Sweets for the Sweet

Well, what would the Christmas holidays be if they weren't accented with sweet treats to tantalize our taste buds?  A while ago we started making candy...

We made magic cookie bars

Home made caramels

Fudge that we turned into chocolate fondant,
and peanut brittle.

That was just the candy.. we've got lots more baking to do, but since then we have finished our chocolates! That is one tradition that is sometimes put off to the last few days before Christmas - but not this year!!!

We had some very willing helpers, and they did a fantastic job of dipping the candy while I rolled it into balls. With the candy done, they decided to dip a few pretzels as well.

One of our key ingredients behind some of these tasty treats is sweetened condensed milk. We make our own and it makes the Christmas candy absolutely scrumptious!!!

Here's the recipe. It's amazing when you look at the list of ingredients, but it really does taste like the real thing!!!

1 cup instant nonfat dry milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3-1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup (2 oz) melted butter

Preparation:
1. Place the dry milk, granulated sugar, 1/3 cup of the boiling water, and the melted butter in a blender.
2. Blend all ingredients together until they are smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender occasionally to get all the dry ingredients incorporated.
3. Condensed milk typically has a thick, syrupy consistency, but if your homemade condensed milk is too thick to pour easily, add another spoonful or two of boiling water and blend to incorporate. Adjust the water until you are happy with the consistency.
4. Use your homemade sweetened condensed milk right away, or store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It will get thicker when it is refrigerated, but will loosen up when stirred and brought to room temperature.

And so the baking truly begins!!! I love home made treats and I love feeding them to my family! I also love that my family is always willing and eager to share in the work. There is no shortage of bowls and spoons that need licking or sampling. It is a fun time of year when we spend a lot of time in the kitchen working together to make a host of scrumptious delicacies. It is a time to look forward to and treasure. I am so blessed to have a family that brings me an indescribably amount of joy, just in every day events of life!