Mexican Candy Recipes

MEXICAN CANDY (LECHE QUEMADA)

Steps:

• 1. Mix milk, sugar, butter, salt, and vanilla in a large heavy pan and bring to boil. Add brown sugar and stir until it dissolves. Continue cooking and stirring mixture over medium heat until it reaches soft ball stage. Stir until thick enough (as for fudge). Drop by teaspoonful on a buttered pan or waxed paper or pour into buttered pan and cut into squares.

JAMONCILLO DE LECHE (MEXICAN FUDGE)

Steps:

• Combine milk, sugar, vanilla, baking soda, and cinnamon stick in a large heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, stirring continuously. After about 20 minutes remove the cinnamon stick. Place a candy thermometer in the pan and cook until the thermometer reaches soft-ball stage 240 degrees F (115 degrees C) or until you can see th bottom of the pan when you stir.
• Remove the candy from the heat and add the chopped pecans. Beat the candy with a mixer for about 5 minutes. Pour the candy into a buttered 9x9-inch pan. Press pecan halves onto the top of the warm candy. Cool, then cut into pieces. Store candy in an airtight container.

MEXICAN TAMARIND CANDY

Steps:

• Bring tamarind pulp, water, and orange to a boil in a pot; continue to boil for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes.
• Pour tamarind mixture into a colander placed over a large bowl. Mash and scrape against the side of the colander until all the juice and pulp drips into the bowl. Dump remaining seeds into a strainer and repeat the process; remove the outer casing around the seeds by hand and toss out the seeds.
• Blend outer casings with juicy pulp in an electric blender.
• Return mixture to the large pot and add sugar, Tajin®, and butter. Bring to a soft boil, stirring constantly. Heat to 240 degrees F (115 degrees C) or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from water and placed on a flat surface.
• Remove from heat and let cool, about 2 hours.
• Fill a pastry or plastic sandwich bag with the candy mixture and squeeze onto plastic spoons. Place plastic spoons onto a cookie sheet and chill until firm, about 1 hour. Coat with more Tajin® if desired, wrap with plastic, and close with a twist tie.