Candy Making for Kids (4 page)

Sweet Creations

Crazy Caterpillars

Makes 8 caterpillars

Pour cereal in a large bowl. Melt butter and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add marshmallows and stir with wooden spoon until melted and smooth. Pour marshmallow mixture over cereal and stir well. Use hands (spray with non-stick spray to prevent sticking) to form 40 1-inch balls. Combine 4 krispie balls to make each caterpillar. Use candy eyes, hard candies, M&M’s and pretzels to make caterpillar eyes, faces and feet.

Bird Nests

Makes 16 nests

Combine vegetable oil, butterscotch chips and salt in a microwaveable bowl. Melt at 30-second intervals until smooth. Combine nuts and noodles in a medium bowl. Pour melted butterscotch over nuts and noodles and stir well to coat. Spray hands with non-stick cooking spray to make it easier to mold nests from the mixture. Working quickly, form 2-inch nests while the mixture is still warm and then lay on a cooking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Allow to cool and then peel off paper.

Bird Eggs

Makes 50 eggs

Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, food coloring and extracts until dough forms. Knead in pecans until mixed well. Form 1-inch oval-shaped eggs and roll in sugar. Allow to set on parchment paper or store in airtight container until ready to use.

Seashell Pearls

Makes 50 pearls

Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and extracts until dough forms. Form 1/2-to 1-inch balls. Use a paintbrush to tap disco dust on balls for a pearl shimmer. Allow to set on parchment paper or store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Candy Pizza

Makes 8 pizzas

Place coconut in a bowl. Add 2 drops of yellow and 1 drop of red food coloring on the coconut and stir until it resembles cheese. You may have to add a little more food coloring if needed. Open and drain the red and green cherries. Place green cherries on a cutting board and slice to make circles. Cut red cherries into small pieces. Place a red cherry piece into the center of a green cherry. These cherries will look just like pimiento-stuffed olives. Slice red gum drops, making small round pieces that will be pepperoni slices. Cut black licorice into tiny pieces to look like chopped black olives. Microwave 4 ounces of white bark in a heatproof bowl at 15-second intervals, stirring after each interval. Continue doing this until the bark is melted. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet and then place the cutters on the paper. Pour melted bark into each cutter until about 1/2 inch deep. Let bark harden for 3 or 4 minutes and then remove the cutters. The bark will spread out just a little. Sprinkle with coconut (cheese) and place the green olives and pepperoni around the pizza. Sprinkle the black olives. The pizzas are ready to serve.

Party Favorites

Candy Paints

Makes 1/4 cup paint

Mix powdered sugar, egg whites and food coloring in a bowl and stir well. Repeat steps with different colors of food coloring for a variety of paint colors. This paint works well on marshmallows, white chocolate,
etc.
Use candy molds, such as cars, filled with white chocolate. Then paint and enjoy!

Candy Play-Dough

Makes 2 cups play-dough

Beat cream cheese until creamy. Add in powdered sugar at 2-cup intervals until dough forms. Color with food coloring (or divide for multiple colors). Play-dough is edible. Play-dough can be stored in an airtight bag or container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Candy Necklaces

Makes 10 necklaces

Each necklace needs one 36-inch length of the 5/8-inch sheer ribbon. Cut the 3/8-inch ribbon to 6 inches long. Each necklace needs 5 to 7 pieces of 6-inch ribbon. Ten yards of assorted designs will decorate 10 necklaces. Thread 1 of the 36-inch pieces of ribbon through a large gummy to the middle of the ribbon. Next, tie a 6-inch piece of ribbon on either side of the gummy. Thread a smaller gummy on either side of the ribbon and repeat. Necklaces are ready to wear, and enjoy nibbling if desired!