Field Guide to Candy: How to Identify and Make Virtually Every Candy Imaginable (91 page)

7.
Turn out mixture onto the baking sheet and spread it into an even layer with a rubber spatula. Let it cool and set for 1 hour before breaking into pieces.

Yield:

About 50 pieces

Storage:

Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Variation:

Peanut-Butter Cereal Candy

A very popular addition to cereal candy is peanut butter, which makes it an even stickier, gooier treat.

1.
Line a baking sheet with wax paper or a silicone baking mat.

2.
Combine cereal and peanuts in a large bowl and set aside.

3.
Combine sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

5.
Remove from heat and add peanut butter. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until fully combined. Add in vanilla and stir to combine.

6.
Pour peanut butter mixture over the cereal mixture and stir to coat.

7.
Turn out mixture onto the baking sheet and spread it into an even layer with a rubber spatula. Let it cool and set for 1 hour before breaking into pieces.

General Description:

Dipped in melted chocolate, coffee beans become a doubly addictive candy.
The lush sweetness of dark chocolate makes the bitterness of the coffee bean easier on the palate. Chocolate-covered coffee beans are naturally found in coffee shops.

History:

Chocolate-covered coffee beans are a type of
dragée
, since they are made by a similar process as
Jordan almonds
and other coated nuts. Kopper’s Chocolate, a New York candy company, is credited with coming up with the chocolate-covered coffee bean in the 1930s. Sometimes the candy is called
chocolate-covered espresso beans
, which is a misnomer:
Espresso
refers to a specific method of brewing the coffee, so there is no such thing as espresso beans.

Serving Suggestions:

Package these coffee beans in cellophane bags tied with ribbon for holiday gifts or end-of-party favors for guests to take home.

Candy-Making Notes:

Use your favorite blend of coffee beans, but be sure they are roasted, since raw coffee beans taste bitter. Coffee beans contain much more caffeine than brewed coffee, so it’s advisable to indulge in no more than a few in one sitting.

Recipe:

1.
Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.