Grandma's Recipes #24 - Corn Flakes Candy

Now I know where my dad got his obsession with dipping obscene amounts of random things in chocolate at Christmas.  We dipped corn flakes and cheerios and chow mien noodles and nuts, nuts, and more nuts.  Dad did not bake, but he would sit for hours with his great big bar of bakers chocolate from Fleet Farm and dip everything crunchy in the house.  It was kind of ridiculous, but I will always fondly remember little piles of chocolate haystacks covering our kitchen counter while growing up.

Corn Flakes Candy

1 1/2 lb dipping chocolate

2 squares bitter chocolate

5 cups cornflakes

Hunk butter.  

Grandma's Recipes #2 - Gingerbread Men

I've made these two Christmas's in a row.  The spice mix is intense and the cookies come out very molasses-forward, which is how I like my gingerbread but may be a little two spicy for some.  If you don't frost them, they definitely benefit from a little course sugar sprinkled over the top.  This recipe also makes a HUGE batch.  My standard size KitchenAid mixer can barely handle all the dough.  You may want to cut the recipe in half.  Also, please don't skip the lard and use butter.  They're just not the same.  Comments in [gray braces] are not in the original recipe.

I made mine into Ninja-bread men.  I don't know if Grandma would approve

Gingerbread men
1 cup melted lard
1 cup white sugar
1 cup dark molasses
2 eggs
1/2 cup hot water with 1 teaspoon [dissolved baking] soda
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 Tsp [powdered ground] ginger
6 cups flour

[Cream lard, sugar, and molasses.  Add eggs one at a time. Slowly add water with dissolved soda and spices.  Beat in flour, one cup at a time.  Mixture will be thick]   If you make ginger men, chill it awhile [an hour or more] for better results.  Bake at 375 for 10 to 15 minutes.

Grandma's Recipes #1 - Angel Food Candy

Every Christmas growing up, Grandma had big bowls of candy scattered around the kitchen and living room.  My favorites were always the Angel Food and Aunt Eleanor's English Toffee.  I can't find the toffee recipe, but Grandma's Angel food lives on and has become a new tradition in our household.  Comments in [gray brackets] do not appear in Grandma's original recipe.

Angel Food Candy
1/4 cup   brown or white sugar [I always use white because Grandma had it circled]
1 T          fresh baking soda - sifted
1/4 cup    dark corn syrup
3/4 cup    light corn syrup
1 T          vinegar
1/2 lb       chocolate
2 Tbsp     Paraffin [the recipe calls for this, but I've never used it when I make it]

Boil [first four ingredients] to cracking stage (295-300).  Add  1 T fresh baking soda - sifted.  Stir well.  [Make sure your pot has at least 3x the volume of the original mixture.  Vinegar + baking soda = 6th grade science project volcanoes only with sugar]

Pour in buttered 9x13 pan [or on parchment paper].  Do not smooth out.  Let cool.

[When it's cooled slightly but still not firm, score the candy into squares.]  Break apart and dip in chocolate.  1/2 lb choc to 2 sq bitter choc. add 2 Tbsp paraffin.  Melt in double boiler and dip candy.  Put on wax paper to cool.