By Andy Bedwell
February is the month that greets you with an extravagance of chocolatey goodness that sends your sweet tooth into overdrive. I enjoy visiting the fabulous bakeries and candy shops with their shelves filled with chocolate-dipped strawberries, ooey-gooey caramels, red sugar-coated heart shaped cookies, truffles the size of golf balls, chocolate hearts to more whimsical chocolate-covered pretzels, popcorn, and potato chips. As Willy Wonka would say, “It’s scrumpdiddleumptious!”
Mother’s Chocolate Fudge
4 ½ cups sugar
1 stick butter
1 large can Pet milk
10 ounces
marshmallow crème
3 packages chocolate chip semi-sweet
2 cups chopped pecans
Cook sugar, butter, and milk for seven minutes. Remove from heat, add chips and marshmallow crème. Mix well and add pecans. Pour into pans to cool.
Andy’s Note: Mother made this candy for years. Delicious and easy! This fudge is creamy.
Mary Frances Raley’s Pralines
1 box light brown sugar
small can Pet milk
2 tablespoons
light Karo syrup
2 tablespoons water
Mix all of the above in a large saucepan. Cook to a soft ball stage (when you drop a little in cold water and it rolls in a soft ball). Then add two tablespoons of butter and two teaspoons vanilla. After butter and vanilla are mixed, add two or three cups of chopped pecans. Beat until thick. Spoon them on wax paper quickly.
Andy’s Note: Every time that I make these, I think of Mary Inzer. She loved them! These are delicious! In fact, they are the best that I have ever eaten. You have to work fast or they will thicken very quickly.
Chocolate Crispies
1 12-ounce package
chocolate chips
½ cup peanut butter
5 cups Rice Krispies
Melt chips and peanut butter. Remove from heat. Stir in Rice Krispies. Pour into a buttered pan. Chill. Cut into squares.
Andy’s Note: Easy and
everyone loves them.
Top of the Stove Cookie (This came from am old, old cookbook)
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup Pet milk
2 cups quick oatmeal
½ cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix sugar, cocoa, butter and milk together in a saucepan and boil for one minute. Stir into mixture oatmeal, peanut butter and vanilla. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper or foil. You must do this quickly.
Andy’s Note: I thought this was a little different from our no-bake cookie that we all make.
Everyone have a “sweet” weekend!
Happy Sweet Cooking,
Andy
“Southern Cooking with Andy Bedwell” may be purchased at The Messenger newspaper located at 1957 Rainbow Drive in Gadsden.