Angel Food Candy, Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles, White Chocolate Haystacks

We had a lovely work holiday party last night and I of course offered to make some candies for the occassion. In addition to a copius amount of chocolate caramel candies I also brought some other old favorites, Angel food candy and White Chocolate Haystacks (that my Grandma Vi had at every Christmas) and a new endeavor/favorite- chocolate hazelnut truffles.

Angel Food Candy- recipe from Allrecipes.com
Ingredients
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Dark Corn Syrup
1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar (or any white vinegar)
1 Tablespoon Baking soda
1 12 oz package semisweet chocolate chips (i also threw in some leftover butterscotch chips)

1. Butter a 9"x13" baking dish
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat combine the sugar, corn syrup, and vinegar. Stir until sugar dissolves. Heat without stirring until the mixture reaches 300-310° or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms hard, brittle threads.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda. Pour into prepared pan and do not spread. Allow to cool completely
4. In a double boiler melt chocolate chips stirring constantly until smooth. Break candy into pieces and coat with the chocolate. Place pieces on a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles- recipe from Taste of Home
Ingredients:
-3/4 Cup powdered sugar
-2 Tablespoons cocoa
-4 milk chocolate candy bars (1.55oz each)
-6 Tablespoons butter
-1/4 Cup heavy whipping cream
-1 Cup ground hazelnuts

1. In a large bowl whisk together the powdered sugar and cocoa. Set aside. In a double boiler melt the butter and candy bars. Add heavy cream and reserved sugar/cocoa mixture. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until mixture is thickened and smooth. Pour into an 8" square dish. cover and refridgerate at least 5 hours.2. Using a melon baller or spoon, shape candy into 1" balls and roll into crushed hazelnuts. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

faulty product, faulty user?

I just got back from a fantastic long weekend in minneapolis and needed to update with this delicious chocolate hazelnut cake that carrie, andrew, and I took on. Carrie and I bought matching spring form pans and had to put one to the test with this cake. when we entered the kitchen in the final minutes of baking we entered a smoke filled room due to a slight butter leak out of the pan. This certainly could not have been anything we did wrong so it must have been a faulty pan.......later on we happened to take a peak at the directions again to realize we added 1 cup of butter instead of 3/4 cup and 12oz of chocolate opposed to 10oz. It was still tasty (I don't know that too much butter or chocolate has ever been a completely horrible thing), and we were only slightly embarrassed when we transferred the cake to a paper plate to bring to a party and by the time we got there the plate was soaked with butter.

Chocolate Hazelnut Cake Recipe:

3/4 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

5 egg yolks

1-1/4 cups ground hazelnuts

10 oz melted dark chocolate, cooled

powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Farenheit. Grease and flour the bottom of a 9" spring form pan. Using a mixer with a paddle attachment cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg yolks and beat until the mixture lightens in colorFold in hazelnuts, then the chocolateTransfer to the preoared pan and bake for 40 min. Let cool in pan. Release cake from pan and dust with powdered sugar