Buckeyes II Recipe

"Creamy peanut butter with a semisweet chocolate shell. ENJOY!"  Original recipe yield: 3 dozen.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup finely ground graham cracker crumbs
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening

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DIRECTIONS:
Combine peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs, and confectioners' sugar in a bowl or a food processor until smooth. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Roll teaspoonfuls of peanut butter mixture into balls. Refrigerate until ready to dip in melted chocolate.
Melt chocolate chips and shortening together in the top of a double boiler until very liquid. Using a fork or a skewer, dip each ball into chocolate leaving just the very top of the ball exposed. Set on a greased cookie sheet, setting each ball on the peanut butter end. Refrigerate until the chocolate is firm.

Cappuccino Caramels Royale

"Everyone will love this homemade chocolate candy made with instant coffee and nuts!"  Original recipe yield: 3 pounds.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter
2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, cut up
2 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
1 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon instant coffee crystals
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

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DIRECTIONS:
Line 8-inch square baking pan with wax paper, extending wax paper over edges of pan. Butter wax paper; set aside.

In heavy 3-quart saucepan, melt 1 cup butter and chocolate. Stir in brown sugar, EAGLE BRAND®, corn syrup and coffee crystals. Clip candy thermometer to side of pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thermometer registers 248 degrees F (firm-ball stage*). Mixture should boil at moderate, steady rate over entire surface. Reaching firm-ball stage should take 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove from heat. Remove thermometer. Immediately stir in nuts (optional). Quickly pour into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Cool.

When candy is firm, use wax paper to lift candy out of pan. Use buttered knife to cut into squares. Wrap each square in plastic wrap or place in candy cups if desired.

*Note: To test for firm-ball stage, spoon a few drops of the hot caramel mixture into a cup of very cold (but not icy) water. Using your fingers, form the drops into a ball. Remove ball from water. If it is firm enough to hold its shape but quickly flattens at room temperature, it has reached firm-ball stage. If the mixture hasn't reached the correct stage, continue cooking and retesting, using fresh water and a clean spoon each time.