812-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 25,1986
THE
MICRO Mk
WAY VjJ
LAN!
BLOOMER 4
Sweets For Your Sweetheart!
Valentine’s Day is only a few
weeks away, believe it or not! If
you’d like to make some sweets for
your sweetheart, it’s not too early
to start!
Many candy recipes cook well in
microwave, and some are much
easier in the microwave than on a
stove burner. The Chocolate
Walnut Toffee takes almost an
hour to reach the hard crack stage
on the stove, but less than 15
minutes in a microwave and never
scorches! Here are some hints for
using your microwave for candy
making:
-Use medium (50,5) power for
melting chocolate. Stir frequently,
since chocolate holds its shape
when soft until it is stirred.
-For boiled candy, like the
peanut brittle or toffee below, you
may have to cut a conventional
recipe in half. Use high power and
a large heat proof container.
Plastic microwave containers may
melt from the candy tem
peratures! Do not fill container
more than half full, since foods
bubble up more in a microwave.
-Stir boiling candy once or twice
to distribute heat to the middle
since microwaves cook from the
outside in.
-Do not put a regular candy
thermometer in a microwave.
Cook the candy and remove it from
the oven to test the temperature,
using either a cold water test, or a
thermometer. Several kinds of
microwave candy thermometers
are available. Look for one if you
make a lot of candy.
-To test candy with a regular
thermometer, use the following
temperature- ranges. A ther
mometer reading anywhere in the
desired range will give candy the
proper consistency;
WATER TEST:
Soft Ball Stage
Hard Ball Stage
Hard Crack Stage
THERMOMETER:
235-240 degrees
260-270 degrees
295-310 degrees
This fudge recipe is super easy,
and never fails.
Rocky Raisin Fudge
1 6-ounce package chocolate chips
(leup)
1 6-ounce package peanutbutter or
butterscotch chips (1 cup)
1 14-ounce can sweetened con
densed milk
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup raisins
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1. Line two trays or cookie sheets
with foil or waxed paper.
2. Put chips in 2-quart batter bowl
or microsafe mixing bowl.
Microwave on medium (50,5) for 5
minutes, until glossy and soft.
3. Stir until smooth. (If chips are
not melted, microwave on medium
for another minute or so, and stir
again.)
4. Stir in milk, then remaining
ingredients. Turn out onto
prepared trays and spread to
desired thickness.
5. Refrigerate one or two hours
until firm before cutting. Makes
about 2 pounds.
TIPS: Shape fudge into a heart
for Valentine’s Day, or into your
sweetheart’s initial!
Candy may also be dropped in
foil or paper candy cups. If candy
cools too much when making
drops, reheat for 30-60 seconds on
medium (50,5). Reheating too long
will melt the marshmallows.
-To make Rocky Road Fudge,
• use 1% cups each marshmallows
and nuts and omit raisins.
ma* ig pe. .iut hnttle or
toffe 1 ' -li’euiee” ‘ .Jig times
given. Cooking iuo long will burn
the candy. Not cooking it long
enough will result in chewy instead
of crunchy candy!
Peanut Brittle
V 4 cup light corn syrup
1 cupsugar
V* teaspoon salt
1 cup raw peanuts
1 tablespoon margarine or butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon soda
1. Cover a cookie sheet with foil
and set aside.
2. In a 2-quart heatproof glass
bowl or measure, put the corn
syrup. Add sugar, salt and peanuts
on top in that order. Microwave on
high for four minutes.
3. Stir, then microwave on high
for four minutes longer. Add
margarine and vanilla; stir again.
4. Microwave chi high for 1 Vito 2
minutes, until light brown. For
best results, microwave the full 2
minutes in this step, unless the
peanuts are getting too brown.
(With a microwave candy ther
mometer, cook to hard crack
stage, 295 to 310 degrees.)
5. Quickly stir in soda and im
mediately spread on foil. Don’t
worry if it looks bubbly and funny
as you spread it, it smooths out.
6. Leave at room temperature to
cool, then break into pieces when
cold. Makes about 1 pound.
