Snickers, Milky Way, Butterfinger, Baby Ruth, Kit Kat - I have never met a chocolate candy bar I didn't like. As I wait at the grocery checkout, there they are all neatly arranged in their little boxes - just calling out to me that just one little candy bar won't hurt that waist line. I know they lie.
The origin of chocolate dates back to Montezuma, emperor of the Aztecs. He created a chocolate drink.
Hernando Cortez brought the drink back to Spain in 1529. It was a favorite of Spanish royalty for many years before people throughout Europe began to enjoy it.
It was three centuries later before chocolate was used for something other than a beverage.
In 1847, Joseph Fry discovered a way to mix some of the melted chocolate into a paste and press it into a mold that resembled what we now think of as a candy bar. He is often referred to as the inventor of "chocolate for eating." By today's standards, they weren't very palatable. It wasn't until 1875, when evaporated milk was added by Henry Nestle, that milk chocolate was born.
At the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893, a chocolate-making machine from Germany was on display. Milton S. Hershey, who up until now only made caramel, saw a bright future in the making of chocolate. He purchased a machine and produced his first chocolate bar in 1900.
Other manufacturers followed suit and began adding other ingredients to make up new candy bars.
During World War I, massive amount of chocolate was ordered by the Army. The chocolate was chopped into smaller pieces and distributed to doughboys in Europe. By the end of the war, chocolate was very popular, not only to the soldiers but also among civilians.
As a result, candy bar manufacturers produced as many as 40,000 different candy bars.
The 1920s became the decade that was the high point of the candy bar industry.
Even though it isn't technically a candy bar, one of my favorite chocolate treats is a Hershey's kiss.
I love to hit the stores when the wrappers change color for the different seasons. Now there are so many different variations to choose from, but I still like the plain old silver-wrapped milk chocolate.
I read that more than 25 million Hershey's kisses roll off the conveyor belt every day. I enjoy making sugar cookies and popping an unwrapped Hershey's kiss in the middle when they come out of the oven.
My Mamaw made what she called a "polka dot cake" when I was young. She made a homemade three-layer chocolate cake with white icing. She would stick unwrapped Hershey's kisses (with the tip side in) all over the cake, top and bottom to give a polka dot look.
That was one of my favorite cakes and favorite memories of being at her house and helping her to bake.
Try putting some slice and bake peanut butter cookie dough in miniature muffin tins and bake as directed on the package. When you take them from the oven, press an (unwrapped) miniature Reese's peanut butter cup in the center.
Unwrap bite-size Snicker bars and wrap some chocolate chip slice and bake cookie dough around them - be sure to seal all the way around. Bake as directed.
The recipe I have in my cookbook for Snicker Bar fudge has been one of the most popular and most requested recipes that I can remember. I made a ton of it during holiday time and it was always a hit.
Anytime I see a recipe that has a candy bar as an ingredient, I know it must be good.
Hope you enjoy today's "candy bar recipes." Thanks for reading.
HERSHEY BAR PIE
Crust:
1 cup flour
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup chopped pecans
Mix and pat into a large 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Cool before filling.
Filling:
6 regular-size Hershey bars with almonds
½ cup milk
25 large marshmallows
2 (8 ounces) cartons Cool Whip
Melt the candy bars, milk and marshmallows. Cool; then mix in one carton of Cool Whip.
Pour into pie crust. Chill for 4 to 8 hours; top with remaining carton of Cool Whip.
If you don't want the almonds, just use plain Hershey bars.
BABY RUTH COOKIES
½ cup butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
11/3 cups plain flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 Baby Ruth candy bars (2.1 ounces), chopped
In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla; mix well.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture.
Stir in chopped candy bars. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls two inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
Remove cookies to cool on wire racks.
The original name for Baby Ruth candy bars was the Kandy Kake (1900-1921). It is widely believed that it is named after the famous baseball player, Babe Ruth. In actuality, the candy bar was named after President Grover Cleveland's daughter, Ruth Cleveland.
SNICKER BAR COOKIE SQUARES
1 package yellow cake mix
½ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
½ cup butter, melted
3 Snicker candy bars (2.07 ounces each), chopped
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, brown sugar, eggs and butter. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes.
Stir in chopped candy bars. Spread into an ungreased 13 by 9 by 2 inch baking pan.
Bake at350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack and cut into squares to serve.
Snickers candy was introduced in 1930 and is the world's most popular chocolate bar. This candy bar alone accounts for $2 billion worth of Mars candy's annual sales. More than 15 million Snickers bars are produced worldwide each day. Frank and Ethel Mars, founders of the Mars candy company named the candy bar after their favorite horse, Snickers.
Thank you for all the kind comments I received about the article written by Andrea Hall last Sunday concerning my being the food stylist for "The Help."
Many people have asked about the comment concerning the lead plates. I didn't make that as clear as I should have. Every effort is being made for all the props to be authentic from the late '50s and early '60s. During that time period lead was used in the manufacturing of these items.
Many of the dishes, glassware and pitchers that are being used contain a large amount of lead in them and are not considered safe for the actors to use.
•Contact Lee Ann Flemming at lafkitchen@hughes.net.
