Easy-to-Make Candy...The Perfect Last-Minute Gift

Christmas got away from me this year. Lots of business travel and a couple of days being sick cut into the time I usually spend cooking, baking and buying the perfect gifts. So it's been a weekend of quick and easy (but delicious) homemade gifts for neighbors and those friends that we "promised" not to exchange gifts with. (Isn't cheating fun?)

My other half has been quite the food-gift-elf this week. Making batches of these delicious spicy pecans.

I got into the act also with these two simple and tasty candy recipes.

Salty Chocolate Pecan Candy
From Southern Living.


1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
3 (4-oz.) bars bittersweet chocolate baking bars (Make sure you're getting the big thin ones and not "baking squares.")
3 (4-oz.) white chocolate baking bars
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt*

Place pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted.

Line a 17- x 12-inch jelly-roll pan with parchment paper. Break each chocolate bar into 8 equal pieces. (You will have 48 pieces total.) Arrange in a checkerboard pattern in jelly-roll pan, alternating white and dark chocolate. (Pieces will touch.)

Bake at 225° for 5 minutes or just until chocolate is melted. Remove pan to a wire rack. Swirl chocolates into a marble pattern using a wooden pick. Sprinkle evenly with toasted pecans and salt.

Chill 1 hour or until firm. Break into pieces. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 month.

Bourbon Pecan Truffles

From Everyday Food.

Note: Chilling the chocolate mounds for a half hour makes it easier to shape them into balls. The truffles soften quickly, so keep them in the refrigerator until just before serving.

To make sure the chocolate does not melt, work with a few truffles at a time (keeping the rest refrigerated), and roll them in the nuts quickly.
Makes 35 truffles.

1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (or 10 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped)
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 cup finely chopped pecans

In a medium saucepan, bring cream to a boil; remove from heat, and add chocolate and bourbon. Let stand 3 minutes; whisk until smooth. Transfer chocolate mixture to a medium bowl, and refrigerate, uncovered, until thick and firm enough to spoon out in mounds, about 2 hours.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Drop level tablespoons of chocolate mixture onto baking sheet. Refrigerate chocolate mounds until firm, 30 minutes.
Place pecans in a shallow bowl. Using hands, roll each chocolate mound into a ball; roll balls in pecans, pressing lightly to adhere, and place on baking sheet. Refrigerate truffles until set, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

*3/4 tsp. kosher salt may be substituted.