Classic Homemade Chocolate Confections

Dipped Fruit:
Be sure fruit is completely dry. Melt desired flavor of chocolate. Partially dip fruit in chocolate. Place on waxed paper until set.

Varieties:
-Dried apricots dipped in white, milk or dark chocolate.
-Peanut butter logs in milk chocolate.
-Maraschino cherries with stems dipped in dark chocolate.
-Fresh strawberries dipped in milk, dark or white chocolate.

Chocolate Dipped/covered Pretzels:
Dip pretzels in preferred flavor of chocolate halfway.
For covered pretzels, drop the pretzel into the chocolate. Lift out using a meat fork tapping the fork on the side of the bowl to allow the excess chocolate to drip off. Place on waxed paper or a wire rack to set. Sprinkle with sprinkles or pipe melted contrasting colored chocolate across the pretzels to jazz them up.

Chocolate Spoons:
Use melted chocolate with added flavorings. Pour into a spoon mold and insert handle or use a regular plastic spoon. Refrigerate to set. These make great gifts for coffee and hot chocolate lovers. Wrap in a cellophane bag and close with ribbon.

Candy Bark:
Melt the chocolate. Add peppermint sticks crushed or broken into pieces, chopped nuts, rice krispies, crushed English toffee, Almond Brickle or peanut butter logs. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper or spread mixture on waxed paper as thing as possible. When set break into pieces.

Chocolate Clusters:
Melt Chocolate and stir in favorite nuts or raisins. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper or into a small candy cup; let set

Chocolate Covered Cherries:
1/2 cup Drivert Sugar (an extremely fine powdered sugar found in candy supply shops)
3 tsp Maraschino Cherry juice (less if there is alcohol in the juice)
Maraschino cherries, drained and dried.

Mix together one teaspoon at a time to make a thick paste. Let sit 48 hours preferably.
Make a chocolate shell in a chocolate mold. When the chocolate is set, add 1/4-2 tsp of cherry syrup mixture. Press a cherry into each mold. Cover with chocolate using a brush or back of a spoon. Do not tap on the counter top. Gently tap the bottom of each mold with fingertip. Place in the freezer to set. This candy may be eaten right away after it is set but it tastes much better a day or two later. The centers turn to a clear gooey liquid.

Peanut Butter Cups:
1/2 Cup peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 stick butter or 1/4 cup margarine stick

Mix well. Make a chocolate shell in a candy mold. Fill the mold with peanut butter mixture (do not fill to the top) leaving room to add a top layer of chocolate to seal. Set in the freezer.

Variations:
-Make small bite sized logs of peanut butter mixture. Dip in chocolate. Set on waxed paper.
-Place log on top of animal cracker, then dip in chocolate.

Truffles:
1/2 pound chocolate bark or wafers
1/4 cup whipping cream
Flavoring, optional

Melt chocolate. Warm cream in a sauce pan, until just boiling. Stir warmed cream into melted chocolate. Continue stirring until smooth. Let set at room temperature until a cookie dough consistency.
Press into chocolate coated molds and seal with more chocolate or dip in melted chocolate. Refrigerate until set.

Variations:
-Chop the wafers and put into a bowl or large measuring cup. In another heat proof container for the microwave, or small saucepan heat the cream until just boiling. Pour over chopped candy and stir. Cover and let set five minutes. Remove the cover and stir until smooth.
-Adding 1 or 2 extra tablespoons of cream makes a softer creamier truffle.
-Add chopped nuts, dried fruit, coconut, ect. to the mixture.
-Roll truffle mixture into balls. Roll in chopped nuts, coconut, cocoa powder mixed with powdered sugar.
-Flavor the truffles with mint or raspberry oil.

Peppermint Bark:
1 pound Semi-sweet or dark chocolate, candy wafers or blocks
1 pound white chocolate, candy wafers or blocks
Candy canes, crushed into pieces
1/2 tsp Peppermint oil

Line a baking pan with waxed paper. Place the semi-sweet chocolate in a bowl or double broiler. Melt the chocolate. Pour the chocolate into the prepared baking pan and spread to even out. Let cool slightly. Melt the white chocolate. Add peppermint oil. Pour on top of the semi-sweet chocolate layer and spread. Sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy, pressing slightly to help stick. Let set until hardened.
Once set, remove from pan. Peel off the paper and break into medium sized pieces.

Thin Mints:
Add peppermint oil to melted dark or milk chocolate. (8 drops per 2 pounds chocolate, or according to taste) Dip Ritz crackers completely in the chocolate. Place on waxed paper to set.

Variations:
-Before the cookie sets pipe patterns with white chocolate on top. Use a toothpick to pull through the lines to make attractive patterns.
-Use Oreos in place of the crackers.

Peppermint Patties:
1/2 pound Drivert Sugar (an extremely fine powdered sugar found in candy supply shops)
3 tsp warm water
1 tsp corn syrup
4 drops Peppermint oil

Mix all ingredients together to form a thick paste. Form into flat patties and press into a mold with dark chocolate coating and seal or dip.

Chocolate Dipped Candy Canes:
Dip candy cane sticks in chocolate. Tap to remove excess. Place on waxed paper to set.

Chocolate Covered Turtles:
Arrange 4 whole pecans or walnuts on waxed paper in an X formation. Roll a small ball of caramel and press into the center of the X. Dip in chocolate. Set on waxed paper

Chocolate Caramel Almond apples:
Dip apple in caramel. Roll in chopped nuts. Drizzle with chocolate.

Caramel Pretzel Truffles:
1 (14oz) bag soft caramels – 4 dozen
1 (10oz) bag pretzel nuggets
12 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
2 cups almonds (raw), toasted and finely chopped

Unwrap the caramels, then using a rolling pin, roll out each one until a 1/8-inch thick oval. Wrap a caramel around each pretzel nugget, pinching the ends to seal.

In a double broiler over simmering water, melt half the chocolate, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Add the remaining chocolate, remove the top of the double boiler from the saucepan and stir until smooth.
Place the almonds in a shallow bowl. Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Using a fork, dip a caramel covered pretzel in the chocolate to coat, tapping off any excess chocolate. Transfer to the almonds and toss to coat; place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pretzels. Let stand until set, about 3 hours.

Caramel Pretzels:
This recipe comes from a friend of mine, Brook Ward.
To make the caramels-
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup Karo Syrup
1 can eagle brand milk

Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat stirring all the time until it reaches softball stage- 234-240 degrees on a candy thermometer.

For caramels in a pan add chopped nuts and spread in a greased pan, cool then cut.
For pretzels- cook the caramel to the soft ball stage or until it is sturdy enough that it will not fall off the pretzels. Dip pretzels and lay on waxed paper. When cool, mold caramel to pretzel. Melt bricks of chocolate and dip. Set on waxed paper. When cooled, drizzle opposite color chocolate over top for a fancy treat.