Homemade candy bars -- this winner may make it to holiday sweets platters

Last Thursday, I did a major shopping at Cash & Carry. While I knew my flatbed cart was full, it still shocked me that I went over $100, but did not buy meat or any super-large bags of staples. So, I was feeling like I needed to keep the remaining spending for at least a day or two to nothing (or less, if that could be possible).

Later in the afternoon I had a serious craving for a candy bar. I even thought about getting in the car and driving to the nearby drugstore just for a candy bar. Then it hit me, why not just make some candy bars? I went online in search of a good recipe and found one for homemade Almond Joy. The recipe calls for minimal cooking (just melting the dipping chocolate and toasting the almonds). In addition, the ingredients could all be found in my pantry and fridge. "This could be a winner," I was thinking. And it proved me right. I had a daughter as a partner in crime, to share in the fun of making these.

My total cost was just under $2 for a batch that made 12 good-sized pieces, at least as large as 6 full-size candy bars. The chocolate coating is much thicker than a real Almond Joy bar, and the flavor of the filling is better in this homemade version compared to the commercial bar. They smell amazing. Even the next day I could smell them in the kitchen.

Here's a link to the recipe that I followed Copycat Almond Joy.
This recipe is double what I made -- just to emphasize, I made a half-batch, as I really didn't want a full batch sitting around for me to consume.

I used real butter (a must for favor, IMO), and toasted some whole almonds in the oven on a tray at 350 degrees F, until lightly toasted (if you can smell the almonds in the oven, they are done). For the chocolate coating, I used the Kroger brand of what I think is Candiquik, a dipping chocolate that is typically found in grocery stores during the fall/winter baking season.  Wilton chocolate melting wafers would also work, as would any other dipping chocolate. Although the package of chocolate did not say to add Crisco shortening, I found I needed it to keep the chocolate thin enough to coat well. (When melting chocolate pieces for drizzling or dipping, I add a tiny amount of Crisco shortening to the chocolate. It makes the melted chocolate a bit thinner, but hardens up when the chocolate is cooled.)

For future batches, I'd like to try adding a couple of drops (like 2 or 3 drops) of almond extract to the coconut filling. As an alternative, a couple of drops of vanilla extract would also be a good flavor enhancer. I also think 2 almonds per bar (instead of 1) would be nice.

After forming the coconut filling, the bars needed to be kept chilled to hold their shape, until dipping in the melted chocolate. I dipped 4 at a time, and kept the rest in the fridge while dipping those 4. After the chocolate hardens, they can be kept in a cool pantry, in a tin for probably a week or two, with no problems with remaining firm. These were delicious and gone in 3 days in my house.

Cheap & Cheerful Suppers in Late August

Whole chickens were on sale this past week at several stores for 87 cents per pound. While that isn't a stellar price, this late in the summer it may be close to the best price I'll see for a while (chicken, whole or parts, seems to be at its lowest in late spring in my area). I like whole chickens for their ease of cooking. You just rinse it out, sprinkle with seasoning and bake. When running errands on Saturday I picked up 6 whole chickens. That is about how many I can fit in the freezer right now.

On Sunday we roasted 1 of the chickens, and had just plain roasted chicken, with carrots and potatoes, and fresh blackberries. Right after dinner, my husband picked the meat of the bones, and I put the bones, skin and fat into the crockpot to simmer for a day.

On Monday I turned some of the chicken meat into soft shell tacos, using the last of the flour tortillas, garden tomatoes, lettuce, olives, lentils, cheese and a small container of taco sauce.

Tuesday, I made a chicken soup, using the last of the chicken meat, and the stock that I had made in the crockpot, plus leftover lentils from Monday's tacos,

By Wednesday we had finished off the whole chicken and I needed to cook again. Or do I? I polled the two kids in the kitchen in the morning and they voted unanimously (how unanimous can a polling group of two really be?) for the lentil soup in the freezer. I partially thawed it in the microwave, then dumped it into the crockpot for the day. Late in the afternoon I threw together a no-mayo cole slaw, creating a dressing of soy sauce, vinegar, oil, peanut butter, ginger and sugar. I also sliced fresh figs and baked some rosemary focaccia. Focaccia is one of those low-rise yeast breads that I love for its speed. It's basically just a pizza crust without toppings. I mix and briefly knead the dough, then press out onto a baking sheet, top with oil and seasonings and bake. The only rise-time is while the oven is pre-heating.

Thursday night I pulled marinara out of the freezer, along with ready-made meatballs. I cooked some bargain spaghetti and fresh cauliflower. I also made some garlic bread, using hoagie rolls.

For tonight, I have some leftover marinara sauce, so I'll make a cheese and meatball pizza for dinner. And maybe a green salad to go with the pizza.

That was our week of suppers. What was on your menu this past week? Any big plans for the long weekend? I've got a "date" with one daughter for some clothes shopping. She needs some clothes that will be more appropriate for her student teaching this next year, and is cashing in on a birthday offer/gift from me this past spring.

Have a wonderful weekend!