Homemade Christmas Candy Makes Great Gifts or Party Snacks

Christmas candy is a great item to make because you can put some in a glass covered dish for gift giving and keep some around for a party or yourself. Here are a few great candy ideas.

Candied Cherry Bon Bons

1 lbs brown sugar

1 cup sugar

½ cup corn syrup

½ cup water

¼ teaspoon salt

2 egg whites

½ teaspoon vanilla

Candied cherries

Mix the sugars with corn syrup, water and salt in saucepan. Heat, stirring continually until it boils. Put in thermometer and cook until 245 degrees Fahrenheit. Then remove from heat.

While cooking, beat egg whites and then pour the syrup into the mixture. Beat well.

Then put vanilla and beat until foamy.

Drop a teaspoon of the mixture onto a pan with waxed paper and put candied cherries inside each.

Let cool about 2-3 hours. Then put in plastic covered containers. These stay good at least two weeks if kept closed.

Meringue Pom Poms

1 orange

16 oz pitted dates

12 oz pecans, chopped

2 egg whites

1 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted

Take off a thin layer of orange and blend it in a food chopper with dates. Then remove and mix with finely chopped pecans.

Make round balls.
Beat eggs until foamy. Sprinkle sugar and beat. Dip balls to coat and put in pan on wax paper.

Bake at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.

Remove and let cool completely. Store in container. Stays good about 1 week.

Butter Mints

2 cups sugar

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

2/3 cup water

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Yellow food coloring

1 tablespoon butter

½ teaspoon peppermint extract

1 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted

Combine sugar, cream of tartar, water and vinegar in saucepan. Stir in a few drops of food coloring.

Heat until boiling. Remove from heat until is stops bubbling.

Pour onto buttered large platter. Let stand about 5 minutes and then lift and turn. Let stand another 5 minutes and drizzle peppermint extract.

With hands still buttered shape pieces into a ball. Pull and fold several times and roll into a long rope.

Divide into quarters and then slice and drop into a pan with confectioner's sugar coating all sides. Let stand overnight and then strain excess sugar. Store incontainer for up to 2 weeks.

Butterscotch Fudge

6 oz butterscotch

14 oz sweetened condensed milk

16 marshmallows

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Dash of salt

In double boiler heat butterscotch, milk and marshmallows until melted and smooth. Remove from heat.

Stir in peanut butter, vanilla and dash of salt.

Pour in well buttered baking dish and refrigerate about 2 hours. Cut into pieces. These are good for about 2 weeks.