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Correo Electrónico
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Ingredientes
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 hefty pinch of salt
- 1 T light corn syrup*
- First Optional Topping
- 6 oz semi sweet chocolate, chopped (Johnâs family used chocolate chips; I used plain chocolate)
- Approx. 1 cup chopped pecans (I used a tad more)
- Second Optional Topping
- 6 oz good quality milk chocolate, chopped
- Approx. 1 cup chopped roasted, salted peanuts (I used a tad more)
- Several pinches (to taste) of good quality, coarse sea salt
View Full Recipe at The Spiced Life
.%20And%20he%20has%20never%20made%20it%20since!%20However,%20and%20I%20can%20hear%20him%20protesting%20in%20my%20head%20as%20I%20type,%20a%20lot%20of%20this%20is%20because%20I%20am%20a%20control%20freak%20in%20the%20kitchen.%20The%20kitchen%20is%20very%20clearly%20my%20domain%E2%80%93John%20asserts%20that%20he%20used%20to%20cook%20all%20the%20time%20until%20I%20drove%20him%20out%20of%20the%20kitchen,%20sometimes%20metaphorically,%20sometimes%20literally.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBut%20anyway,%20I%20digress.%20The%20candy.%20I%20felt%20bad%20when%20I%20first%20tried%20the%20candy%20because%20after%20such%20build%20up%20I%20honestly%20did%20not%20care%20for%20it.%20Let%20me%20be%20clear%E2%80%93this%20is%20not%20because%20it%20is%20bad%20candy,%20but%20rather%20because%20the%20candy%20is%20not%20to%20my%20taste%E2%80%93it%20is%20very%20sweet,%20it%20is%20toffee%20based,%20and%20it%20is%20made%20with%20pecans.%203%20strikes%20right%20there.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBut%20then%20this%20year%20I%20started%20playing%20with%20caramel,%20something%20I%20had%20never%20liked%20much%20either.%20And%20I%20started%20seeing%20the%20ways%20in%20which%20I%20can%20mold%20it%20more%20to%20my%20taste.%20And%20in%20the%20meantime,%20I%20had%20started%20Family%20Recipes%20with%20The%20Life%20and%20Loves%20of%20Grumpy%E2%80%99s%20Honeybunch,%20and%20it%20was%20clear%20that%20John%E2%80%99s%20family%E2%80%99s%20Christmas%20candy%20belonged%20in%20that%20event.%20And%20my%20kids%20certainly%20deserved%20to%20try%20it%20as%20well.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESo%20here%20is%20John%E2%80%99s%20maternal%20grandmother%E2%80%99s%20candy%20recipe%E2%80%93presented%202%20ways.%20Her%20way%20and%20mine.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThis%20is%20my%20submission%20to%20Family%20Recipes%20for%20the%20month%20of%20December.%20This%20month%20we%20have%20a%20new%20host%20(yay!),%20Lynda%20of%20Lynda%E2%80%99s%20Recipe%20Box.%20December%20should%20be%20a%20wonderful%20month%20for%20traditional%20family%20recipes,%20so%20head%20on%20over%20to%20Lynda%E2%80%99s%20Recipe%20Box%20in%20early%20January%20to%20see%20what%20family%20recipes%20people%20are%20making%20this%20month.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EButter%20Crunch%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAdapted%20from%20Candy%20Recipes%20&%20Other%20Confections%20by%20May%20B.%20Van%20Arsdale%20and%20Ruth%20Parrish%20Casa%20Emellos%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20base%20of%20the%20candy:%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EPrepare%20a%20cookie%20sheet%20by%20lining%20it%20with%20foil%20(not%20strictly%20necessary,%20but%20I%20prefer%20to%20line%20my%20cookie%20sheets).%20Make%20sure%20your%20cookie%20sheet%20has%20a%20rim.%20Spray%20the%20foil%20with%20nonstick%20spray%20and%20then%20wipe%20with%20a%20paper%20towel,%20so%20that%20the%20layer%20of%20grease%20is%20not%20thick.%20The%20recipe%20calls%20for%20buttering%20the%20sheet,%20but%20I%20had%20problems%20with%20the%20butter%20melting%20and%20pooling;%20this%20seemed%20to%20work%20better%20for%20me.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIn%20a%202-3%20quart%20heavy%20stainless%20steel%20or%20copper%20sauce%20pan%20melt%202%20sticks%20of%20butter%20at%20a%20very%20low%20temperature.%20When%20the%20butter%20is%20melted,%20add%20the%20sugar%20and%20salt,%20stirring%20all%20the%20while.%20As%20the%20butter%20and%20sugar%20blend,%20gradually%20increase%20the%20heat%20to%20medium,%20stirring%20most%20of%20the%20time%20with%20a%20wooden%20spoon.%20When%20the%20mixture%20is%20blended,%20add%20the%20light%20corn%20syrup.%20Continue%20to%20cook%20with%20the%20candy%20thermometer%20in%20the%20pan%20until%20the%20mixture%20reaches%20300%20degrees.%20Stir%20it%20often,%20especially%20at%20the%20end,%20so%20that%20it%20does%20not%20burn.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWorking%20quickly,%20pour%20the%20mixture%20out%20onto%20the%20prepared%20cookie%20sheet.%20It%20will%20spread%20out%20and%20cover%20the%20pan%20in%20a%20fairly%20thin%20layer%20(mine%20covered%20about%202/3%20of%20the%20pan%20and%20was%20thicker%20than%20John%20remembered%E2%80%93I%20have%20no%20idea%20why).%20Wait%20a%20few%20moments,%20maybe%201-2%20minutes,%20then%20sprinkle%20the%20chocolate%20over%20the%20top%20of%20the%20toffee,%20spreading%20it%20out%20as%20it%20melts.%20Then%20sprinkle%20your%20topping%20of%20choice%20over%20the%20chocolate,%20pressing%20quickly%20and%20lightly%20to%20encourage%20the%20nuts%20and%20salt%20(if%20using)%20to%20stick.%20Chill%20until%20hard%20and%20cold.%20Break%20into%20edible%20pieces%20and%20store%20in%20cookie%20tin%20or%20other%20container.%20Store%20in%20the%20refrigerator%20or%20in%20a%20cool%20spot%20in%20the%20house%20(mine%20has%20been%20fine%20on%20the%20dining%20room%20table,%20but%20the%20original%20recipe%20did%20call%20for%20chilling).%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E*Note%20from%20John%E2%80%99s%20mom:%20%E2%80%9CThe%20[light%20corn]%20syrup%20was%20not%20in%20the%20original%20recipe.%20Years%20after%20my%20mother%20was%20making%20this%20candy,%20we%20learned%20that%20by%20adding%20the%20syrup,%20we%20were%20able%20to%20ensure%20that%20the%20mixture%20of%20butter%20and%20sugar%20would%20become%20more%20stable.%20This%20lessened%20the%20chance%20that%20the%20two%20ingredients%20would%20separate%20and%20we%20would%20have%20to%20start%20it%20all%20over%20from%20scratch.%E2%80%9D%3C/p%3E){kind=link}