Sea Salt Caramels

  Makes 40-50 caramels (depending on size cut)

4 cups heavy cream

3 cups sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

3 tbsp unsalted butter

1 1/2 tbsp sea salt

1 bag semi sweet chocolate chips (12 oz)

6 squares Baker’s unsweetened chocolate (6 oz)

Line cookie sheet or lasagna pan with parchment paper, spray with cooking spray. 

Add cream to a tall pot and bring to just a boil, reduce heat to medium low then add sugar and corn syrup.   Watch for the bubbling up, it will happen.  Reduce temperature, then add candy thermometer to pot, and boil on medium low approximately 20 minutes (or maybe more) stirring gently and occasionally.  At around 240 degrees add butter and gently stir to blend into caramel.  When candy reaches 246 degrees, pour into parchment lined pan.  Do not scrape sides or bottom of pot after you pour as it will result in some browned or burned bits in your caramel.  Let stand 10 minutes, then lightly sprinkle with sea salt.  Cool completely, about two hours. 

Melt chocolate in microwave safe bowl on high in microwave for 1 minute.  Continue melting every 30 seconds until most of chocolate is melted about 2 to 3 minutes, then remove from microwave and stir until all chocolate is melted.  Do not overcook.

Cut caramels into 1 or 1.5 inch squares, then dip into melted chocolate, and allow to cool on parchment paper.  Caramels keep up to two weeks in airtight container at room temperature. 

Crispix Mix for Kayla

1/2 box Golden Graham Cereal
1 reg size bos of Crispix Cereal
1 small pkg of coconut
2 small pkgs of slivered almonds toasted

Mix the above in a large bowl, then bring to a boil the following:

2 cubes of butter
1 cup light Karo Syrup
1 cup sugar

Boil this about 4 minutes, (DO NOT OVER BOIL) remove from heat and add 1 tsp vanilla, pour over cereal mixture and stir until well coated.  Lay out on 2 cookie sheets.  (If you boil this too long it will be hard instead of chewy)

Gingerbread Cookies

THESE ARE A SOFT COOKIE AND WOULD NOT BE SUITABLE FOR MAKING A GINGERBREAD HOUSE

ngredients for Gingerbread Cookies:
1 cup salted butter
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar (6 tablespoons)
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup molasses
1 3/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp half n’ half (cream or milk)

sprinkles, chocolates or candies for decorating (if desired)
n an electric mixer, cream butter and add brown sugar.
Add ginger, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, baking soda and pinch of salt.
Mix well and scrape down sides of mixer bowl to ensure all the spices are incorporated.
Your dough should be fluffy and well combined.
Add egg and molasses.
Crank up the speed on the mixer.
Add flour and mix on low until combined. Dough will be sticky.
Place dough in a container and refrigerate several hours or overnight for best results. The spices will ripen as the dough proofs.

Generously flour a wooden board and rolling pin. You will find this dough to be more delicate and much stickier than a typical sugar cookie dough.
Cut out shapes, place on baking sheet. Bake in a 325 (F) oven for 7-9 minutes. For softer cookies, do not allow to brown. Makes 2 dozen 3 inch cookies. Recipe doubles and freezes well.

NO GLAZE, NO GLORY!

Allow baked cookies to cool before glazing. Combine powdered sugar and half n’ half to make glaze. For a thicker glaze use more sugar and less liquid, for a thinner glaze, use more liquid.
The easiest method is to simply dip each cookie into glaze and carefully lift out. Place on cookie cooling rack and allow excess glaze to drip off. For a thicker, more refined look, spoon glaze over cookie and spread with the back of a spoon.
To decorate cookies with glaze, fill a plastic bag with glaze and snip the tip. Decorate as desired.

Chewy Coconut Macaroons

Ingredients
2-1/2 cups flaked coconut
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 can (14 ounces) fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract
Directions
In a bowl, toss the coconut, flour and salt. Stir in milk and extract until blended (mixture will be thick and sticky).
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 3 in. apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 300° for 18-22 minutes or just until golden brown. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: 32 cookies.

Chocolate Coconut Candies

Ingredients
1-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1-3/4 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, coconut, almonds and milk. Shape into 1-in. balls. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.
In a microwave, melt semisweet chips and shortening on high for about 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10- to 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth.
Dip balls in chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.