Christmas Candies Day #5

Here are the best home-made chocolates I have ever tasted!!! Of course, I might think this because I grew-up eating these! Mom got the recipe from our neighbor, Audrey (who just happens to be my best friend's mom). Boy, in the 60's we sure had good foods! By that I mean good comfort foods and special goodies for the Christmas season. Hopefully, most of you are still carrying on your family traditions and baking! If not, start something you enjoy making just for your family and see if it will continue on.
I hope you will enjoy making and eating these delicious chocolates. They are a lot of work, but well worth the effort.

I just talked to Debbie and she thinks her mom got the recipe from her mother-n-law. So that would be on the Palmquist side. Pretty cool!

The flavors we enjoyed are coconut, wintergreeen, black walnut, vanilla, chocolate, lemon and strawberry extracts. Mom made a few with cherries in them. There is one basic recipe. You can add the flavors you like best. You can't go wrong with any of them.

Enough thinking on it, here is the recipe:

Hand Dipped Chocolates
1/2 pound butter (soft)
2 pound powdered sugar
1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
nuts, candied cherries (plain vanilla for cherries), coconut, any liquid extracts

Work butter and sugar together like pie crust. Add can milk; beat by hand until smooth. Divide for flavors (up to 3 bowls is just right) and add nuts or coconut, or any liquid extracts (small drops - depending on how many times you divide the dough for different flavors, anywhere from 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon). Mix in your flavors and put each into separate bowls. Refrigerate the small bowls for 2-3 days**; covered.
On the second or third day, roll or shape using powdered sugar on hands while shaping. Size of a small walnut. Take the ball and put onto cookies sheets lined with wax paper. Cover and refrigerate again for a couple of days. Put in freezer on morning of dipping. Melt semi-sweet chocolate (or can use almond bark chocolate) over hot water.

To package of chocolate add 2 tablespoons melted paraffin wax, (of course we don't do this any more, that is why I suggested using almond bark or I like to use the Wilton brand of light chocolate disks.)
Can you believe we use wax to dip chocolates in?
Dip candy in chocolate and place on waxed paper lined cookie sheets.

**I shorten this time wise just by refrigerating in bowl on day one, rolling out day 2 and putting in freezer. Then dipping on day 3. After dipping, keep candies refrigerated.**
Today we have many different types of chocolates, light, dark or even white chocolates. Experiment and see which chocolates you like best.

Thanks Debbie for the memories!

Depending on how many flavors you want, you might need to make this twice. Each recipe does 3 good flavors. I have on my recipe that we started making around 1965.
Enjoy!!!

I also decided to add this recipe here as it is also a great candy! These taste close to the See's coconut candy. Notice I said close to, because you can't copy See's candy, they are the best! I don't know how this recipe got it's name, but it sure is a good one. Also received this from a great lady when I lived in Houston, back in 1975.

Martha Washington Chocolate Covered Candy
3 cups nuts
1 can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 cups coconut
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
2 pounds powdered sugar
Combine ingredients; roll in small balls and cool on waxed paper in refrigerator.
On day 2 dip in your favorite melted chocolate. Drain and cool on wax paper lined cookie sheets. Keep refrigerated until you serve them.
Enjoy!