Marshmallow

Mom likes her sugar aerated, seemingly, as she says this and the seafoam are her favorite candies. I like the marshmallow quite a bit too; I was apprehensive of it for a few years because of a few very minty batches. But now I'm quite converted. You can, I am told, flavor the marshmallow however. I think I like Mom's 1 t vanilla just fine. Interestingly, this recipe is taken from a lemon bar cookie recipe in the M-m-m-m More Cookies book.

1/2 c water
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
2 c sugar
1/2 c water
1 t vanilla

Combine 1/2 c water and gelatin in a large mixer bowl; set aside. In medium saucepan, combine sugar and 1/2 c water; bring to boil. Boil 2 minutes. Pour over gelatin; stir until gelatin is dissolved. Cool 5 minutes in refrigerator. Beat about 10 minutes at highest speed or until very thick. Add flavoring, beat well. Pour out in a 9 by 13 pan dusted lightly with sifted corn starch, spread it out evenly; refrigerate to set. After it has set, dust another layer of corn starch on the top. To loosen, run a knife around the edge. Cut with a sharp knife; don't be tempted to wet the knife. As you pull the squares out one at a time from the pan, coat the edges with starch from the bottom of the pan and the top of the confection-- you want to use up all the excess.

Butter Toffee (or "Dot's Candy") or Toffee Popcorn

This quite-nice toffee recipe comes through Grandma, and she got it from her friend Dot. Dot's candy was perhaps her first exposure to toffee, so she called it "Dot's candy," although it is really a traditional toffee.

1/2 lb butter
1 c sugar
2 T water
2 T corn syrup

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add sugar, water, and corn syrup. Boil, stirring constantly, until mixture pulls away from pan and desired shade of brown is reached-- it will pass a pinkish tan into an orangey tan. Darker is better (but, of course, not burnt). Pour onto buttered marble slab or into buttered pan to cool. While still warm, score into desired size and shape pieces. Break into pieces when cool. Also good poured over 5 qts corn while still golden.

Sponge Candy or Seafoam

This recipe is a great favorite of my mother's, and it is her mother's recipe. I have heard her reminisce about the big chunks of it available at the BYU candy counter back in the day. I think Iggy is quite fond of it too. It is quite like the Australian candy bar "Violet Crumble."

1 c sugar
1 c dark corn syrup
1 T vinegar (Mom uses apple cider)
1 T baking soda

Combine sugar, corn syrup and vinegar in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Continue cooking, without stirring, to 300 F, or until a little of the mixture dropped in cold water becomes very brittle. Remove candy from heat. Quickly stir in soda; mix well. Stir thoroughly so that the cell size is small enough, or the candy will collapse. Every year, Mom is afraid that she has over-stirred it. But she has not. But she has had over-stirred seafoam, so it's possible. Pour into lightly buttered 8 by 8 or 9 by 9 by 2 inch pan. Do not spread as candy. To break into even pieces, score twice or more with serrated knife and break apart by hand-- this will yield relatively even pieces.

Marshmallow Treats

Yes, Mom's are better.

7 T butter
16 oz big marshmallows
9 c crispy rice cereal

Melt butter in large saucepan. Add marshmallows and stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir in cereal. Press into a buttered dish-- but do not press very hard. Cut in squares. I like these with chopped dried apricots added, and even slivered almonds.

Caramels

2 c sugar
1 c corn syrup (2 c for popcorn balls)
1 12 or 13 oz can evaporated milk
1/4 lb butter

Boil sugar, syrup, and butter for 5 minutes. Slowly add milk. Don't allow the boil to stop. Cook to firm ball. Pour into greased 8"x8" pan.

Peanut Buttered Popcorn

My favorite sweet treatment of popcorn (along with grandma's toffee popcorn). Why would anyone make Kool-Aid balls with so many other superior options?

3 qt popped corn (1/2 c unpopped)
1 1/2 c dry roasted peanuts
1 c sugar
1/2 c light corn syrup
1/2 c honey
1 c peanut butter
1 t vanilla

Butter sides of a 1 1/2 qt saucepan. Boil sugar, honey, and syrup, stirring constantly. Boil hard 2 minutes, remove. Stir in peanut butter, vanilla. Coat popcorn.

Fudge

Great memories of fudge, but I'm afraid that the culture of cheat fudges has made me scared to try to make real fudge myself (I don't make the cheat fudges, either, because I like real fudge better).

12 oz condensed milk
2 c sugar
4 T corn syrup
1/2 t salt

Stir until chocolate is melted and sugar is dissolved. Cook until 234 F and/or it forms a "soft ball" in cold water. Add:

4 T butter
2 t vanilla

Do not stir. Cool to 120 F and beat 5-10 minutes until no longer glosssy. Spread out on a buttered plate.