Making candy with kids can be really fun. Simple chocolate candy recipes are much easier than most cookie recipes, which makes them perfect for sharing with young children.
Technically, these may not all be candy, although if you're like me, adding chocolate to anything makes it delicious and sweet. If it's also bite-size, I call it candy.
Once you've made the first two simple recipes, your imagination will take over and you'll realize the world is full of other things that can be dipped in chocolate. Whether you like sweet and salty combined, as with the chocolate covered popcorn, or something even healthier like chocolate covered raisins, you'll start looking at what's in your kitchen cupboards in a whole different light.
While many fudge recipes are much more complicated than the chocolate peanut butter one below, this recipe also introduces you to the realm of possibilities with its basic simplicity plus the additions I've mentioned.
Most of all, have fun and invite a child along to help make these simple chocolate candy recipes. While you're waiting for them to chill, there's lots of finger and bowl licking to keep you happy.
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Simple Chocolate Covered Popcorn
1/2 bag of popped microwave popcorn.
1/2 bag of dark or milk chocolate melted and reheated every 30 seconds
Pop the corn and put it in a large bowl; the stirring can get messy, and it's easier for a child to mix without spilling if it's in an oversized bowl. Poor the melted chocolate over the popcorn and stir until all the popcorn is covered.
I like to form the popcorn roughly into balls or clumps about the size of a golf ball and place them on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Then I put it in the refrigerator until they're hardened.
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Simple Chocolate Covered Raisins
1 cup raisins
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips OR equivalent in chocolate chunks
3 tbsp cocoa powder (optional)
Melt chocolate slowly in the top of a double boiler, or in a bowl placed over a pan with simmering water in it. If you place a lid on the pan or bowl, it must be vented to let steam escape. Stir occasionally as it's melting.
Place 1/3 of the raisins in the melted chocolate and stir until coated. Remove the raisins from the chocolate with a spoon, then pick up individually with the fingers and place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Be sure to wipe the bottom of your spoon on the edge of the pan each time or you'll have a huge drippy mess. Do not allow the raisins to touch each other, unless of course you want to have small clumps of raisins, like raisin balls. Continue coating your raisins 1/3 at a time until all are finished.
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Simple Chocolate Peanut-Butter Fudge
Melt together one small jar of peanut butter and one bag of chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler or in a bowl as described above. Stir in one can sweetened condensed milk. Spread in large flat pan to cool. Cut into 1" squares when cool and hard.
Optional: mix in or sprinkle on top: chopped peanuts or other nuts, coconut, cocoa powder, or powdered sugar
Kathryn Beach has made homemade candy for over 30 years. More
simple chocolate candy recipes, as well as more complicated but elegant truffles, can be found on her website.
