CROCK-POT DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CANDY

36-oz salted dry-roasted peanuts

4 squares (4-oz) German sweet chocolate

1 pkg (12-oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 1/2 lbs white almond bark

Place peanuts in the bottom of a 4-qt crock-pot or slow cooker. Place layered over the peanuts in the following order: German sweet chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, followed by the allmond bark.

Set cooker on low setting and cook 3 hours without stirring! After 3 hours, stir mixture with a wooden spoon until smooth.

Drop candy into small candy liners by teaspoon or into cupcake liners by tablespoon. Allow candy to cool completely before removing liners (if you choose to do so).

file photo for reference

CHERRY VANILLA NUT CLUSTERS

16 vanilla almond bark squares

2 cups toasted, chopped macadamia nuts
1 can (3-oz) chow mien noodles
1 cup dried cherries

In a 3 or 4-quart slow cooker, combine the almond bark and the nuts.

Place lid on the cooker and cook on low setting for 1 hour and 30 minutes until the almond bark has melted.

Remove lid, turn off cooker, and add the chow mien noodles and cherries; stir to combine well.

Lay out a sheet of waxed paper and drop the candy by tablespoonfuls onto the paper.  Allow to set until dry. 

When completely cooled and dry, store in an airtight container.

file photo

CHOCOLATE PECAN PIE CAKE

 

Cake:

• 1 package (2-layer size) chocolate cake mix
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Pecan Pie Topping:
• 2 cups chopped pecans
• 1 1/2 cups light corn syrup
• 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Spray inside of 6-quart slow cooker with no stick cooking spray. 
• For the Chocolate Cake, prepare cake batter as directed on package, stirring in cinnamon and vanilla. Pour into greased slow cooker. Place towel over slow cooker and cover with lid.
• Cook 2 hours on LOW or until cake is almost set.
• For the Pecan Pie Topping, sprinkle pecans over cake. Beat remaining ingredients with wire whisk until smooth. Slowly pour over pecans. Cover.
• Cook 10 minutes longer on LOW. Turn off slow cooker. Carefully remove slow cooker insert and place on wire rack. Cool 20 minutes before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.
• Yield: 12-14 servings
•  
• This is a McCormick's recipe.

EASY TRIPLE CHOCOLATE PEANUT CLUSTERS

2 lbs white candy coating broken into small pieces

2 cups (12-oz pkg) semisweet chocolate chips

1 pkg (4-oz) German sweet chocolate

1 jar (24-oz) dry roasted peanuts 

In slow cooker, combine the three chocolates. Place lid on cooker and cook on high1 hour. Reduce the heat to low, keep covered and cook 1 hour longer or until melted, stirring every 15 minutes. Add the peanuts and mix well. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. Let stand until set. Store at room temperature.

Yield: Approximately 3 1/2 dozen

file photo

CHOCOLATE FUDGE

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon salted butter
cooking spray to spray down the crock
parchment paper or non-stick foil to line a 9 x 9 baking pan

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. If you only have a 6-quart, that's okay, but it will melt faster, so keep an eye on your chocolate.
Spray the crock well with cooking spray (if you are using a Ninja, I'd still spray it down). 
Dump everything into the pot. Cover, and cook on high for about 1 hour, or on low for about 2 hours. Stir every 30 minutes. Once the chocolate has lost it's form and can be stirred into a liquid state, spread it out into a lined 9 x 9 baking pan.
Chill in the refrigerator overnight (or at least 4 hours) before cutting into bite-sized squares.

If you'd like to, go ahead and add chopped nuts or candy canes for a peppermint version.

Note: This recipe is from A Year of Slow Cooking.

file photo

PEPPERMINT PRETZEL CANDY

1 pkg (20-oz) vanilla candy coating, coarsely chopped

6-oz white baking chocolate with cocoa butter, coarsely chopped
3 tbsp butter-flavored vegetable shortening
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1 pkg (16-oz) pretzel twists, coarsely chopped to make 8 cups
3/4 cup coarsely chopped striped round peppermint candies (approx 28 pieces)
3-oz dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

1. Place a disposable slow cooker liner in a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker. Add candy coating, white chocolate, and shortening; stir to combine.
2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until mixture is melted and smooth, stirring every 30 minutes. Stir in peppermint extract. Stir in pretzels and peppermint candies.
3. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop candy mixture by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets. Let stand at room temperature until firm.
4. In a small saucepan cook and stir dark chocolate over low heat until melted; cool slightly. Spoon melted dark chocolate into a decorating bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain tip. (Or fill a heavy resealable plastic bag with melted chocolate; snip a small hole in one corner of the bag.) Drizzle melted dark chocolate over candies. If desired, sprinkle with additional crushed peppermint candies. Let stand at room temperature until firm.

file photo

CHOCOLATE TURTLE CLUSTERS

1 jar (16-oz) unsalted peanuts

1 jar (16-oz) salted peanuts
1 German Chocolate Bar
1 pkg milk chocolate morsels
2 lbs white chocolate bark

Combine all ingredients in a crock-pot and cook on low for two hours.

Drop mixture onto waxed paper by spoonfuls; allow to cool completely.

Chocolate mixture will seem thin at first but it will thicken up.

file photo

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE NUT CLUSTERS

Candy in your slow cooker? Absolutely!  And it is so good and easy.

1 jar (16-oz) dry-roasted peanuts
1 can (9 3/4-oz) salted whole cashews
2 cups pecan pieces
18 (2-oz each) squares of chocolate bark candy coating, cut each in half
1 pkg (12-oz) semisweet chocolate chips
4 (1-oz each) squares bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
1 tbsp shortening
1 tsp vanilla

In a 5-quart slow cooker or crockpot, combine the peanuts, cashews, pecan pieces, chocolate bark, chocolate chips, bittersweet chocolate, and shortening; cover and cook on low setting for 2 hours or until chocolate is melted. 

Stir chocolate and nuts together well and then stir in the vanilla blending well.

Drop the candy by heaping teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper.  Allow to stand for a couple of hours or until set and firm.  Once completely cooled and firm, candy may be stored in an airtight container.  This candy makes an excellent gift place in cellophane bags and tied with a pretty ribbon suited to the occasion.

Yield: 6 dozen candy nut clusters

Note: I got this several years ago from Southern Living.