When I was a kid, one of the things I loved about the Christmas season was Nana’s Christmas candy. She would make an array of sweets that makes me drool just thinking about it. And I would sit on a kitchen stool and watch her perform her magic at the stove. I learned a lot watching her cook that has given me a skill set that you can’t get from reading cookbooks or even watching the Food Network. And fortunately I have a lot of her old recipes; some even written in her own hand that were passed down to me by my mother. Family food traditions are wonderful and are the fabric of the way I celebrate the holidays. I’d like to share some of those Christmas Candy recipes with you.
Here are some of Nana’s Christmas Candy Recipes.
PrintAlmond Butter Crunch Wheels
These were so crunchy and filled witha sweet buttery taste! Holiday Happiness in a mouthful!
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 6 mins
- Total Time: 11 mins
- Category: Candy
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 c. blanched, slivered almonds
- ½ c. butter
- ½. Sugar
- 1 tbs. light corn syrup
Instructions
- Line the bottom and sides of an 8 in. round cake pan with aluminum foil.
- Butter foil heavily.
- Combine almonds, butter, sugar, and corn syrup in a 10 inch skillet.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
- Continue to boil stirring constantly until the mixture turns golden brown, about 5-6 minutes.
- Working quickly, spread the candy in the pan. Cool until firm, about 15 minutes. Remove the candy from the pan by lifting the foil edges.
- Peel off foil, carefully cut into pieces and allow to cool thoroughly.
Holiday Divinity
Everyone raved about her divinity. It was one of her signature candy dishes.
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 24 1x
- Category: Candy
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- 2 cups water
- 2 egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
- 12 candied cherries, cut in half
- 24 whole pecans
Instructions
- Over low heat, cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved.
- Cover; cook 1 min. or until sugar crystals on the side of the pan melt.
- Uncover; bring to a boil over medium heat, without stirring, and cook to 234°F or until a small amount in cold water forms a soft ball.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed, beat egg whites with salt until stiff peaks form.
- Carefully pour half of the sugar – syrup mixture over egg whites in a thin stream, beating constantly at high speed until stiff peaks form; set aside.
- Continue cooking the rest of the syrup mixture to 256°F or until a small amount in cold water forms a hardball.
- Pour this remaining hot syrup into egg white mixture in a thin stream, beating constantly with a wooden spoon beat in vanilla; add walnuts, if desired.
- Continue beating until mixture is stiff enough to hold its shape, about 5 min.
- Quickly dropped teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper.
- Top with cherries and pecans.
- Allow to cool and store tightly covered.
Nana's Christmas Salty Caramels
Sweet annd salty, you can't eat just one!
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Category: Candy
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- kosher salt
Instructions
- Line an 8 in.square pan with foil and butter the foil.
- Put sugar, syrup and ½ cup cream in pan and cook until it forms a soft ball when tried in cold water. Stir constantly.
- Add ½ cup of cream and boil until mixture will again form a softball in cold water.
- Add remainder of cream and cook until mixture makes a firm ball when tried in cold water.
- Add vanilla. Pour into foil lined buttered pan.
- Sprinkle the top with kosher salt.
- Cool, cut in squares and wrap in parchment paper.
- For chocolate caramels, use the preceding recipe and add three squares of chocolate with the last half cup of cream.
Nana’s Christmas Fondant Candy
This is a very easy recipe that will make some very elegant treats.
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Category: Candy
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups white sugar
- 1 cup hot water
- pinch of salt
- pinch of cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Mix sugar, water, salt and cream of tartar.
- Place on heat, but don't stir.
- Boil till mixture will spin a thread, or 238° on your candy thermometer.
- Remove from heat and keep testing with your finger to see when it is cool.
- Then add vanilla and beat until creamy.
- Make into little balls and then press down with a spoon.
- Put a walnut meat or a pecan on the top. Also delicious used to stuff dates.
Nana’s Chocolate Pralines Candy
Chocolate and pecans....an excellent combination!
- Yield: 3 ½ dozen 1x
- Category: Candy
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 ½ cups firmly packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup +2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 cup whipping cream
- ¼ cup +2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups chopped pecans, toasted
Instructions
- Grease waxed paper; set aside.
- Combine sugars and next to ingredients in a saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Boil until sugar is dissolved; stir often.
- Cover; cook 2 min. to wash down sugar crystals from sides of pan.
- Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches softball stage 234°F.
- Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla.
- Add pecans.
- Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon 2 min. or just until mixture is creamy and begins to thicken. Working rapidly, drop mixture by tablespoonfuls onto prepared waxed paper; let stand until firm.
- Store in an airtight container.
Strawberry – Chocolate Truffles
I found this recipe in Family Circle Magazine back in the 1980's. Not sure of author or specofoc date.
