Chocolate truffles seem so decadent, but they're deceptively inexpensive to make — so they're perfect for gifts for Valentine's Day, Christmas, and birthdays. Homemade chocolate truffles can be every bit as smooth and rich as the ones from gourmet chocolatiers. Just be sure to use the very best chocolate you can afford when making this recipe.

Caramel corn makes a great treat for Halloween parties. This tasty treat includes three types of nuts and it’s bound to please your little goblins and ghosts and anyone else who likes the rich flavor and crunch of caramel corn. ©Wagner / Adobe Stock Nutty Caramel Corn Preparation time: 20 to 30 minutes plus 20 to 30 minutes for coolingYield: 8 servingsIngredients: 10 cups popped popcorn 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar 1/2 dark brown sugar, packed 1/2 cup corn syrup 1/2 cup water 2 tablespoons butter 1 cup raw whole almonds 1/2 cup whole raw cashews 3/4 raw pecan halves 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons baking soda Instructions: Rinse a large stainless steel bowl with hot water and dry well (this heats the bowl).

Following a few foolproof baking tips will make baking cookies a fun and delicious experience. If you run out of an ingredient while making cookies, you can find a substitution, or you can reduce the fat in your favorite cookie without compromising its quality. Adding icing to your cookies makes them even more fun.

If you're having a love affair with chocolate, this recipe will only deepen your devotion. Two separate chocolate fillings are swirled together in this tart to make a striking marble effect. Although the marble two-chocolate tart looks like it may have taken all day to prepare, it’s really easy to make.Preparation time: 4 hours (includes chilling)Cooking time: 22 minutesYield: 16 servings 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar 2 cups flour Pinch of salt 1 1/4 sticks (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) butter, chilled 2 eggs 2 tablespoons cold water 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream 10 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 ounces white chocolate Sift the confectioners’ sugar.

As a candy-maker, you need specific tools and utensils. Some, like measuring cups and spoons, you probably already have and use; others, like a candy thermometer and a marble slab, don’t see much service unless you’re making candy. Keep the following tools on hand for your candy-making efforts: Baking pans Me

You need some special utensils and skills for candy making, as well as some special (and yummy) ingredients. After you learn how to temper chocolate (people eating chocolate are generally in a good temper, but that’s not the same thing), you can take off and start giving your candy as gifts — and you probably have some friends who’d be happy to help eat your mistakes, too!

In regular cooking, you can get away with adding a pinch of this and some of that. But in cookie baking, it's important to pay attention to the quantities of ingredients that each recipe calls for. If you add extra amounts or not enough of an ingredient, you're not going to end up with what you expect. Most likely, you'll have a failure on your hands.

Caramel is the basis for several different homemade gifts from your kitchen. For instance, you can make caramel dessert apples and caramel pecan clusters, or you can use it in any other recipes that call for a basic caramel. Homemade Caramels Preparation time: 40 minutes plus 1 hour to cool Yield: 1-1/2 pounds or about 75 pieces when cut 1 cup sugar 1 cup light corn syrup 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk 1/2 cup whipping cream 1 ounce shortening Pinch of salt Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with nonstick paper.

If you’re making candy, chocolate is pretty much a staple ingredient. It’s often the finishing coat for a collection of other sweet treats that you dip into it. The process for getting chocolate to the proper consistency for dipping is called tempering, and the following steps show you how to temper chocolate by hand: Place a block of chocolate on a cutting board and, using a heavy knife, shave it into small pieces.