Candy
By Bryanna Clark Grogan

BRYANNA'S ONE-PAN VEGAN FUDGE Makes 24 pieces

I'm not much of a candy-maker, but this easy recipe illustrates how you can use the Sweetened condensed Soymilk recipe below. It makes a good Christmas gift.

5 oz. unsweetened vegan baking chocolate, cut into small chunks
1/4 c. powdered vegan sugar OR unbleached sugar or white beet sugar, ground in a dry blender until powdery
1 recipe Sweetened Condensed Soymilk (see recipe below)
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch salt
1/2 c. chopped toasted nuts

Melt the chocolate with the powdered sugar and Sweetened Condensed Soymilk in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. When the mixture is very smooth, stir in the vanilla, salt, and nuts. Spread the mixture into a greased 9x5" loaf pan. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into 24 pieces.

VARIATION:
Bryanna's Crispy Chocolate Peanut Clusters:
Omit the vanilla, salt, and nuts. While the mixture is hot, stir in 2 c. natural crispy rice cereal and 1 c. roasted peanuts. Drop by spoonful onto waxed-paper-lined baking sheets. Chill until firm. Makes 48.

BRYANNA'S SWEETENED CONDENSED SOYMILK equal to a 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk-- 1 and 2/3 c.
THis is from my book "Soyfoods Cooking for a Positive Menopause".

I devised this primarily to make Vietnamese Coffee, but it can be used in baking and candy-making instead of the dairy product. It's fast to make and keeps in the refrigerator for several weeks.

1 c. light unbleached sugar or white beet sugar
2/3 c. boiling water
6 T. bulk soymilk powder
5 T. isolated soy protein powder
1 T. melted good-tasting nondairy margarine (Earth Balance)

Combine all ingredients in a blender until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is thick. Pour into a clean jar, cover and refrigerate. It thickens when chilled.

CAROB DELIGHTS (From "Country Kitchen Collection", Silver Hills Inst., Lumby B.C.)

Soften together:

1/2 c. honey (you could use maple syrup or fruit concentrate syrup)
3 T. peanut butter (you could use other nut butter)

Then add:
1 c. ground granola
1/2 c. coconut
1/4 c. carob powder
1/2 c. ground sunflower seeds
1/4 c. ground sesame seeds
1/2 tsp. salt
vanilla to taste

Combine well and form into balls.

BRYANNA'S "HOT RODS" (This is a recipe my kids used to make) makes 3 and 1/2 dozen

Blend in a saucepan:
1 c. vegan sugar
3 T. unsweetened cocoa
1/4 c. soy milk
1/4 c. vegan margarine (Earth Balance)

Bring to a boil, stirring now and then. Boil 1 minute.

Stir in:

1 and 1/2 c. old fashioned rolled oats
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 c. unsweetened coconut
1/4 c. crunchy peanut butter (or other nut butter)

Drop by tablespoonfuls on cookie sheets lined with parchment or waxed paper. Let stand til cooled and firm. Store in refrigerator or freezer.

BRYANNA'S CAROB FUDGE another old favorite back in the "Old days"!

With your hands, mix together well:

1/2 c. EACH:
peanut butter (or other nut butter)
honey (I would now use maple syrup or fruit concentrate syrup)
carob powder
chopped nuts and/or sunflower seeds
sesame seeds

and 1/4 c. wheat germ (or quick oats)

this is very sticky. When well-mixed, wash off hands and leave them wet. Roll into balls, egg shapes (we used to make "Easter eggs" out of these) or logs, or press into an oiled pan and cut into squares or other shapes. Roll in coconut (colored, if you wish), ground nuts or ground granola.

SEE text for notes on truffle-making:
BRYANNA'S CHOCOLATE-SOY GANACHE Makes about 1 and 1/2 c.

A ganache is a rich, fudgy chocolate icing that firms up when cooled. It is usually made with heavy cream, but rich, full-fat soymilk blended with silken tofu makes a wonderful substitute.

TRUFFLES: A firm ganache is also the basis for making chocolate truffles-- if you would like to try this, reduce the amount of soymilk to 1/3 c. to 1/4 c.. Roll the cold mixture in chopped toasted nuts, coconut or cocoa powder.

