Holiday Candymaking

Air Date:
Heard On The Larry Meiller Show

Sweet treats are delicious and fun to make. Larry Meiller finds out how to create delectable candies for Hanukkah and Christmas.

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  • Candies Shine As Festive, Delicious Holiday Treats

    The end-of-the-year holidays are full of wonderful foods, and some of the most delicious and festive are candies.

    Hanukkah will be celebrated this week and Christmas is just around the corner. Candies as gifts or just to enjoy at home are a great idea for either occasion, according to Elizabeth LaBau. author of “The Sweet Book of Candymaking” and “Chief Sugar Officer” of the Sugar Hero blog.

    LaBau is a firm believer in quality over quantity, and with candy, she would rather have one perfect chocolate truffle than a large amount of inferior sweets.

    “Candy is a treat. It’s a little bit of an indulgence,” she said. “It’s something that should make you happy.”

    Thoughts On Chocolate

    As much of an indulgence candy might be, LaBau said that with chocolate, “you need to balance taste and economy.” She advised looking at the recipe and at how prominent the chocolate is.

    “If you’re just going to be using a little bit in a recipe with other strong flavors, maybe you don’t want to spend $12 a pound in it,” she said.

    LaBau also suggested trusting taste instead of price when it comes to picking out chocolate.

    “It doesn’t have to be the most expensive Valrhona if it’s something you like the taste of and something that works well in recipes for you,” she said.

    One other factor to consider when buying chocolate for candy-making is whether it’s mixed in or used to coat the treat. LaBau said that when chocolate is used to dip, a high cocoa butter content makes for a nice glossy sheen. Buying chocolate for something like a truffle may mean a little higher price as a result.

    One technique that’s important in using chocolate is tempering, LaBau said. She offers an illustrated tutorial on her Sugar Hero blog for making sure that chocolate remains crisp and glossy, instead of losing its shine and becoming streaked with white.

    What To Make?

    For a fun Hanukkah candy, LaBau has a recipe for peanut butter fudge dreidels. Chocolate kisses are used to create the pointy end of the tops, which are attached to a square of peanut butter fudge.

    LaBau said that one of the favorite recipes from her book and on her blog is for peanut butter cup fudge. Not only is it delicious, it’s also quite simple.

    “There’s no beating, there’s no taking the temperature and waiting for it to cool,” she said. “So anyone can do it, and it’s really popular for gift-giving.”

    Another recipe perfect to give as a present is LaBau’s hot chocolate truffles.

    “It’s sort of a double-duty gift,” she said. “You could give them as truffles, or in a cute mug package with marshmallows for a little hot chocolate-themed gift that people can enjoy.”

    For those looking for an easy and fun food project to do with children over the holidays, LaBau suggests her reindeer cookie pops, which use all store-bought ingredients.

    “I just love making these kind of cheesy, themed candies,” she said. “It’s so much fun.”

    And after all, when else is a reindeer-shaped candy appropriate? Said LaBau: “You might as well go big in December!”

Episode Credits

  • Larry Meiller Host
  • Judith Siers-Poisson Producer
  • Elizabeth LaBau Guest

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