If you’re like most cooks, you’ll probably make a batch of home made candy for gift giving or holi day parties. And, if you leant to use your microwave for candy making, you’ll save precious minutes during this busy time. Microwaving candy means fas ter cooking. It’s also much easier and more convenient than stove top cooking. There’s no need to stir or watch candy constantly dur ing cooking. Stir once to dissolve the sugar after a few minutes of cooking for roost old-fashioned cooked candies. Watch closely for the last minute or two to check for doneness. However, you should watch closely during cooking when you try a new receipe, and you’ll need to stir more often when making caramels. Your microwave is fast and convenient for melting caramels or chocolate, too. The most impor tant thing to remember here is not to microwave too long. The car amels or chocolate won’t look melted after a minute or so of microwaving. Stop and stir them and then alternate microwaving and stirring until you can stir them smooth. Towards the end, stir more than microwave. For exam ple, when you stir chocolate chips and they are mostly melted but a Wet Cast Hand-Finished Slats Are Cleaner And More Durable Than Dry Cast Smooth Finished, And Rounded Edges Insure Easy Cleaning And Less Injuries 20 YEARS OF PRODUCING QUALITY CONCRETE PRODUCTS MICROWAVE MINUTES By JOYCE BATTCHER few lumps of chocolate still remain, it’s better to stir until they smooth out, rather than micro wave longer. Clean-up with any kind of microwave candy making is also quick and convenient. After you’re finished cooking the candy or melting ingredients, fill the cooking bowl with hot water and cover with plastic wrap. (If you’ve used a microwave candy ther mometer, clip it on the bowl with the tip in the water.) Microwave on High until boiling. Then let it stand, still covered, for a few minutes while the steam melts the candy. Wash in sudsy water and you’re all set to make another batch. Cooking perfect candy in your microwave is much like cooking perfect candy on a conventional range. It’s important to follow directions and cook the candy to the right doneness. Candy is cooked to the same doneness in the microwave as when it’s cooked on the range. (Read a reli able conventional cookbook to brush up on candy-making bas ics.) In conventional candy making, use of a candy thermometer is important The old cold-water test is an unreliable way to judge doneness. In microwave candy making, a special microwave can dy thermometer is important for convenience and the most accura cy. (Look for one in hardware stores and large supermarkets.) A regular candy thermometer can’t be left in candy during microwav ing. A temperature probe doesn’t register high enough for candy making. Start microwaving Peanut But ter Chocolate Fudge and other old-fashioned cooked candy in a large enough deep bowl to prevent boil-overs. Cover with plastic wrap until the candy boils. The tight cover holds in steam, which washessugar crystals off the con tainer sides and helps prevent sug ary candy. (Leave top of micro wave candy thermometer sticking out of plastic wrap so thermome ter stays cool enough to handle.) After candy boils, stir well until you see and hear that the sugar is dissolved. Continue microwaving, uncovered, until candy reaches correct temperature. If the mixture starts to boil over, quickly open the door and switch to a lower power setting. Closely watch car amel, fudge and other candies that contain milk or cream. Usually no cooking time is given in conventional candy recipes. In microwave recipes time is given, but don’t go by time alone. Time simply is not accu rate. Your microwave may cook faster or slower, or your ingre dients may be at a different start ing temperature than those used when testing the recipe. Candy is done when it reaches the tempera ture given in a recipe. Both of today’s recipes are for fudge. Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge is an example of a cooked candy, while Snickers Fudge is Proctor Crate Drastically Reduces Crushing And Increases Sow Comfort Without Restricting Access To Teats Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 15, 1990-B5 more of what I call a "melt and stir” candy. Both are very easy and convenient to make. I hope you enjoy making and tasting these fudge recipes as much as I do. Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge 2 cups granulated sugar '/j cup milk A cup butter '/j cup peanut butter VA teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup miniature marshmallows '/j cup chopped peanuts (optional) 'A cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Combine sugar, milk and butter in a microwavable deep 2'A - to 3-quart bowl or 2-quart measure. Cover with plastic wrap. Micro wave (High), covered, 4 minutes. Stir well to dissolve sugar. Micro wave (High), uncovered, 4 to 5 minutes. Start checking for done ness after 4 minutes. Candy is done when thermometer registers 235° F (soft ball stage). Immedi ately stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into buttered Bx4-inch loaf dish. Cool. Cut into squares before serving. Makes VA pounds. Hint: For best flavor and cream iness, allow this (and other fudges) to “ripen” at least one day before serving. To keep fudge soft and creamy, store it uncut in an airtight container in a cool place, refrigerator or freezer. Easy Snickers Fudge 'A cup butter A cup unsweetened cocoa 'A cup firmly packed brown sugar V* cup milk 1 box (1 pound, 3 'A cups) pow dered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla M * < cdSLa? Proven Stain ’ less Steel Feeders Deliver Better Feed Conversion, Reduce Manuring In Feeders And Require Less Adjustment - “The Most Durable Feeder On The Market” 24 caramels 1 tablespoon water 2 cups dry or regular roast pea nuts (salt-free or salted) Vi cup semi-sweet chocolate chips '/a cup milk chocolate chips Prepare a 9x9-inch pan by cut ting 2 sheets of waxed paper, each 9 inches long. Place sheets on top of each other in pan. (Edges should extend above pan on 2 sides.) Melt butter in a microwavable 2-quart measure or casserole; gra dually stir in cocoa, brown sugar and milk. Microwave (High) 2 to 2'/a minutes or until at a rolling boil, stirring once toward end of cooking. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla; do not beat Pour into prepared pan. Place caramels and water in a microwavable 1-quart bowl. Microwave on Medium (50 per cent power, 325-350 watts) 2 to 2'/> minutes. Stir until melted; stir in peanuts and immediately pour over fudge layer. Set aside. Place chocolate chips in a microwavable 2- to 4-cup measure or bowl. Microwave on Medium (50 percent power, 325-350 watts) 2to 2'/a minutes. Stir until melted. Spread over caramel layer. Keep refrigerated. Before serving, loosen waxed paper from pan and lift fudge out Cut into squares. Makes 49 squares or 2 pounds. Hint: If your microwave only has High power (100 percent, 650 to 700 watts), use less time and more stirring to melt caramels and chocolate. Microwave on High for 1 minute; stir and then alternate microwaving for 30 seconds and stirring until caramel or chips are completely melted after stirring.