My annual candymania is well under way. This is a strictly amateur production - I make candy once a year for holiday gifts so even when I improve my skills I tend to relapse and have to learn them all over the next year. My equipment is minimal - a stainless steel bowl and a saute pan for melting chocolate, a silicone spatula and instant read thermometer for tempering, my preserving pan for sugar based candy. My husband did make me a set of confectionary bars. I have a lot more candy cook books than equipment. I have a ton of fun, my family and friends enjoy the result and when it is all over, my wonderful husband scrapes the chocolate and sugar off the kitchen floor and counters.
Here is some of what I have done so far:
Greweling's hazelnut lattes
Coconut- lime white chocolate truffles and raspberry truffles - both from Carol Bloom's Truffles, Chocolates and Confections.
Dark chocolate truffles with kirsch and pistachios and plain dark chocolate truffles
White chocolate truffles with candied orange peel, dipped in dark chocolate and Greweling's gingerbread squares
Holiday fudge from @Chocolot 's book, Candymaking - one of my first candy books and one I use a lot. If I showed up at my brother's for Christmas without a batch of Amy's toffee I might not be allowed in.
And there is more to be made......
