Candy Cream Ribbon Recipes

BERRY-FILLED BUTTER RIBBONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, salt and baking powder; gradually beat into creamed mixture., Using a cookie press fitted with a ribbon disk, press long strips of dough onto ungreased baking sheets; cut ends to release from disk. Cut each strip into 2-in. lengths (no need to separate them)., Bake 6-8 minutes or until set (do not brown). Recut cookies if necessary. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely., Spread preserves on bottoms of half of the cookies; cover with remaining cookies. Dip each cookie halfway in candy coating; allow excess to drip off. Sprinkle with jimmies. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set., Freeze option: Wrap dough in waxed paper; place in a freezer container, and freeze. To use, thaw dough in refrigerator overnight or until dough is soft enough to shape with a cookie press. Proceed as directed.

BLUE RIBBON CREAMY CARAMELS

Steps:

• Spray a large loaf pan or 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
• Stir white sugar, 3/4 cup cream, corn syrup, butter, vinegar, and salt together in a heavy pot; bring to a boil. Stir in remaining cream. Cook, stirring constantly, until caramel is 244 degrees F (117 degrees C), or until a small amount of caramel dropped into cold water forms a firm but pliable ball, 10 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool briefly.
• Stir walnuts and vanilla extract into caramel; pour caramel into prepared baking dish. Cool completely, at least 1 hour. Turn baking dish over onto a flat work surface to remove cooled caramel from dish; cut caramel into serving pieces.

BOSTON CREAMS

Steps:

• 1. Combine sugar, cream and corn syrup in a large pan. Cook to soft ball stage on a candy thermometer.
• 2. Put 4 tablespoons butter on 2 large platters. Pour the candy onto the platters and let cool. While the candy is cooling, prepare a 9x13 pan by buttering the pan. Or you can line with foil and butter the foil. This makes for easier cutting of the candy once done.
• 3. Add vanilla and beat until creamy and it has lost it's glossy appearance, pour into the prepared pan and let set up.
• 4. Added nuts are optional.
• 5. NOTE: If you don't have a thermometer, you can drop a small amount of candy into a bowl of ice water. If it makes a soft ball that flattens when removed from the ice water, it is done.
• 6. There are more detailed instructions for candy in my "Mom's Fudge" recipe.

CANDY RIBBON

Steps:

• Before you begin this recipe, please take a class from a professional on working with sugar. This is a skill that professional pastry chefs develop after years of experience. Working with sugar will burn your fingers so know before you start that your fingers will develop burn blisters. Place the sugar, vinegar and water in a saucepan over high heat. Insert a candy thermometer and cook until the sugar reaches 320 degrees F. Use a pastry brush to keep the inside of the saucepan clean as the sugar cooks or the sugar may recrystallize. To do this, dip a clean brush in cold water and brush the inside of the pan clean. Pour the cooked sugar onto 3 or 4 silicone baking mats. If you want to color and/or flavor the sugar with food colors and/or flavored oils, this is the time to do so. Add a few drops of color to the sugar. Mix with a wooden skewer. To get started, push the sugar from the sides toward the center. This process takes a little while. Try to keep the sugar divided by color. Use the mat to push the firm sugar around the edges toward the center. Use a folding motion to accomplish that task. The next step is to pick up the sugar with your hands. Place each color under the heat of the sugar lamp. Pull the sugar until it becomes glossy and the color is evenly distributed. You will need to pull the colors simultaneously. Keep them under the sugar lamp but keep an eye on them. The lamp can melt the sugar so it is important keep rotating it and folding it onto itself.
• Start with 2 colors. I used green (mint) and yellow (lemon). Place the sugar pieces side- to-side. Pull and lengthen. Cut in half. Place them side-to-side again. Pull to lengthen. Cut in half and place them side-to-side. Now you have a flat piece of sugar that you are pulling long. Cut off the ends, (they are bulky), when the sugar starts to harden. Make some waves to create the ribbon. Join the 2 edges to make a circular ribbon. Voila! Beautiful for the holidays.

SOFT CREAM CANDY FILLING RECIPE

Steps:

• Add the softened butter, meringue powder, light corn syrup, and water to your mixing bowl Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer beat until mixed completely, scraping the bowl to ensure everything is incorporated well.
• Add 2 cups of fondant sugar and mix on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, then, beat on medium speed for about 1 minute until it all creams together.
• Add flavoring, invertase, and food coloring and mix well. Don't forget, you can use LorAnn oils, extracts, and even spices to flavor your cream filling! LorAnn oils differ in strength, for example, peppermint is much stronger than blackberry. You'll need to adjust it by taste, but we recommend starting with a 1/2 teaspoon for a full batch of soft cream candy filling. You can add more if you feel it's not enough.
• Scoop your homemade cream filling into a disposable pastry bag and twist the end tightly, securing with a clip or a rubber band. Don't snip the ends until you're ready to use them!

CANDY AND CREAM RIBBON

Steps:

• In a small mixer bowl at medium speed, beat cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form.Set about 1/4 cup chopped candy aside. Fold remaining candy into whipped cream.Spread about 1 tablespoon of the cream mixture on each wafer, covering completely. Make stacks of four or five cookies, then stand stacks on edge and make two separate logs on a serving plate, using half the wafers for each. Frost top and sides of each log with remaining whipped cream mixture. Sprinkle tops with reserved candy. Cover loosely and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours before serving.To serve, slice diagonally.

RIBBON FANTASY FUDGE

Steps:

• Line a 9-in. square pan with foil and grease the foil with 2 teaspoons butter; set aside. In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, milk and remaining butter. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 4 minutes over medium heat, stirring to prevent scorching. Remove from the heat and set aside., Divide marshmallow creme between 2 heat-resistant bowls; add chocolate chips and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla to 1 bowl, and peanut butter and remaining vanilla to the other. Pour half of sugar mixture into each bowl., Stir chocolate mixture until smooth and pour into prepared pan; stir peanut butter mixture and carefully pour over chocolate layer. Refrigerate until firm. , Using foil, lift fudge out of pan. Discard foil; cut fudge into 1-1/4-in. squares.

CANDY CREAM RIBBON

Steps:

• In a small mixer bowl at medium speed, beat cream until stiff peaks form. Fold in 1 cup of the candy.Spread tops of each chocolate wafer with about 1 tablespoon of the whipped cream mixture. Make stacks of four or five cookies, then stand stacks on edge and make one long roll on a serving plate. Frost outside with remaining cream mixture. Sprinkle top with remaining candy. Chill at least 4 or up to 12 hours before serving.To serve, slice diagonally.