White Chocolate Energy Blend

3 Pkg. (2.75 oz. each) Imperial Nuts - Energy Blend
1 pkg. white chocolate chips

Melt the white chocolate and stir in the Energy Blend.  Pour onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until cooled.  Break into pieces.

Comment:  Every year I make chocolate and white chocolate candy clusters but this is the 1st year I've ever used Imperial Nuts Energy blend.  The only place I've found these are at the Dollar Tree.  They consist of Almonds, Pecans, Walnuts, Honey Roasted Peanuts, and Honey Roasted Sesame Sticks.  I love them as they are but when I decided to give them a try coated with white chocolate, all I can say is OMGoodness!  I took some to the nursing home, gave some to some of my food testers and even my 99 yr. old neighbor 'Mom.'  They all loved them!  Give these a try and I have a feeling you will too.  The sesame sticks really make them special.

Coconut Macaroons

2 egg whites
1/2 tsp. salt
1 bag (14 oz.) shredded sweetened coconut
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup almond slivers

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  In a large bowl whisk the egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold in coconut and sweetened condensed milk.  Stir in chocolate chips and almond slivers.  Scoop into 2" balls and place about 1" apart onto a parchment lined baking sheet or place into muffin cups sprayed with non-stick spray.  Bake about 25 minutes or until golden brown.  Makes about 3 dozen.

Comment:  This original recipe came from an old Ladies Home Journal magazine.  The only changes I made was to use the semi-sweet chips and I added the almonds.  If you like Almond Joy candies, you'll love these.  I'm not a chocolate eater but I do love coconut and almonds and do eat an Almond Joy once in a blue moon and that is exactly what these taste like.  My 1st batch were cooked on the parchment paper which is a bit messy to prepare.  That is when I decided to try them in the muffin tins.  The 1st batch in the tins were not sprayed and a little hard to remove from the papers so I sprayed the next batch with non-stick and it worked perfectly.

Sweet and Salty White Fudge

2/1/4 cups White Chocolate Chips
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped pretzels

In a heavy saucepan, combine chips, sweetened condensed milk, and marshmallows over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth.  Remove form heat.  Stir in vanilla and pretzels.  Pour mixture into an 8" x 8" x 2" pan lined with wax paper.  Refrigerate for 2 hours, or until firm.  Cut into squares.

Comments:  My daughters both wanted me to make them some fudge.  They wanted Chocolate, Peanut Butter and White.  Like my oldest daughter I like white fudge but also like the sweet salty taste  so I decided to take a twist on some candies I made earlier so I mixed chopped pretzels, salt and all, into my fudge.  It made some of the best fudge I've ever eaten.  And that was the same comment I received from those I shared my fudge with.

Pretzel Candy

Pretzels, window shape
Milk Duds
White Chocolate Disks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (use one with sides).  Place pretzels on paper.  Top each with a white chocolate disk.  Place in oven for 2 minutes, allowing the white chocolate to soften.  Top each with a Milk Dud.  Place back in oven for 2 minutes.  Top with another pretzel.

Comments:  I've had these made without the white chocolate, without the top pretzel and with Rolo candy instead of Milk Duds.  I decided to use the white chocolate, because that is my favorite, and the Milk Duds because they are less expensive and they taste just as good.  You can make a variety of candies by using just the 1 pretzel, 1 white chocolate disk and a nut such as pecan, walnuts, etc.  And yes you can use milk chocolate too.  Or get colorful for any holiday by using seasonal colored disks.

Candy Corn Candy

2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups candy corn
1 1/2 lb. white chocolate candy bark, coarsely chopped
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened consensed milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Cover a cookie sheet, 15 x 10, with parchment paper.  In a large microwave safe bowl pour milk, white chocolate and salt.  Microwave 3-4 minutes stirring at 1 minute intervals.  When completely melted and smooth, stir in vanilla, nuts and candy corn.  Pour onto parchment paper and refrigerate at least 2 hrs.  Cut or break into pieces and store in a covered dish at room temperature.

Comments:  I found this recipe on Pinterest and couldn't wait to give it a try.  The original recipe called for the pecans to be toasted, I bypassed that step which gave my pecans a chewey texture instead of a crunch.  I also increased the amount of candy corn from 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups and used a mixture of regular and carmel flavored candy corn.  This candy has so many possibilities!  With the holidays coming, you can used colored white chocolate and/or holiday flavored candy corn... mint would be good.  You could also add one of my favorites - coconut instead or the nuts or 1 cup of nuts and 1 cup of coconut giving you the best of both tastes.  Think With Your Taste Buds!