Creams

I got a recipe from a yahoo! group I joined titled "Cherry Creams". It looked like they would be good, but I didn't have cherry flavoring, candied cherries or half and half! So, what did I do? I had an idea. I used 1/2 tsp peppermint extract (instead of cherry flavoring), crushed homemade peppermint hard candy (instead of candied cherries), and raw goat milk (instead of the light cream or half-and-half). The raw goat milk is from our own goats, and is creamy enough to substitute for light cream in this recipe. The goats that we milk are nubians, mini nubians, alpines, and a couple boer/nubian crosses. For more info on the goats etc. go to http://www.goodgoats.blogspot.com/ or http://www.goodgoats.net/ .

Anyway, they turned out great! And 1/2 tsp peppermint extract (NOT oil) was plenty of mint flavor. I said NOT oil because oil is way stronger. I'm sure you could use peppermint oil, but only a few drops. I didn't want to use up all of the chocolate chips I have, so I rolled them in powdered (confectioners') sugar, and cocoa powder. Oh yeah, I also mixed in some green (and a little yellow) food coloring with the flavoring. I've made them twice, and the second time I used the mint extract and food coloring, but I put it in an 8x8 pan and pressed some chocolate chips in the top. I cut it in squares, put some in a container and gave it as a birthday present to a friend who likes mint and chocolate.

I was also thinking of how many other flavors of these creams you could do. I thought of over 5 other flavors that sounded good. If I make any other flavors of this recipe, I'll post it here, Lord willing.

Okay, here's the recipe I received (without the changes I did):


Cherry Creams

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup light cream or half-and-half
1 tablespoon light-colored corn syrup
1/4 cup finely chopped candied cherries
Few drops cherry flavoring
1 pound dipping chocolate or confectioner's coating

Butter the sides of a heavy 2-quart saucepan. In pan combine sugar, water, cream, and corn syrup. Cook over medium-high heat to boiling, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to dissolve sugar. This should take 5 to 6 minutes. Avoid splashing mixture on sides of pan.

Carefully clip candy thermometer to pan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until thermometer registers 240 degree F, soft-ball stage. Mixture should boil at a moderate, steady rate over entire surface. Reaching soft-ball stage should take 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove pan from heat. Cool, without stirring, to 110 degree F. This should take about 45 minutes. Remove thermometer. Beat with wooden spoon until candy is just beginning to thicken; add candied cherries and cherry flavoring. Continue beating until creamy and slightly stiff. This should take about 5 minutes total.

Shape candy into 1-inch balls; place balls on waxed paper. Let stand about 20 minutes or until dry. Melt dipping chocolate or confectioner's coating. Dip balls into the melted chocolate. Let stand until dry. Store tightly covered in a cool, dry place. 

Makes about 40 pieces.

Note: If desired, immediately after shaping the candy into 1-inch balls, roll the balls in sifted powdered sugar or finely chopped nuts instead of dipping them into melted chocolate.

Heating the mixture

Gathering the ingredients

Pwd. sugar

Cocoa

Foil