CANDY RECIPES: Grandma’s Penoche . . . Mom’s Divinity . . . Peanut Butter Fudge, etc.

Grandma’s Penoche

2 cups brown sugar, loosely packed

1 cup white sugar

¼ cup Karo syrup

½ cup milk

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup whole walnuts

Mix brown sugar, white sugar, syrup and milk in a pan. Place on stove and bring to boil, cooking until it reaches soft-ball stage (235 to 240 degrees on a candy thermometer).

Remove from heat and add 1 piece of butter about the size of a walnut and a teaspoon of vanilla.

Beat mixture like regular fudge. When it starts getting thick, add 1 cup of whole walnuts. Place on a greased platter and let cool. Cut and serve.

Yield: About 20 to 30 pieces.

Mom’s Divinity

2½ cups sugar

½ cup Karo syrup

½ cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup walnuts (optional)

Mix sugar, syrup and water in pan. Place on stove and bring to a boil, cooking until it reaches soft-ball stage (235 to 240 degrees on a candy thermometer). Remove from heat.

Slightly beat 2 egg whites in a large bowl while adding ½ of the syrup. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Set aside.

Put pan with the rest of syrup back on stove and heat until it reaches the hard-ball stage (250 to 265 degrees on candy thermometer).

Remove from heat. Be sure to make sure it stops boiling. Pour into bowl with egg whites, beating while doing so. Beat until it starts getting thick. Add walnuts if desired.

Spoon out into small balls on wax paper.

Yield: About 30 pieces.

Peanut Butter Fudge

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup milk

1 ¼ pounds peanut butter

1½ teaspoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a heavy sauce pan, bring the granulated sugar, brown sugar and milk to a boil. Cook as high as possible for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally and watching so that it does not boil over. Remove from heat and add the peanut butter, butter and vanilla. Stir to combine and mix until fudge begins to thicken. Turn mixture into a buttered 8-by-8-inch pan; use a spatula to smooth the top. Score with a sharp knife into 1-inch squares. Cool. When completely cool, cut into squares. Can be stored for 2 weeks in a tightly covered container with foil or wax paper between layers.

Yield: 30 1-inch squares.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 193 calories, 10 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 24 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams protein, 1 gram fiber, 1 milligram cholesterol, 92 milligrams sodium.

Oven Nut Brittle

1 cup sugar

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt

¾ cup chopped pecans or walnuts or 4 ounces pumpkin seeds

1 egg white

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with silicone mat or parchment paper.

Mix sugar, cayenne, salt and nuts in medium bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk egg white until foamy, but not stiff. Fold egg white into seed mixture. Mixture will be crumbly.

Using a spatula or hands, spread the mixture evenly on pan. The thin layer will measure about 6 by 10 inches.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until completely golden brown. Mixture will foam, rise and expand as it cooks, then flatten as it cools.

Cool completely and break into pieces.

Old-Fashioned Caramels

2 cups granulated sugar

1½ cups light corn syrup

1 cup butter

2 cups cream, divided use

½ cup cocoa

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup chopped nuts

Butter pan and set aside. Put cold tap water in several bowls to test mixture for hard-ball candy stage.

Boil sugar, corn syrup, butter, 1 cup cream and ½ cup cocoa until mixture comes to a rolling boil that can’t be stirred down. Continue boiling; slowly add the second cup of cream while continuing to stir and allowing the mixture to keep boiling. Stir and cook until the mixture makes a hard ball in cold tap water (250 to 265 degrees on candy thermometer). Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and nuts and pour mixture into the prepared pan to cool. Mark for squares and turn onto wax paper while still warm, or allow to cool completely and break with a knife handle.

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