Home made pralines

May daughter has decided she is going to give her teacher some home made chocolates for Xmas. While I fear the mess, I quite like the idea. I made some a long time ago with melted white chicolates, pine nuts and rasins. I spooned the mix in cup cakes paper cups and they were delicious. Do you have any other recipe ideas?

This is my Granny's recipe for fudge, she learned when she was in college in 1932. "Heavenly" hardly describes it.

ORIGINAL CHOCOLATE FUDGE

Prepare a shallow pan, about 20 cm square (20 cm X 20 cm) or 8 inches square (8 inches X 8 inches) or a 9-inch round cake pan by greasing it well with butter.
Rinse a 2-quart/2-litre pan with cold water.
Pour into it 1 C milk. Stir in 2 C white sugar. Add ¼ C cocoa powder. Stir in ¼ C corn syrup/golden syrup. Stir thoroughly.
Put over lowest heat on stovetop.
Stir occasionally for an hour with a wooden spoon.
Turn heat up a little – say, from 1 to 2 – and stir continuously until mixture boils vigorously.
Turn down slightly – say, to 1 ½ - and continue to stir occasionally.
Add one ice cube to a cup of water.
Begin testing the mixture by letting a few drops fall from the spoon into the water. When it is possible to roll the mixture together to form a medium-firm ball, cooking is complete.
Take the pan off the stove. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla or one packet of Vanillezucker.
Let stand without stirring for about 10 minutes.
Now begin to stir slowly but continuously, all the way to the bottom of the pan, for about five minutes. The mixture will begin to thicken, and if you’re using the wooden spoon, you’ll begin to hear a soft scraping sound as you stir. After five minutes the mixture is ready to pour.
Quickly pour the fudge mixture into the prepared pan. It should set in about 10 minutes. Using a very thin-bladed sharp knife, cut the fudge into 36 pieces (5 cuts in each direction). Wait until firm, then turn pan upside down and deposit fudge onto a plate. Separate pieces. Eat.

Depending on how good your German is you can try some of these: Pralinenrezepte. Some of them have been tested and approved by fearless TT members. Tip: Get a double boiler, it spares you lots of grief what with the mixture sticking to the pan.

That sounds gorgeous. Will print it and let the girls make it at Christmas. Can you add nuts to it?

Coarsely chopped walnuts work just fine. Or a handful of salted peanuts.

All this sound wonderful!!! Thanks!

Hi there, try this one, it is really easy and fun to make:

It's the recipe for a German chocolate crisp called "Choco Crossies".

200 g Milk chocolate
300 g Dark chocolate
30 g Margarine or Frying Fat (I use "Palmin")
1 pkg Vanilla flavored sugar (you find that in the Baking section of the supermarket, it comes in little packages)
200 g Corn Flakes (unsweetened)

Melt together the chocolates, margarine or fat and the sugar in a bowl over hot water. Let it cool off a bit, then stir the Corn Flakes into the chocolate mix. Coat a baking sheet or a large pladder with baking paper and make little chocolate heaps on it, using two teaspoons. Then let it cool off in a cool place (the refrigerator might not be large enough for it, we just put it in the basement over night).
Keep the Choco Crossies in a tightly closed jar or box.

Enjoy! :-)

We call them chocolate crispies in the UK. Yum. My Mum used to make them all the time.

I make this microwave fudge and its very easy. Just make sure you watch it though and don't leave the kitchen.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup evaporated milk
16 large marshmallows (or a lot of small ones! see note)
12 oz chocolate chips
1 cup nuts, chopped
1 tsp vanilla essence

Directions

Combine sugar, butter and milk in a large glass mixing bowl (check it will fit in the microwave though!).
Cook on 70% for approx 2 to 3 minutes, or until mixture begins to boil.
Remove and stir well.
Cook on 70% for 2 to 3 minutes, or until mixture boils and sugar is COMPLETELY dissolved.
Stir in marshmallows (10 miniature marshmallows equal 1 [ONE] large marshmallow)
and chocolate chips and beat until smooth.
Fudge sets rapidly, so don't delay when doing this step.
Stir in nuts and vanilla and spread mixture into a 8 inch buttered baking dish.
Cool.
Cut into 1 inch squares.

Servings: 36 servings

Salted peanuts - does that work?

Ok, a small handful. But the saltiness along with the rich chocolate is a treat. Keeps you from eating too much fudge at one sitting as well.

now, see, i'm thinking the salty bit would enable me to eat more fudge, not less...

I don't see how this is a plus point.

all these wonderful chocolates...how long do they keep? How long in advance can I make them?

Is there anyone else who, when seeing references to "pralines" doesn't think of Belgian chocolate balls but rather the flat sugar-butter-pecan discs of hedonism so famous in New Orleans? They're simple and at the same time a pain in the ass to make. Sinful.

woof.

If you like caramel, but want something that has some substance, Bill Granger's Caramel Slice has never failed me.

Here you go BD: