tiniest bit of a corner and squeeze bag gently to pipe frosting
out. Make sure freezer bag has nice square corners and not
pleated ones.
Cranberry/Apple Chutney
2 cups peeled, chopped Rome apples (about
2 medium)
1 cup cranberries
1/4 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
2 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Combine all ingredients in a non-aluminum
saucepan. Place over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring
constantly. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 15 minutes or
until apples are tender. Cool. Put in food processor and pulse
once or twice until combined and of the desired consistency.
Serve chilled. Makes 2 servings.
Apple Butter
6 pounds cooking apples
6 cups apple juice
3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Core and thinly slice the apples into a large
heavy saucepan. Add apple juice and cook until soft, about
30 minutes. Pour apples into a large sieve and press until
all fruit passes through and leaves skin. Discard skin. Repeat
process until all apples are sieved. Return pulp to the heavy
saucepan and boil gently, stirring frequently, until thick.
Stir in sugar, spices, and lemon juice. Cook, stirring over
low heat about 1 hour. Pour into sterilized 1/2 pint jars
leaving 1/4 inch headspace; adjust lids and process in a boiling
water bath for 10 minutes after water comes to a boil. You
can successfully make half this recipe if desired. Make 8
- 1/2 pints.
7-Minute Fudge
2 c sugar
3 tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 tsp salt
1 c evaporated milk
1/2 c miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 c chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 c nuts (optional)
Mix sugar, butter, salt, and milk in
a pan. Heat over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
Continue stirring and allow to boil for 7 minutes. Turn the
burner off and add marshmallows, chocolate chips, and vanilla
and stir until they dissolve. Place in buttered 8-inch pan.
Cool. Cut.
Butterscotch Fudge
1/4 c butter
3/4 c sour cream
1 c white sugar
1 t vanilla
1/4 t salt
1/2 c nuts
1 c brown sugar
2 t white syrup
Melt butter. Add brown sugar and heat
to boiling. Add white sugar, sour cream and salt. cook to
236 degrees. Cool. Add vanilla and nuts then beat until thick.
Pour into buttered pan.
Red Hot Popcorn
32 cups of popped popcorn
1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
1 package (9 ounces) cinnamon candies
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
1/8 t. red liquid food coloring
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Place
popcorn in a lightly greased large roasting pan. In a heavy
large saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Stir in
sugar, cinnamon candies, corn syrup, and salt. Stirring constantly,
bring mixture to a boil. Continue stirring and boil five more
minutes or until candies melt. Remove from heat; stir in baking
soda and food coloring. Be careful, as the mixture will foam.
Pour syrup over popcorn and stir until well coated. Bake 45
minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on lightly greased
aluminum foil to cool. Store in airtight container. Yield:
about 36 cups of popcorn.
