Candy Recipe: Spumoni Mastiff Bark

Spumoni Mastiff Bark Pieces

This time of year, when I think of candy recipes, there is really only one that’s worthy of contemplation: bark. Though I adore a good piece of bark, I rarely find myself consuming it before November and after January.

But how many times can you eat the same old peppermint bark? Well, if you’re like me, you can eat it a lot – but that doesn’t mean I don’t want something new! So in honor of this festive candy, here is a bark recipe steeped in Italian culinary tastes for those of you who desire a hiatus from the classic.

I call this recipe Spumoni Mastiff Bark. Get it? Neapolitan Mastiffs are a type of Italian dog that are known for their daunting size, Neapolitan and Spumoni are both ice cream flavors, and plus, dogs bark…. Well, maybe the name isn’t that funny/clever, but that doesn’t mean this recipe isn’t tasty!

This recipe consists of a dark chocolate cherry almond layer coupled with a white chocolate cranberry pistachio layer. Though it may seem complex, don’t let this discourage you! Bark is one of the easiest candies to make.

Continue reading

Candy Recipe: Rolo Turtles

Rolo Turtles Picture

To me, there’s no better holiday tradition than overeating without guilt. Stuff your face with extra stuffing? No problem, it’s Thanksgiving. If you can’t fill your gut on Thanksgiving when can you? Devoured that box of chocolate-covered popcorn in one afternoon? Hey, blame the Boy Scouts for delivering it during the middle of the holiday season.

So, continuing with my December sweets blitz, I decided to try another candy recipe to warm my belly on a cold, winter Midwest day. This time, I’ve discovered what may be the easiest ever candy to make from “scratch”: Rolo turtles.

The sharp-eyed reader may have noticed that I put the word “scratch” in quotes. Unlike grocery store sign writers who put the word “chicken” in quotes in their store windows – Fresh “Chicken” only $3 a pound! – I actually know how to use quotes correctly. Now this “from scratch” recipe requires no flour, measuring or mixing. Perfect for the man who hates baking but loves eating.

Continue reading

The Great Chocolate Experiment (Part 4)

Experiment 4 Ingredients
Welcome, fair readers, to the fourth installment of the Great Chocolate Experiment, in which I and my Research Assistant attempt to further the cause of Science by determining which ingredients taste good coated in chocolate, and which do not. In The Great Chocolate Experiment Part 3, we botched chocolate-coated ham, discovered that chocolate-covered rice cakes still taste like cardboard, and had our tongues twisted by the unspeakable combination of chocolate and pickles. What new surprises await in Part 4? (The astute reader will notice that we are using more of the reader suggestions from The Great Chocolate Experiment Part 2. Thanks, everybody!)

Continue reading

Candy Recipe (for disaster): Homemade Lollipops

Lollipops Plate

Continuing with my family’s attempt to create a frugal yet festive holiday, over the Thanksgiving weekend we decided to make something from scratch. My wife has a collection of old cookbooks, so pulling a Betty Crocker book circa the early 1970s from the shelf, I flipped through the sticky, crumpled pages and found the ‘All-time Favorites’ candy section.

Hmm… what sounds good: Fondant-stuffed dates? Spicy sugared nuts? Ting-a-lings? We voted for lollipops. With only six ingredients (including the stick) what could go wrong?

Well, plenty, especially if you happen to like your pots and pans.

Continue reading

Candy Recipe: Chocolate Covered Pretzels (Crispies and Peanuts)

Chocolate Covered Pretzel Dipping

In my house, the holidays spell candy in a big way. When I was a kid, we’d start making Christmas candy a week or two before Christmas. Now that I have two children with birthdays in early and mid December, we basically have one big party from Thanksgiving to New Year’s.

This year, mainly because of my new Candy Addict status, we decided to begin the candy making before Thanksgiving. I’d like to share a simple recipe with you, and maybe you’d like to start a new family tradition on this Thanksgiving Day. A tradition worthy of a true Candy Addict. Forget football – make candy after dinner!

Continue reading