Something Sweet

Okay, to make up for whining, I am posting a recipe. As I mentioned before, I have been making candy for gifts for the neighbors. This recipe is very easy and so far is the one Tom and I like the best. You need two or three big cookie sheets and room in the refrigerator to cool the candies. Once cooled, you can put them in containers. It says to keep them refrigerated, but they don't last long enough to melt once you put them out.

Raisin Cashew Drops

2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (basically, one bag of chips)
1 can sweetened condensed milk (Eagle Brand or whatever)
1 tablespoon light corn syrup (Karo, etc.)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups coarsely chopped cashews (probably works fine with peanuts, etc. Don't chop too small!)
2 cups raisins

Melt chocolate chips with milk and corn syrup in heavy saucepan for 10-12 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. (I melt it in the microwave. Heat for a minute, stir it well, heat for another thirty seconds, stir, repeat if necessary. It doesn't need to boil, just get warm enough to melt smoothly.)

Remove from heat, stir in vanilla until it is blended.

Stir in cashews and raisins until well mixed. It will be pretty thick. (The raisins tend to clump up, so I break them up by hand and mix with the nuts before hand. This makes them mix better when you add them to the chocolate mixture.)

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until firm.

This is amazingly easy if you use the microwave to melt the chocolate chips and very tasty! It makes a couple of pounds of candy, so it is easy to give some away and still have some for yourself.

Variations: I haven't tried this, but you could do it with white chocolate chips (or vanilla chips) and golden raisins for a different look and slightly different taste. I have also thought about doing it with dried cranberries instead of raisins.