My art work has been my passion for almost 30 years and along with I have a love for cooking and baking.  I owned and operated a retail store for 12 years where candy making supplies and teaching candy classes was our number one item.  I am going to share some of my favorite recipes with you.  I like taking the most elaborate recipes such as Chocolate covered Cherries and find a simple way to make them.  You will be amazed if you try these recipes.  I have been giving candy so many years for Christmas that friends start asking in October if I am making candy for Christmas.  I hope you enjoy them and let me know how they turn out.  If you have a favorite family recipe please share it with us.  email it to me and I will put it on line. 

 

CANDY RECIPES

 

The chocolate is called summer coating and comes in various colors,(pink, white,yellow, peach,green and etc) also in milk chocolate, dark chocolate, butterscotch and peanut butter flavor.  The brand we use is called Merkins,  check with your local candy supplier for chocolate.  Contact me if you can't find it. 

Melting process is very important.  You can do this in the microwave.  Put about a pound of chocolate in a container and in the microwave for about a minute,  Stir and return to micro, for 20 seconds at a time stirring each time until melted smooth.  If you get the choc, to hot you will destroy it so be careful as all micro. are different.  You will learn yours.

 

  BASIC MIXTURE

1  8 oz. package phil. cream cheese

2 lbs. confectionery (powdered sugar)

                  Let cream cheese come to room temperature.  Add sugar a little at a time and cut into cheese with a fork or pastry blender.   as you do with pie dough.  after you have added a couple cups you can pour it out onto wax paper or counter top and continue to work the rest of the sugar into cheese by hand until you can work with it without it sticking to your hands.  Will look like pie dough.   you may not use all of the sugar.

                    You can make many different candies with this mixture.

 

CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRIES

 

                  Drain cherries on paper towels for about 8 hours,  Changing paper towels a couple times in this period.   Using a little powdered sugar to keep it from sticking to your hands, pinch off a small amount of dough and press flat in your hand.  Wrap this around cherry and set on wax paper to dry.  After you have rolled all you intend to make.(I usually do 50 to 100 at a time)   Melt your choc,  (milk or dark which ever you prefer).Dip the cherries in chocolate and set on clean wax paper to dry. ( a dipping spoon is available at your candy shop)..After dry you will need to dip the bottoms again as there will be a hole in the bottom.  you can set them back on the same paper to dry.  Store in a covered container,(do not refrigerate) and let stand for about 7 days and they will liquefy inside.         You will have to hide them to wait this long.  Check the date on the cream cheese when you purchase and this will be about the shelf life of candy.  For Christmas I usually try to make them the middle of November and like I said hide them.  You will be amazed at the taste and will never purchase another store bought chocolate covered cherry. 

 

 

MORE TO COME