Diane's Bon Bons
Basic Filling:
2 sticks butter or margarine, softened (I always use real butter)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons good vanilla
2 (1 lb.) packages confectioner's sugar (**More sugar may be needed)
1 or more (12-oz.) packages of semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 block or more of *paraffin
(*Gulfwax is a common brand here, and it's sometimes found with the jelly making supplies or with the candle making supplies. You can make these without the paraffin, but the chocolate is pretty soft without it.)
In a LARGE bowl, with your hands, mix the butter, cream cheese and vanilla until well-combined. Start adding sugar, mixing well with your hands after each addition, until you have a firm mixture. This is the basic cream cheese filling and you may proceed to dipping in melted chocolate, or divide the filling and make other flavors.For other flavors:
Add coconut, chopped pecans or cocoa to the basic filling if desired. If you divide the filling, you can make several different kinds of bon bons. I have formed the basic filling around maraschino cherries and they're great. Vary the amount of coconut, pecans, etc. to your taste. You may add peanut butter to the basic filling for peanut butter bon bons, or buckeyes, but be prepared to add more confectioner's sugar to make it firm enough to roll.
To make bon bons:
Roll into quarter-sized balls between your palms and place on foil-lined cookie sheets. As you fill up a cookie sheet, place it in the freezer. When all candy is frozen firm, melt 1 (12-oz.) package of semisweet chocolate chips with ½ block of the paraffin, grated with a vegetable peeler or a knife, in a double boiler over medium-low heat. Take only a few of the bon bons out of the freezer at a time and dip into the melted chocolate one at a time with a toothpick, skewer, or a large paper clip that has been straightened, leaving a loop on one end to use as a handle. Dip and shake off excess chocolate, then place back onto the foil-lined cookie sheet. Place dipped candy back in the freezer as you get a cookie sheet full. According to how much candy you make, you may have to add more chocolate chips and paraffin as you dip the bon bons.
After the candy refreezes, place it in freezer bags or airtight containers for long storage. Store in the freezer and take out just the amount desired 1 hour before you need them to thaw.
Be sure you keep up with which flavor is on each cookie sheet, as I know from experience it's almost impossible to tell which flavor is which after they're dipped in chocolate. We play candy Russian roulette every time I make these because I lose track of which flavor is on which cookie sheet. Not necessarily a bad thing, though, especially if you like all the flavors.
Makes about 4 pounds of candy, according to how much you add for other flavors.
This recipe is at least 30 years old, and a favorite of the *Cook family and extended families. We've perfected it over the years, and it is almost impossible to mess up.
*Note: My maiden name was Cook.
2 comments:
Okay, now I officially know what a bon-bon is. I can't wait to try some of your recipes.
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