1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup boiling orange juice
2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Grated rind of 2 oranges
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

Heat milk in the top of a double boiler. Melt the 1 cup sugar in a saucepan. When the sugar is a rich brown, stir in the orange juice. Add the hot milk. Stir in the 2 cups sugar and salt until dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook, covered, for 3 minutes until the steam washes down any crystals on the sides of the pan.

Cook uncovered over low heat, without stirring, to the soft-ball stage, 238 degrees F.

Remove from the heat and add the orange rind. Let the mixture cool.

Beat until creamy, then stir in the nuts. Drop the candy from a spoon onto heavy-duty foil.

This is a Mexican convent recipe.

2 1/2 cups coconut, shredded
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1 stick cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter
3 egg yolks
2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place coconut on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. Toast for 15 minutes, turning occasionally to brown on all sides. Cool and set aside. Grease an 8-inch square pan, line with parchment paper, then grease the paper.

In a large pot, combine sugar, water, cinnamon and butter. Cook over low heat, stirring gently, until sugar dissolves. Cover and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes to wash down sugar crystals from sides of the pan. Uncover, stir in shredded coconut and, when it appears transparent, add the egg yolks beaten with the milk. Beat, stirring constantly, until the bottom of the pan is visible. Transfer into the prepared cake pan.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake candy for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 1 day. Cut into squares and wrap with plastic wrap. Place candy in an airtight container with parchment paper lining the bottom. Seal the container tightly and put in a dry place. The candy will keep for several weeks before you use it.

Makes 24 1-inch squares.

1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 pound chopped, pitted dates
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter

In a saucepan, mix milk, honey, sugar and salt; bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Add chopped pecans and dates. Stir the mixture until it is thick. This should take less than 1 minute. Stir in vanilla extract and butter and spoon the mixture into a greased mold or onto a plate and allow it to cool.

To use as a filling for pie, either double or increase the recipe by 50 percent, depending on the size of the pie plate. Pour the mixture into a pre-baked crust.

30 vanilla wafers
5 cups coconut, shredded
4 tablespoons water
4 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water
1 stick cinnamon
Red food coloring

Grease an 8-inch square pan and line it with the wafers. In a blender, grind the shredded coconut with 4 tablespoons water into a fine paste.

In a large pot, combine sugar, 2 cups of the water and the cinnamon stick. Cook over low heat, stirring gently, until sugar dissolves. Cover and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes to wash down sugar crystals from the sides of the pan. Uncover; continue cooking to the soft ball stage (234 degrees F) or until syrup forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from cold water.

Remove from the heat and mix in the ground coconut. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and beat at medium speed of an electric mixer until the mixture forms a paste. Divide in half. Add a few drops of red food coloring to one portion and leave the other white. Fill the pan half full with the white coconut mixture and then top with the pink coconut mixture. Let cool in a dry covered container for 1 day. Slice into approximately 6 x 2-inch shapes. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in a dry container until ready to eat. This will keep up to 4 weeks. Makes four 6-inch rectangles.

2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
4 young cactus paddles, all spines removed

Bring water and sugar to a boil over medium to medium-high heat.

Meanwhile cut clean nopalitos into 1 x 3-inch pieces or into small shapes with a cookie cuter. Rinse the nopalitos under cold water until the mucous-like substance that can be seen along cut portions disappears. Add the nopalitos to the boiling syrup, turn the heat down until it is just a bare simmer, and cook for 15 minutes.

With tongs, remove the nopalitos to a plate and spoon some syrup over them. Serve with coffee and dessert after a meal.

2 limes
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups water

Squeeze juice from limes and save in refrigerator for later use. Slice lime peels thinly. In a heavy saucepan on high heat, boil sugar and water for 3 minutes.

Add lime peels. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 1 hour, or until skin is softened.

Cool on a wire rack set over a cookie sheet. Dry on the rack for 12 hours.

Refrigerate in a covered container.

3 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup liquid non-dairy coffee creamer
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons grated orange peel, fresh or dried
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Caramelize 1 cup of the sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Do not stir, but watch closely and tilt pan so that sugar melts evenly and does not scorch.

Slowly and carefully pour the boiling water into the caramelized sugar, and stir to mix. Add the remaining sugar, creamer and salt. Cook over medium heat, and stir until all ingredients are mixed and mixture comes to a boil. Without stirring, cook until mixture reaches 238 degrees F on a candy thermometer.

Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm (pan bottom is barely warm to the touch).

Beat until candy loses its gloss and holds its shape. Fold in grated orange peel and nuts. Spread in a buttered 8-inch square dish, and cut into squares.

Makes about 4 dozen pieces.

This is traditional Mexican candy. It is is best described as milk fudge.

1 cup whole pecans
1/4 cup whole milk
1 cup sweetened condensed milk

Line a pie pan with wax paper.

In a blender, mix whole milk for 2 minutes. Over medium heat, boil the sweetened condensed milk, stirring constantly. Once it starts boiling, remove from the heat and add the milk from the blender. Mix well. Continue mixing and then pour into prepared pie pan. Garnish with whole pecans. Let cool before cutting into squares or desired shape.

This treat is from Mexico!

1 quart fresh pumpkin meat,
    cut into 1 x 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup brown or maple sugar
1 cup granulated maple or raw sugar

Place the cubed pumpkin in a saucepan and cover it with water – about 2 to 2 1/2 cups. Bring it to a boil and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, uncovered, until the pumpkin is just tender.

Remove the pumpkin with a slotted spoon. There should be about 1 1/2 cups of liquid remaining. Add the brown or maple sugar and dissolve over low heat. Place the pumpkin pieces back in the pan and bring slowly back to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Let the pumpkin pieces stand in the syrup overnight.

The next day, bring the mixture back to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pumpkin pieces from the syrup and spread them out on a wire rack so the pieces are not touching one another. Let them stand in a warm place or in a 140 degree F oven for 3 to 4 hours to dry.

Roll each piece in the maple or raw sugar, and store them in a dry, cool place. Do not stack or crowd the candy together.

Makes 2 pounds.

NOTE: This can also be made with acorn squash, but the pumpkin gives the candy a more vivid color. The flavor is about the same.