A yummy vintage treat!

I decided to whip up a treat that I remember enjoying as a little girl.  These just don’t taste the same as when my grandma or my mom made them, but then does anything taste as good as that?

Turns out Martha Washingtons have a little bit of history to them.  The Martha Washington Candy company made them in stores across the U.S. during the 1920s. The Depression took a toll and most of the stores closed down.  Still, the sweets were so beloved that generations of recipes were passed down through the years. 

Here’s the recipe I used:

For the Filling:

• 2 pounds confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 
• 2 cups flaked coconut
• 4 ounces (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 3 cups pecans, chopped

Short-cut Dipping Chocolate:

• 2 4 oz packages Semi-Sweet Baker’s Bars
• 1 12 oz bag of milk chocolate chips

Put the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each interval until smooth.

OR Traditional Dipping Chocolate

• 1 ounce food-grade paraffin wax, 1/4 of a bar
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Mix wax and milk chocolate chips together in a double boiler. Make sure the water at the bottom is simmering and not boiling.

How to put it all together:

1. Line a baking pan or tray with wax paper or parchment paper.
2. Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a large bowl and add the sweetened condensed milk, coconut, melted butter, and pecans. Mix well with the help of a wooden spoon. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, covered.
3. With your hands, shape the mixture into balls and place them on the pan or tray. Refrigerate the balls until the balls are very firm, or about 1 hour.
4. Once the candy is hard, prepare melt the chocolate with one of the above methods.
5. Dip the chilled balls in the melted chocolate and let cool on top of wax paper.
6. Enjoy!

If you try this recipe, comment below and tell me how it worked. Have a special holiday recipe of your own? Email it to me at chsessums@chsessums.com.