White Chocolate Rum Fudge | Candy Recipe

It seems everyone has a special recipe they're fond of.  Even though I like my mom's White Chocolate Rum Fudge, my sister-in-law makes a chocolate fudge with walnuts that I always look forward to every year. Serve a favorite fudge as a sweet treat at your next dinner party, picnic or bring a tin along as a hostess gift!

Sweet Treats

Fudge is one of my family's favorite holiday candies.  Christmas just wouldn't be the same to them if I didn't make fudge!  My own mom always made fudge made with marshmallows for Christmas, and often experimented with several different recipes.

I'll be sharing my favorite candy and dessert recipes with you that I've collected over the years that the kids and grandchildren always ask for!

You might want to check out my recipe for Peanut Butter Fudge!

Easy Clean Up with Handmade Kitchen Dish Cloths from Moomettes Crochet !

White Chocolate Rum Fudge

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
2 C white chocolate chips
2 C butterscotch chips
1 t rum flavored extract
1 t butter flavored extract

Pour the can of condensed milk into a medium saucepan and place it over medium heat.
Add the white chocolate and butterscotch chips.
Stirring constantly, heat the mixture until the chips have completely melted.
The mixture should be very smooth and creamy when done.
Remove the mixture from the heat.
Add the rum and butter extract and stir until completely combined.
Place a piece of wax paper into a square pan being sure there is enough over the edge to use as handles.
Spread the mixture into the prepared pan evenly.
Place the pan in the refrigerator for about 1 hour until the fudge becomes firm.
Remove the pan from the refrigerator and using the wax paper handles lift the fudge from the pan.
Cut the fudge into bite size squares and store in an airtight container.

© Frugal New England Kitchen

Cookie Swap Ideas | Frugal Cooking Ideas For Saving Money During theHolidays

The holidays and New Year are full of time for family and friends. Just thinking about making new memories fills people with the Christmas spirit. This Christmas, gather a few of your best girlfriends and host a cookie exchange party. Here's some cookie swap ideas.

Cookie Swap Ideas

Cookie Swaps are a frugal way to have some fun and maybe exchange Secret Santa cheap presents.

What is a cookie swap? It can be done at any time of the year, but there are so many rich, delectable cookie recipes associated with Christmas, that it is hard to pass up having a get together that centers on the sweet round treat. Keep the list of participants short or you will be baking cookies until your oven gives out.

The main idea behind the cookie exchange is fun, fellowship, and food. Each person invited to the swap will make a dozen cookies for every other guest plus themselves. The dozen they make for themselves will be left at home. Hide it from prying eyes if you don't want them to magically disappear while you attend the party.

Cookie swap ideas and parties work well if planned at least three weeks in advance. This gives your guests time to respond to your invitation and bake the cookies. Ask each guest to list the kind of cookies they will bake so there are no dupes. A week before the party, give a phone call, email, and a postcard to the guests who are coming to let them know how many people will be in attendance. Now they know how many dozens of cookies to bake.

Plan the cookie swap for a cool weekend evening. On a Saturday evening, no one wants to worry about heating costs or getting up early for work. Guests can relax and eat until they need some Pepto Bismol. Since cookies are so sweet, provide drinks like apple cider, bottled water, and hot chocolate.

Finger foods are allowed at the cookie swap. Each person including you will be baking a bunch of cookies so purchase appetizer trays from the local grocery store or have the affair catered. Catering may be a bit pricey but you only live once.

Chocolate chip, Chocolate Bark, Brandy Balls, almond, spice, fruit filled, and brownies -these sound mouth-watering. Instead of the traditional cookies that we make each year, try to come up with something new for everyone to try. They and their families will love you. Bring a few extra bags or disposable containers for guests to take home their cookies that they didn't eat. Check out my recipes for White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies, Cake Mix Cookies (great for the kids to make on their own) and German Chocolate Turtle Bars.

Need a holiday idea? Host a Christmas cookie swap for your church circle, coworkers, or neighborhood friends is easy, and doesn't require payday loans. If there must be a gathering, make sure that something sweet is present.

Clean up after the party with my crochet handmade Dish Cloths from my Moomettes Crochet shop!

Watch for some great Christmas and holiday cookie recipes you can start freezing ahead!

© Frugal New England Kitchen

Brandy Balls | Cookie Balls | Easy Christmas Candy Recipes

It wouldn’t be Christmas without some sweet chocolate treats. Besides Valentine’s Day, Christmas is another holiday where people give food as gifts. What better gift to give to friends or to your family than a pretty Holiday tin full of Liqueur Brandy Balls.

Easy Christmas Candy Recipe

Brandy Balls are sweet and not tooth-friendly. Some people call them Brandy Truffles.  But, it is the Christmas season and it only comes once a year. Your teeth will forgive you as long as you brush afterwards. Brandy Balls look good and are easy to make. Be sure not to leave it unattended or the ingredients may overcook and ruin your batch of candy.

Making candy doesn’t have to be hard. Start out with simple recipes and work your way up to the more difficult ones. Most candy is mixed in a saucepan over varying levels of heat.

This is my mother's recipe for Brandy Ball Truffles.  Sometime mom would make brandy balls, sometime she'd make Rum Chocolate Balls.  Some folks even like to make Bourbon Chocolate Balls.

Mom used to crush her Vanilla Wafers and walnuts with an old-fashion rolling pin. I used to do the same for years too, but now I enjoy using my Cuisinart food processor - makes short work!

However, I do stick with tradition and use my mom's now vintage glass Pyrex mixing bowls that I inherited!

I haven't made these Brandy Balls in quite some time.  In years past I would start making my Christmas candy recipes the day after Thanksgiving.  But fast forward, and the Friday after Thanksgivings is now Black Friday, and I'm usually out trying to score Black Friday deals.

These Brandy Balls need some time to ferment.  The first time charming son-in-law ever tasted them, he said "whoa!"

That's just how good they are!

Check out my recipe for No Bake Oreo Truffles Balls and other cookie exchange recipes too!

Every year after Thanksgiving I start to make my Brandy Balls recipe.  Sometimes I make Rum Balls.  Think I'll be sending some up to my brother in Upstate New York, along with a few of my crochet handmade Dish Cloths that I sell at my Moomettes Shop. Aren't these old fashion handmade dishcloths pretty?

Brandy Ball Chocolate Truffles

12 oz package chocolate chips morsels
6 Tbl. Karo syrup (clear)
1 c. brandy, rum, bourbon or whiskey
1 c. chopped nuts
1 c. confectioners sugar
5 c. crushed Vanilla Wafers

Mix together chocolate chips and Karo syrup

Add brandy, rum, bourbon or whiskey and mix well

Add together chopped nuts, confectioner's sugar and vanilla wafers

Mix all ingredients together and let stand for 1/2 hour in refrigerator

Roll into balls in confectioners sugar or nuts

Store in an air-tight container until ready to serve

© Frugal New England Kitchen