Recipe: Buttercream Chocolates

These buttercream chocolates never last long in Ashley’s home. Since she was a young girl, her mother used to make these chocolates over the holidays and they were always a family favorite. When Ashley moved to Thailand, she made these chocolates to share with students of hers at the school she taught English at. They are sweet and rich and hard to eat just one of. You can enjoy them plain or vary the flavor the centers.

Buttercream Centers

Ingredients:

1 package (3 ounces) softened cream cheese

½ cup softened butter or margarine

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

Instructions:

1. Beat cream cheese and butter in a large mixer bowl until smooth.

2. Gradually blend in confectioners’ sugar and vanilla.

3. (If necessary, chill about an hour or until mixture is firm enough to handle)

4. Shape into 1-inch balls and place on wax paper-covered cookie sheet and cover loosely

5. Chill 3-4 hours or overnight (centers should feel dry to touch before coating)

6. Makes about 5 dozen centers

For flavored buttercream centers, divide mixture into parts and add any one of the following to each part:

1. ½ teaspoon almond extract

2. ½ teaspoon brandy extract

3. 2/3 cup flaked coconut

4. ¼ teaspoon mint extract plus 3 drops green food coloring

5. ¼ teaspoon orange extract

6. ¼ teaspoon rum extract

7. ½ teaspoon strawberry extract plus 3 drops red food coloring

Chocolate Coating

Ingredients:

1 bag of milk chocolate chips (11.5 ounce package)

2 tablespoons of shortening (do NOT use butter, margarine, or oil as a substitute)

Instructions:

1. