Penuche

Penuche is a fudge-like candy made from brown and white sugar, butter, milk and vanilla for flavoring. Historically, this recipe has been attributed to the New England area as well as some places in the Southern United States, but there are several variations of the dish in nearly every part of the world.  Penuche often has a tarnished, dull tan color, and is lighter than regular fudge. Penuche resembles taste characteristics of both butterscotch and maple overtones and is made to a soft, comforting fudgy texture.

Ingredients: 

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

3/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 Tablespoon butter

Directions:

Mix sugar and milk in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil and boil to almost hard ball stage (260* F).

Remove pan from the heat and set in cold water until the bottom of the pan is lukewarm to your touch.  Add the vanilla and butter without stirring and let it melt.

Once the butter is completely melted and the sugar mixture is just warm, stir by running a spoon along the outside edge of the pan and flipping the mixture toward the center of the pan.  Continue in this manner until the mixture loses its gloss and becomes stiff.

With buttered hands, roll the mixture into a log about 1″ in diameter.  Cut into 1/2″ pieces and place on a buttered plate.  When cooled completely, wrap each piece separately in wax paper and store in an air-tight container at room temperature.

Ellie Mae’s Caramel Popcorn

Easy to make and a family favorite, making homemade caramel popcorn is a holiday special. Perfect for movies, game night, snacks or holiday parties it is a well-loved favorite. Caramel popcorn can easily be stored in large tins or decorative bags and makes great Christmas gifts for family and friends.

Ingredients:

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup butter

1/2 cup white corn syrup

1/8 teapsoon cream of tartar

6 quarts (24 cups) Ellie Mae’s white popcorn, popped

Directions:

Over the stove, mix brown sugar, margarine and corn syrup together. Add the cream of tartar and bring to a boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Immediately pour over the popcorn and mix well. Spread the popcorn on cookie sheets and bake at 225*F for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  Cool completely. Store in airtight containers