Remember that the quality of your ganache depends upon the quality of the chocolate you use.

6 oz. excellent-quality dairy-free semi-sweet eating chocolate or chocolate chips (1 c.)
1/2 c. full-fat soymilk
1/3 c. extra-firm SILKEN tofu
1 tsp. vanilla OR 1 T. brandy or liqueur of choice

Break the chocolate up and process it finely in a dry food processor. Leave the chocolate in the processor.

Whip the soymilk and silken tofu together in the blender or with a hand blender until VERY smooth. Heat it in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until almost to the boiling point, or microwave it in a microwave-save bowl for about 1 minute at 50 percent power, or until very hot, but not boiling. (If the mixture seems to curdle at all, blend it again until smooth.)

With the motor running, pour the hot soy creme in through the feed tube. Process until the mixture is smooth.

Scrape the mixture into a mixing bowl and refrigerate just until it is completely cooled, but not chilled. Whip in the vanilla or liqueur. Allow to chill for several hours, or until firm enough to use as a frosting.

This will keep a couple of weeks refrigerated. To soften the ganache, leave at room temperature until as soft as you like it, or microwave for a few seconds.

To use as a sauce or a pourable icing, stir in the vanilla or liqueur while still warm and pour immediately over the cake, or, if made ahead, reheat in a double boiler or in a microwave on LOW, stirring every 15 seconds.

BRYANNA'S VEGAN COFFEE TRUFFLES makes about 2 dozen
(I usually make my husband some of these for Christmas.)

9 oz. semisweet (vegan) chocolate PLUS 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
(OR use 12 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate-- whatever your preference)
1/4 c. Earth Balance, softened
1/2 c. coffee-flavored liqueur
Unsweetened regular (not Dutch) cocoa powder, either plain or blended with unbleached sugar til powdery (equal amounts)

Break up the chocolate in very small pieces. Place in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water. Cook until chocolate melts, stirring often. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl. With an electric mixer, beat in the Earth Balance. Gradually beat in the liqueur, beating constantly to keep the mixture creamy and smooth. Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours, til firm. With hands, roll mixture into 1" balls. Roll balls in cocoa, shaking off excess. Equally divide between two pint freezer bags with zip-lock tops. Remove excess air and seal. Greeze up to 6 months.

NUTTY ORANGE TRUFFLES:
Use orange liquer instead of coffee liqueur and add grated zest of 1 orange. Roll in chopped nuts instead of cocoa.

BRYANNA’S DOUBLE NUT CLUSTERS (OR “NOT-CHOCOLATES”, if you prefer carob)

As I’ve said before, I’m not much of a candy-maker. I like easy candy recipes, and you can’t get much easier than this!

TO MAKE CAROB CANDIES (“Not-Chocolates”), omit the chocolate and use 1 c. UNsweetened dairy-free carob chips. You may want to add 1-2 T. of maple syrup.

1 c. semi-sweet dairy-free chocolate chips (you can use the naturally-sweetened ones)
OPTIONAL: 1-2 T. maple syrup
OPTIONAL: 1 T. coconut oil
1/2 c. any nut butter (peanut is good, but you can use any)
1 c. chopped toasted nuts of choice

Combine and melt the chips and nut butter (and optionals, if using) in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. When the mixture is smooth, stir in the nuts. Drop by spoonfuls on waxed paper on cookie sheets. Refrigerate until firm.

BRYANNA’S “ENERGY BALLS”--- these are yummy

1/2 c. oatmeal (or other cereal flakes for cooked cereal)
1/4 c. moist brown sugar
1/4 c. peanut butter (or other nut butter)
4 tsp. Fine unsweetened grated coconut or ground nuts or sunflower seeds
4 tsp. Chopped raisins or other dried fruit of choice
4 tsp. Non-dairy milk
OPTIONAL: 1- T. cocoa or carob powder plus a T. or so of maple syrup

Grind the oatmeal in a food processor until chopped well. Add remaining ingredients and blend until a ball forms.

Roll into 4 large or 8 smaller balls.

These can now be dipped in melted semi-sweet vegan chocolate (or melted unsweetened dairy-free carob chips), or rolled in coconut, if you wish.