When you've got the kids home for the holidays you have to keep them entertained. Rebecca Kolls shares recipes for do-it-yourself candy on Good Morning America.

Holiday Suckers
Ingredients

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Crush candy, in their packages, with hammer (put between towels). Divide colors of crushed candy and place in bowls.

3. Very lightly, spray sucker molds with corn oil or a spray like Pam.

4. Add crushed candy (for a stained glass look, add a variety of colors.)

5. Bake until candy is nearly melted, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from oven, insert sticks and allow to cool and harden.When candy is hard remove and enjoy.

Saltwater Taffy
Ingredients

Directions

1. Butter the sides of a 2-quart saucepan and add sugar, corn syrup, 1-cup water and 1 1/2 teaspoon salt.

2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Continue cooking to 275 degrees, without stirring. The mixture should boil gently.

3. Remove from heat and stir in butter or margarine. Add flavoring and food coloring. Pour into a buttered cake pan and cool about 30 minutes, until you can handle it easily. Butter hands and pull candy until it becomes difficult to pull.

4. Cut into four pieces and pull each piece into a long strand about 1/2 inch thick. With buttered scissors, snip bite-sized pieces and wrap with candy wrapping. Recipe makes about 1 1/2 pounds of candy.

Gummi Bears
Ingredients

Directions

1. In 1/2 cup of icy cold water, slowly add gelatin , kool aid and jello. Mix well. Allow to stand until mixture looks slushy.

2. Microwave on high for 1 minute and 15 seconds (or just until top foams). With a large eyedropper or turkey baster fill candy molds. Put molds in freezer for 10 minutes.

3. Remove from freezer, remove candy by bending mold and teasing candy away from sides. Store in airtight containers or Ziplock bag.

4. Recipe makes enough to fill 2 and 1/2 molds that make 16-candies per mold.

Ganache Chocolate Truffles
Ingredients

Directions

1. Place the finely chopped chocolate in a heat resistant glass bowl.

2. In a small saucepan bring the cream to a boil.

3. Add the boiled cream to the chocolate in the bowl. Stir until completely dissolved. Then stir in the softened butter, and the vanilla extract. Place plastic wrap loosely against the ganache mixture and let cool completely.

4. Place the ganache in a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch tip. Bag out 1/2-inch balls onto a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Put into refrigerator and let cool until firm.

5. Roll into round balls and dip into powdered cocoa or chopped nuts.

Recipes copyright 2001, Karen Pickus

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