what is your favorite for the holiday

mine fantasy fudge

pralines   tiger butter <taste like a reese> 

Herseys makes a super DELICIOUS peppermint bark, I could eat so much it makes me sick lol. 

My mother's homemade fudge was by far my most favorite candy, but shes not here no more so I dont get to eat and horde her fudge, really miss that lady.. And my mother in laws homemade peanut brittle, oh so darn good and when she makes a batch with milk chocolate layer on top of the brittle, WOWZ

Peanut Brittle. My grandma used to make it and I would just about make myself sick. Fudge too with walnuts, but not everyone makes it the way I like it. My grandma did thought. Spoiled me lol

So apparently espresso chips (like chocolate chips) are a thing. My aunt made espresso fudge and it was outstanding! 

Creamy fudge with pecans

Forgotten cookies and just plain ole chocolate chip cookies Momma makes.  Those were for me but she also made chocolate covered cherries for Daddy.   

Oatmeal lace cookies Mammaw Hootney made

My mother is a caterer, so there was always great candy/ fudge around at holiday time. We got to the point were none of it was special to us because we made so much for parties. What she made just for us was the homemade carmels. We would wait with spoons in hand for her to pour them into the pan. We'd burn our mouths to be the first one to get a taste and to say we got the first piece. These days, I make the carmels for family and friends. They have been shipped to several different states/ countries depending on where someone was stationed / living. There is always a small corner of the pan cut out - that way they know I got the first piece!

The one holiday candy I have trouble making is fudge. The only candy my grandmother would make was fudge- and I can NEVER make it like hers.  

waa it the kind where you have the soft ball  my gram made that i never could but that fantasy fudge is good too  

gram made divinity  i have never tried it  but dang that was good stuff 

Mammaw Hootney made divinity too--and I always liked when the "weather wasn't right" and the divinity was ugly. . . We got it if that happened!!

PRALINES if you are related to anyone from LOUISIANA!

Years ago when I taught homemaking we would have a candy foods lab. Four guys wanted to make divinity. I really tried to talk them out of it. Then I decided you learn from your mistakes too. One thing taught all of them was to use a candy thermometer. Well it rained that day BUT their divinity was perfect. They used the divinity recipe from an old Betty Crocker cookbook. I think it is foolproof. That is the one that I still use. You can probably find it online. Be sure you use a thermometer. 

Grandmother never used a thermometer, she was really good at eyeballing it and using the cold water test to determine stage. I do use one and a really thick walled, cast iron pot for making my candy.

I can make fudge that others say is good -  grandmothe'rs was just better.

Divinity is also the bomb- who doens't like pure sugar?? Yes humidty can affect it, but if I have to make it on humid days, I add a spoonfull of powdered sugar while I'm beating it. I use a spoon like you would use to serve a meal with. It probably holds 3 true measuring tablespoons. Also, the way i judge if my divinity is ready to scoop is when I lift my beaters I'm looking at the river of candy that flows off the beater. If the river is still "running"- beat some more. If you raise the beater and the river stops running - start scooping. I also have several buttered tablespoons ready. I'll switch spoons when one starts to get gummy- it helps them look a little more fininshed.

One of my grandmothers used a thermometer, but my other one used cold water--when I was little I loved eating those little leftover balls!   I had forgotten about that until you mentioned it. . . 

Peanut brittle, divinity and home made taffy (always peppermint and Wintergreen colored red & green).  But I can't make any as good as grandma's was and it always makes me miss her.

This thread made me sad but happy at the same time--sad because both of my grandmothers are gone now but happy because I have those wonderful memories of time spent in their kitchens. . .