Two Easy Candies to make, Really

I have had this recipe for over 30 years it's from an old Betty Crocker recipe card, and I have also been making it that long. No need of a candy thermometer for both of theses recipes. Just some constant stirring. Both are equally delicious. Hope you can tell the ants are not real they are built into the plate and I love this plate it's great to give a kid her lunch on it and see their face. The first candy here is Toffee using any nut you like. I used a mix of Pecans and Macadamia nuts. Almonds are really good to use here too.

1 Cup nuts, pecans, almonds, macadamia, chopped.

3/4 cup brown sugar packed

1/2 cup butter

1 bar 4 1/2 oz. or 1/2 cup chocolate chips or mix it up. I always use a little more

Butter a baking pan 9x9. Spread nuts over butter.

Heat the sugar and butter to boiling stirring constantly. Boil over medium heat for 7 minutes. Don't let it burn

Immediately spread the mixture over the nuts in the pan.

Sprinkle the chocolate over the hot mixture place a baking pan over the pan to hold the heat in for a minute.

Spread the chocolate over the nuts.

At this point I just freeze the pan and then crack or cut into jagged pieces.

Peanut Butter and Jam Cups

This is Peanut Butter cups with a twist. I was making just regular cups and I thought why not jam too. I love Raspberry Jam and that's what I had so I added a tiny bit and now all my Peanut Butter Cups with be with both Jam and Peanut Butter it's that good. I put a little pink salt on top.

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

less than 1/2 teaspoon of jam in each cup, use what you like, I used raspberry

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp

1/8 or just a pinch of salt

1/2 cup powdered sugar

sprinkle of sea salt or pink salt

Chocolate Coating

9 oz. semi sweet chocolate, chocolate chips

9 oz. milk chocolate coarsely chopped or dark chocolate what ever you like

1 Tablespoon of shorting

Line 24 to 36 mini muffin cups with paper liners

Place the peanut butter, unsalted butter and salt in a small bowl and microwave for 30 seconds but don't melt all the way.

Stir in the powdered sugar. Set aside

Melt the chocolates and shortening in a bowl over a simmering pan of water

Drop a teaspoon of chocolate into each paper lined cup and top with a scant teaspoon of peanut butter and then jam.

Then top with a little bit of chocolate and a little bit of salt. Freeze until ready to eat.