Candy Making for Kids (3 page)

Peanut Butter Bites

Makes 48 bites

Cream butter and peanut butter with electric mixer until well blended. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing well between each addition. Add vanilla extract and salt and mix well. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and then roll in a variety of fun candies such as mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, toffee pieces, sprinkles,
etc.
Store bites in airtight container in refrigerator.

Gummies

Makes 10 to 15 gummy shapes

Spray an 8 x 8-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. You can also use molds to make fun shapes; just spray non-stick cooking spray in the molds. Place water in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and immediately add JellO, Kool-Aid and gelatin. Stir vigorously until everything is dissolved. Pour into the pan (or molds) and place in refrigerator for 20 minutes. Remove and cut into fun shapes with cookie cutters.

Kids’ Toffee

Makes 65 to 70 pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Spread honey graham crackers until pan is full to all sides. Combine brown sugar and butter in saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a rolling boil and remove from heat. Pour over layer of graham crackers and spread until evenly coated. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and pour package of chocolate chips over whole pan. As chocolate melts, use back of spoon to spread chocolate to all sides. Sprinkle with M&M’s. Allow toffee to cool for 1 to 2 hours or until firm. Break into bite-size pieces.

Candy Bar Truffles

Makes 24 truffles

Beat cream cheese and butter until combined. Add Oreos, salt and powdered sugar and mix well. Cut candy into 1/2-inch pieces. Take 1 piece of candy and form a ball around it with the Oreo mixture. Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Continue making candy bar truffles until all ingredients are used. Refrigerate balls for 20 minutes. Melt chocolate with vegetable oil in the microwave. Dip chilled balls into melted chocolate until coated. Using 2 forks to hold the ball works well. Place chocolate-coated balls on parchment paper. Let harden and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

S’more Truffles

Makes 20 truffles

Combine cream, salt and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Melt chocolate and vegetable oil in a heatproof microwave bowl at 15-second intervals, stirring after each interval until it is melted. Stir melted chocolate into the cream mixture. Pour into a parchment-lined 8 x 8-inch pan and refrigerate for 1 hour. Scoop out a tablespoon of chocolate and wrap around a marshmallow. Roll in the graham cracker bites and place on a cookie sheet. After making all the truffles, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Colorful Lollipops

Makes 4 to 5 lollipops

Remove wrappers from hard candy pieces. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Arrange 5 peppermints in a circle. The Jolly Ranchers can be 2 side-by-side wide and 2 deep, using 4 Jolly Ranchers for 1 lollipop. Only arrange 4 lollipops on 1 cookie sheet, allowing for the candies to melt and spread out. Heat the oven to 300 degrees F and bake for 6 minutes. As soon as candy comes out of the oven, push a stick into it before candy hardens. Use melted white bark or royal icing as glue to decorate the lollipops.

Almond Rocky Road Bites

Makes 3 to 4 dozen (40 pieces)

Melt chocolate bars in heatproof bowl in a microwave at 15-second intervals. Stir in peanut butter and mix until smooth. Combine nuts and cereal in a large bowl. Pour chocolate mixture over cereal mixture and mix well. Stir in miniature marshmallows. Drop by teaspoon onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Let cool and set for 1 hour in the refrigerator.