I never seem to do much for St Patties day either , not unless someone needs a cake !

I agree. Shamrock day doesn't give you much to work with in chocolates. Good time for cakes though

I was thinking of dying a cake bright green, inside and out. Maybe try a topsy with a little leprechaun sitting on top. It IS a fun cake holiday, not that I think about it...

I was stopping by the corner store today and saw "Two buck choc." 14oz. of chocolate-flavored (it's almond bark!) bar for $2. I tried some and it wasn't bad. I bet it melts nice too.

I guess we could all do some chocolates filled with a straight high proof liquor for St. Pat's day. My MIL doesn't drink but she'll eat a whole box of liquor filled chocolates. Her favorite is whiskey and Brandy.

No chocolate making for me until Sunday. I have to make oreo truffles and choc. dipped cherries. Same old, same old.

Mkolmar - lol. Total confession - I can't legally drink yet! I'll stick with rum flavoring. lol.
I'm thinking that a really good mint filling died green would be cool. The cupcake thread was talking about cream cheese mints...maybe something like that inside a choc. shell?

I really like cream cheese mints. That inside of choc. sounds good to me.
Jana--you must be the baby of the thread. I've been legal for almost 10 years to drink.

I'm the baby of just about everything... nothing new there

I havent made cream cheese mints before, but I have a recipe and they certainly sound good. Their on my Patty's day list

Sorry couldn't resist replying. Cream Cheese mints are wonderful!!!People who never have eaten them and try them for the first time love them. I have found I can do most of the mixing in my small (7 cup) Kitchen Aid Food processor. I just mix until it comes into a ball. If I think the recipe is too large then I just make a half batch at a time.

I posted this idea on the cupcake forum--I roll out the mint mixture and use small cookie cutters to cut out the shape. Wouldn't that work on chocolates? I mean just cut out an shape and attach to a chocolate?

sayhellojana~ when I jumped on here and saw how young you must be.....your cakes are beautiful! What talent for such a young person! Boy, do you have a future!

I also don't do much for St. Paddies day due to our Scottish nationality. It just wasn't something that was celebrated. But then once the kids became of age.....yep, they celebrated....and not with cookies or candy!

BWAHAHAHAH Vicky--let me guess how your kids were celebrating

(The same as every other kid of age celebrates)


Cutting out the cream cheese mints as patties and dipping them would work. My mom use to make pepperment patties kind of like that.

Cream Cheese mints dipped in Chocolate????? I can't wait to see the reaction. I will definately be making some of those!!!!

I don't know it this is the right place for this question, but it doesn't really seem like a "candy making" question either.
I attempted making peanut brittle for the first time. Everything went smoothly until the end. I poured it onto a cookie sheet and the instuctions were to gently pull with 2 forks to stretch while cooling. Well it didn't work. I ended up with strings of "candy" and clusters of nuts.
Any suggestions?

leahk.. I make brittle and I have never heard of that, but thats not to say that there are not recipes like that out there .
When I do mine after I pour onto my cookie sheet I just let it harden and then crack it when its done.

leahk - thats odd. Was this a brittle recipe or a candy recipe like mary janes, which taste like brittle but have the texture of taffy? Hum. Maybe you can try again and leave out the pulling part

It was a brittle recipe. I think based on fiddle's recommendation I'm going to use a bigger cookie sheet so it has more room to spread initially and then just let it set.

Not only am I with Fiddle on the brittle, hey that rhymes, but I make mine in the microwave. Never had a problem or heard of that stretching deal.

Some of my candy books say you can stretch it as it cools to make it thinner. I have never done that.
I use a bigger cookie sheet and it can spread pretty thin. Again I let it harden and crack it. Its delicious !

I also pour mine on silpat. That way it's really easy to pick up and crack.

I second the silicon mat. Soooo easy and saves cleanup. I actually have an excellent peanut brittle recipe that the mother of a friend gave me a few years back. It's really, really good. I'll share if anyone is interested.

jana.. Do you even have to ask LOL!!! I can never have enough recipes !
Oh and if I have been making candy I pour my brittle on my marble slab. Cools fast!

Ok. This is the best peanut brittle recipe I have ever tried. It's Not as stick-to-your-teeth-y as some.

Peanut Brittle
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup light karo syrup
1/4 cup dark karo syrup
1/2 cup water
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cube butter
3 1/2 cups salted peanuts

In a heavy saucepan on medium heat, cook the sugar, syrups and water. when it comes to a boil, cook for 7 mins, stirring occasionally. Stir in peanuts & butter. Bring to a boil and cook 15 mins or so till it reaches hard crack stage.
remove from heat and add baking soda and vanilla. Mix fast and pour into oven liner, spreading the mixture all over. Let cool and break into pieces. store in an airtight container.

Thanks so much sounds yummy!

Fiddle, would you like me to start a google doc for the chocolate recipe's posted here? Mostly we have talked about ideas, but those could be included too. If I do, will you put the link in your signature? (you're like CC's recipe librarian. lol!)

jana. That would be awesome .If I can fit anymore links on my signature I will be happy to do so .Im not sure how many it will take.

Ok. I'll put that on my list of things to-do

I have to fly out of state for a family emergency this morning !
I will be back Fri, have a good week everyone !

Bye Fiddle. I hope all is ok with your family!

Fiddle, I hope all is alright. You'll be in my prayers.

That's a good idea Jana about the choc. recipes and ideas.

I made up 9 1/2 dozen oreo truffles and 4 dozen solid molded chocolates today. I'm getting sick of making oreo truffles.

after making 9.5 dz, I would be too. I bought a set of mini loaf pans 2 years ago, thinking that giving everyone fresh pumpkin/banana/lemon poppyseed breads would be great durring the holidays. Well, i did. And I gave them away in a CC rak because I couldn't stand to look at them again!

I found this: http://www.beryls.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=23_35&products_id=7399

I've never seen anything like it before. Have any of y'all? Do they work? It's certainly a cool idea.

Jana that link to GSA is coming up with the home page -- it appears the link may be broken. Can you repost it?

huh...thats weird. The link wasn't from global sugar art...maybe that's why it was blocked.
I can't remember what site it was on... I'll look for it again. sorry