Sunday, December 23, 2007

My attempt at Christmas treats

Ok, it's time for another update.  I mentioned earlier about Mom and I making Christmas cookies, but I have made some treats of my own in the last few days.  Mom gave me the idea, and even let me sample a finished one.  I don't know what to call them...maybe Pecan Toppers.  Yeah, that sounds good for now.  So, to make these Pecan Toppers, (oh, mom got the recipe from her mom, and I think Grandma got it from Aunt Tammy, before that, I don't know) you take the square waffle pretzels, lay them out on a foil covered cookie sheet, place the little square bite sized Dove Bars on each pretzel, then a pecan half on each of the chocolates.  Heat the oven to about 250 degrees and put in your pan.  Make sure you watch them so they don't get all liquidy, but they do need to be nice and soft.  When you can smoosh the pecan into the chocolate just a little, they are done.  Take them out and let them cool.  When they are solid again you can move them to another location, like a zip top bag or a Tupperware-esque container.  I made these candies to give to my neighbors and visiting teaching ladies.  The ones I visit.  Only I made them a little different.  I used Rollo's instead of Dove Bars.  Its the caramel addiction, it gets me every time.

The first batch turned out great!  The melted just right and look spectacular!  So much so that I decided I would make another one.  This one didn't work out quite as well.  The oven was just as hot as it was last time, they were set up the same as last time, but for some reason, they would not melt right.  When I checked on them at the time they should have been done and checked one to make sure, the chocolate just cracked and the carmel spilled out.  Bummer.  So I put them back in.  A few minutes later I go back to check again, with the same results.  Double bummer!  Frustrated, I turn the heat up by a miniscule amount (just enough to make myself feel like I had done some thing) and return the pan.  Now, maybe what follows could have been prevented if I had been keeping a closer eye on the candy.  Maybe not.  While I am sitting with Nik watching TV I suddenly realize that I smell something a little burn-y coming from the kitchen.  Shoot!  I race to the oven and grab my pan out (safely of course) only to find that I am too late.  Every one has melted to the point of pecans sliding off and caramel oozing all over the pan.  I am crestfallen.  I just ruined all these candies!  I let them cool on the pan and later that night I pulled one off to try.  Surprisingly, not bad.  I can taste a slightly "dark" essence in the caramel, but other than that, no harm done.  They do not look pretty, but hey, beauty is only skin deep.  

So I put them on the bottom of the bags I have given out.  This allows me to give out way more than if I had scrapped that pan.  Plus, I can just eat any left overs.  That is the best part.  

Ok, I have to go to Tithing Settlement now.  

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Congratulations on making your candy! I used the carmel dove bars for the second batch and almonds to smush them. They didn't melt as good as the first ones, either, but they turned out alright. Mason has eaten most of them already, though!

Nik English said...

THE CANDY WAS AWESOME!

Jessica said...

That sounds delicious!

Dixie Chic said...

I HATE when I leave a huge comment then my internet connection fails!! Grrr....

Attempt #2- those candies sound wonderful! Yay for us attempting to make delicous holiday treats!

Oh and....THANK YOU for the beautiful scarf you made me for christmas! You nerd! You didn't need to get me anything!!! I don't know what I did to make me so special, but thank you SOOOO much! I've already worn it, and it goes great with my white coat! I look hawt. ;)