His & Hers Christmas Treats

My idea of making a Christmas treat... 3 ingredients, 10 minutes, yummo!








His idea of making a Christmas treat... 8 ingredients (including fancy schmancy chocolate), 3 hours...beyond yummo!







I was chatting about my husbands fudge on Studio 5 yesterday and a few people have asked about the recipe, so here it is. It's actually an Elton Brown (foodnetwork) recipe. Steve uses Scharffen Berger chocolate which is pricey, but it definately takes the fudge to the WOW level.

Chocolate Fudge

Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups sugar
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing pan
1 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped, roasted nuts, optional (no NOT optional, a must!)

Directions:
Grease an 8 by 8-inch pan with butter. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, chocolate, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter, half-and-half, and corn syrup. Over medium heat, stir with a wooden spoon until sugar is dissolved and chocolate is melted. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and boil for 3 minutes. Remove the cover and attach a candy thermometer to the pot. Cook until the thermometer reads 234 degrees F. Remove from the heat and add the remaining butter. Do not stir. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes or until it drops to 130 degrees F. Add vanilla and nuts, if desired, and mix until well-blended and the shiny texture becomes matte. Pour into the prepared pan. Let sit in cool dry area until firm. Cut into 1-inch pieces and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

And here's MY recipe...actually, this is a recipe I got from none other than Studio 5 a few years ago. It's now a family favorite and super easy...







PreTurtles (as in pretent-turtles)

Ingredients:
· Small Pretzels
· Rolo chocolate candies
· Whole almonds, pecans or other nut of choice

Directions:
Line a cookie sheet with foil or parchment. Cover sheet with single layer of pretzels. Place a Rolo candy on each one and place into a 400-degree oven for 4 minutes or until soft. Remove from oven, press nut into middle of candy and cool.
You can use a microwave for melting the chocolate, but many microwave ovens vary in intensity and power and can have hot spots in oven, causing candies to "explode" or heat unevenly.