Crepes

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Directions

1. In a blender combine eggs, milk, flour, salt and oil. Process until smooth. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
2. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and brush with oil. Pour 1/4 cup of crepe batter into pan, tilting to completely coat the surface of the pan. Cook 2 to 5 minutes, turning once, until golden. Repeat with remaining batter.

Black Carmels or Homemade Licorice

My friend Janeen shared this delicious licorice... I LOVE LICORICE!  Of course these are not on my to do list, but they may become a once a year family tradition. I called to tell Will about them and he told me that his Grandma Rosie made them and they called them black caramels.  So, it  may be that this family tradition rolls on with love for our candy making heritage!

Linn’s Licorice

2 Sticks butter (real butter- 1 cup)

1 Can sweetened condensed milk

2 Cups sugar                

¼ tsp salt

1 ½ cups light corn syrup

½ bottle anise oil or licorice flavoring (0.23 oz.)

          (I use 1/3 bottle of ¼ oz. Anise Extract)

1 tsp black liqua-gel color

          (Micheal’s - Wilton icing color concentrates paste 1 oz jar with white                            lid- ½ -1 tsp)

Wipe sides of heavy pan with butter. Add milk, corn syrup, salt, sugar and rest of butter.

Stir over med-high heat, constantly to firmball stage. (Approx. 13 min). To test put a dollop in cold water. If it is finished it will not be hard but it will solidify and be firm, not gooey.  Remove from heat. Add anise oil, and color. Pour into 9X13 greased pan. Cool, cut and wrap in wax paper.  Refrigerate for a firmer candy.

Pretzel Rods

I got this recipe from a girls blog (cheat day cafe)... think we will try and make them. They are one of Will's favorite treats and since moving from Utah (and leaving our friend Deanna behind) he hasn't gotten them. Tonight he suggested we try and make them as neighbor gifts and I am certain he will be doing a lot of sampling to make sure they turn out!

Chocolate Covered Caramel Pretzel Rods

Things to get:
Pretzel rods (recipe makes about 50!)
Whole package of Chocolate candy quick (found at Wal-Mart)
Vanilla candy melts to drizzle (optional)
Caramel ingredients

First make a batch of caramel:
1c. Karo syrup
1c. Brown sugar
1c. White sugar
1 stick of butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Put first 5 ingredients in a large sauce pan over medium heat and stir until melted and combined. Bring to a boil and stir for five minutes. Be careful to keep stirring so that it doesn't start to burn on the bottom of the pan. Take caramel off the burner after 5 minutes.

Put the hot caramel in a deep container. I used my Pyrex 4 cup measuring cup.
Prepare a couple cookie sheets lined with wax paper.
Dip pretzel rod in caramel, about 3/4 of the way and let it drip off any excess caramel. Then lay the rod on the cookie sheet.
Repeat with remaining pretzels.
Put cookie sheets in the fridge to help set up caramel.
Once caramel is set, lift up each pretzel rod off the wax paper and mold caramel around the rod since it will puddle on the sides as it cools.
Prepare the cookie sheets again with new pieces of wax paper.
Melt chocolate in a deep container and dip caramel covered pretzel rods.
Place chocolate covered pretzel rods on cookie sheets and place in fridge to set up.
In a zip lock baggie, melt the vanilla candy melts in the microwave. When completely melted, cut a tiny hole in the corner and drizzle the chocolate on the rods.
Place back into the fridge to set up.