Martha Washington Candy
Martha Washington candy is the perfect mix of chocolate, coconut, cherries, and pecans. This classic candy is a hit with kids and adults.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
- 10 ounces maraschino cherries drained and chopped
- 3 cups pecans chopped
- 6 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 4 tablespoons shortening
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together softened butter, vanilla, and sweetened condensed milk until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar and beat until combined.
- Mix in the coconut, cherries, and pecans. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours to firm up the mixture.
- Line two large sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Use a 1½ tablespoon scoop or a melon baller to form balls from the chilled mixture. You can roll the balls in the palms of your hands to make more even, uniform balls from the mixture.
- Place the formed balls onto parchment paper and place the sheet pans back into the refrigerator.
- Place the chocolate chips and shortening in a large, microwave-safe bowl. You can also divide the chocolate chips and shortening in half and work on dipping one half of the candies at a time.
- Heat chocolate in 30-second increments, stirring between each until the chips are mostly melted.
- Stop heating and continue stirring until the mixture is fully melted and smooth.
- Use a fork to dip and roll each candy ball in the melted chocolate. Lift from the chocolate, tap to remove excess chocolate, and place back on the sheet of paper to set.
- Continue dipping and setting all of the balls. Dipped candies can be placed back into the refrigerator to set up more quickly.
Notes
This old-fashioned candy recipe makes close to 80 candies! You can definitely halve the recipe for a smaller quantity.
If you are rolling the balls in your hands and you find that it is sticky work, cover your hands with a light dusting of powdered sugar to prevent the filling from sticking to you.
The butter and large quantity of powdered sugar in the filling for these candies allow the filling to firm up quite a bit. The filling still needs to be chilled before dipping to keep the balls intact until they are coated.
The chocolate chips may be easier to melt and work with if you divide the chocolate/shortening mixture in half and work in batches. You could also roll all your balls, but store half in the freezer and then dip half of them at a time. Three cups of chocolate chips will coat about 40 candies.
Reheat the melted chocolate coating for 15 seconds at a time if it begins to thicken too much for dipping. The shortening in the chocolate mixture helps to make the chocolate more fluid for dipping. It also keeps the set chocolate just a tad softer at room temperature than pure chocolate.