March 24: Chocolate Peanut Raisin Clusters

Chocolate Peanut Raisin Clusters

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 lb white or chocolate almond bark or white candy coating
1 cup raisins
12 oz lightly salted peanuts

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick foil.
2. In a microwave-safe mixing bowl, combine the chocolate chips and almond bark. Microwave at 50% power for 90 seconds to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted. Alternatively, you may melt the mixture in the top of a double boiler. Stir the raisins and peanuts into the melted chocolate mixture.
3. Scoop up tablespoonfuls of batter and drop onto the baking sheets. Leave the candy at room temperature to set.

I guess I could've used more peanuts so the one in the upper left corner didn't happen!

Thoughts: I used white (vanilla) candy coating and only 4 oz of peanuts. I made one batch of just raisins and one the regular way. The pictures reflect the regular way. This was the easiest recipe so far. It took maybe 15 minutes for one batch. I used the microwave instead of the double boiler. Patrick thought these were awesome, I thought Raisinets were better.

January 13: Sweet and Salty Corn Chip Candy

I used Butter Snaps because they are Patrick's favorite

Yay my first cookie recipe.

Sweet and Salty Corn Chip Candy

 Ingredients:
2 cups miniature pretzels
1/2 cup corn chips, such as Fritos
1/2 cup lightly salted peanuts
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper or no stick foil.
2. Break the pretzels up (not crush). Break up corn chips. Mix the corn chips, pretzels and peanuts in the pan.
3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is completely melted, stir in the brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a full boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring once or twice. Pour it over the pretzel mixture then bake for 7 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the hot mixture. Return the pan to the oven for 1 minute to soften the chocolate, then remove it from the oven and spread the softened chocolate over the mixture. Let cool in the pan for about a hour then chill until the chocolate is set and the candy holds together. When ready to serve, break the slab of candy into large chunks.

I hate lining pans with parchment! It keeps popping up!

I love this small pot. I got it for $3.97 at Bon-Ton Black Friday

I used more chocolate than called for because it didn't seem like enough

Thoughts: I wish my first cookie recipe had been more like a cookie instead of "candy".  I varied a bit from the recipe because I wanted to make a batch without nuts. So, I used 2 8x8 pans instead of a 9x13 and split the recipe in half.  I used more Fritos in the batch without nuts.  I ended up needing 2 snack size bags of Fritos.  I used more chocolate than called for (1 cup/batch instead of 3/4) and I think it could've had more chocolate because it was still difficult to spread.  Patrick and I both tried them and thought it was just ok.