- Yield: 64 1x
- Category: Candy
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 10 ounce package frozen sweetened strawberries, thawed
- ¾ cups whipping cream
- 4 (6 ounce) bars milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup finely chopped almonds, toasted
- ½ c. cocoa powder
Instructions
- Place strawberries in container of an electric blender; cover and process until smooth, stopping once to scrape down sides.
- Pour strawberry purée into a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Boil 20 to 25 min. or until reduced to ¼ cup, stirring frequently.
- Stir in whipping cream; bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat; let cool slightly.
- Place chocolate in top of a double boiler; bring water to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low; cook until chocolate melts, stirring constantly.
- Stir in strawberry mixture.
- Add chopped almonds.
- Add vanilla and stir well.
- Pour chocolate mixture into an ungreased 9 inch square pan lined with plastic wrap.
- Cover and chill at least eight hours.
- Cut chocolate mixture into 64 squares with a hot knife.
- Working quickly, shape each square into a ball by rolling it on a piece of waxed paper.
- Roll the ball in cocoa powder.
- Store in refrigerator. Serve at room temperature
Debi and Charly @ Adorned From Above says
Thank you so much for sharing with Adorned From Above’s Link Party. We love having your join the fun.
Debi and Charly @ Adorned From Above
http://www.adornedfromabove.com
Kristina & Millie says
Oh man, brings back memories 🙂 These all look so delish, I can't wait to try some of the recipes! Thanks for linking up to Momma's Meandering Monday!
★★★★★
Jess says
I'll have one of everything! 🙂
Thanks again for joining the Link Up this week!
Donna Heber says
Such wonderful Christmas candy recipes! I wish I had more time to bake. I look forward to joining Wicked Good Wednesday and hope you will drop by to say hello. Is this a weekly link up? Have a great weekend.
Katie @ Horrific Knits says
Thank you for linking up at Fall Into the Holidays! This week's round is now up if you would like to stop by!
Nancy @ Joyful Altitude says
At Christmastime my mother made divinity, fudge, peanut brittle, and pulled taffy (I still remember her washing and then buttering our hands so we kids could help with the pulling). That was long ago and she's no longer here with us, but the memory lives on. Thanks for bringing it back today. Blessings.
Sheryl T says
Those memories are so special, aren't they? I love to reminisce with my sister about our Christmas holiday times as children. They are very long ago for me, at 65, and yet so vivid. And because they mean so much, I try to encourage young families today to pass down those traditions that they have in their families. Make that candy with your kids and grandkids. We live in a world of Ipads, WII's, where the thing that is new and cool today is passé tomorrow. Build lasting memories with your children that will be special for a long time to come....... the gift and memory of things like making candy with our own hands and making decorations for our tree with those same hands. All things can be purchased but the best are created by us, no matter how simple!
debra says
my goodness she certainly had the repertoire! This is a very nice array of candy recipes to try out 🙂
Sheryl T says
Actually that's just a small sampling! The woman was a homemaking powerhouse! I still have yet to post her fudge recipes. I am going to try to do that this weekend. We have been without power since Tuesday. Three days without electricity at this time of the year in a climate like northern Maine is terrible! Thank God for gas cooktops and woodstoves. Dinner by a kerosene lantern is not all that romantic though! LOL
Diana Rambles says
So many great recipes that I had to pin! I'd love you to come link up at my Pin Me Linky Party.
Bonny @ thedomesticatedprincess.com says
These all sound wonderful, and I think it's awesome that you grandmother gave you not just the recipes but precious memories for you as well.
Pamela says
What a special gift to get to share in your Nana's recipes. I love "tried and true." Eager to try some of them. Holiday Divinity first!
Sheryl T says
Today's foodie trends are often about doing something different, and a lot of it seems that the different is not for better but for the sake of doing something shocking or strange! My taste in food is definitely not exotic or unique but very much retro comfort food! It restores my faith to see that there are other people that enjoy the same! Thank you for your post!
Karen says
Wonderful recipes! I am going to pin this so I have them in my "Figgy Pudding" board on Pinterest. Don't want to lose these!
Karen
Lynn says
Yum...these all sound so good. I'm really wanting to try those caramels!
Bernideen's Tea Time Blog says
Oh wow-----so many great recipes and how yummy they look. The caramels look heavenly! Thank you for linking to my blog party "Open House" and I hope you come again!
Kim@ Too Much Time says
Thank you so much for sharing your Nana's recipes! I have all of my Nana's Christmas cookies recipes going. Such wonderful memories of her and her sister making enough cookies for our ENTIRE family! I am pinning and can't wait to try, especially the salty caramels!
xxx
Kim @ Too Much Time