TIP; If you can’t find raw
peanuts, use roasted peanuts and
omit the salt. Add roasted peanuts
at the end of the cooking time, with
the margarine and vanilla, and not
at the beginning.
CHOCOLATE WALNUT TOFFEE
1 cup butter (% pound)
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon white com syrup
2 tablespoons water
% cup chopped walnuts
Vz cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
V* cup finely chopped walnuts
1. Grease a 9-inch square pan
thoroughly and set aside.
* * * * COMBINE PROJECT
2. Combine butter, sugar, com
syrup and water in a 2-quart
heatproof glass bowl or measuring
cup.
3. Cook on high for 5 minutes.
Stir, then cook on high for 5
minutes longer.
4. Stir and cook on high for 1 Vi to
2 minutes longer, until candy turns
light golden- brown. (With a
microwave candy thermometer,
cook to the hard crack stage, 295 to
310 degrees).
5. Stir in the Vi cup chopped
walnuts and pour the mixture into
the prepared pan. Let stand
several hours until firm.
6. Put chips in a small bowl and
microwave on medium (50,5) for 1
to 2 minutes until glossy and soft.
Richards named Snyder County
.UNIVERSITY PARK - Karen
T. Richards knows about retailing,
and she’ll share some of her ex
pertise as the newly appointed
home economics and 4-H Ex
tension agent in Snyder County.
“My background is in retailing,
so I hope to incorporate what I
know into programs on consumer
spending,” she says. “If people
know how retailing decisions are
made, they’ll be better con
sumers.”
Richards replaces Ethel Ann
Jones, who is serving as interim
extension clothing specialist at the
Pennsylvania State University.
Richards’ appointment was an
nounced by W. Wayne Hinish,
acting dean of the university’s
College of Agriculture and director
of the university’s Cooperative
Extension Service.
Richards will be responsible for
educational needs and programs
centered on youth and volunteer
See The TWIN ROTOR TRB6 COMBINE et Keller Bros.
en’t leave
part of your profit
in the field
You don't leave part of your profit m the field with a S|
Holland Twin Rotor'” combine That's because the patented dual
rotor threshing process gives you less gram loss, less damage and a
cleaner sample in the tank And as your Sperry New Holland Four Star
dealer, we back up the sale with the 'Triple Check - program. That_
means we'll lubricate, adjust ana condibon your TR 1 combine free of
charge after the first two seasons Stop in and get the details on the
Twin Rotor’ combine that s right for you
Rt 419 between Schaefferstown and Cornwall,
Lebanon County. Lebanon, PA 17042
Stir until melted and smooth, then
spread over the toffee mixture.
7. Sprinkle V« cup finely chopped
nuts over the chocolate, pressing
them in lightly. Chill to set
chocolate.
8. Turn out of pan (warm pan
bottom in hot water for a minute or
so if necessary) and break into
irregularly shaped pieces. Store in
an airtight container or freeze.
Keeps well at room temperature
I for several weeks. Makes about 1
pound.
NOTE: The cooking times above
are for microwaves with 600 to 700
watts of power; for 500 to 600 W,
add 10 seconds to each minutes;
for 400 to 500 W, add 20 seconds to
each minute.
Copyright 19M, Lani Bloomor
Extension agent
development in Snyder County.
Her first duty, she says, involves
the Master Knitting program
scheduled for this March.
“Volunteers are trained in
knitting for 50 hours, and in return
must give 50 hours of volunteer,
time by teaching others, giving
radio presentations or writing
articles,” she explains. “The
program will use volunteers as a
resource and save time for the
Extension staff.”
Richards earned her bachelor’s
degree in home economics
education from Penn State in 1979.
She was a member of Phi Upsilon
Omicron and Omicron Nu honor
societies from Delta Gamma
sorority.
After graduation, she purchased
and retailed clothing for Burdines
of Miami, FL between 1979 and
1963, and was an executive staff
assistant for Clark’s Department
Store in Lufkin, TX between 1963
and 1985.
Lebanon and Lancaster
Counties' Only 4 Star
Combine Dealer
717-949-6501
OR TOLL FREE
1-800-822-2152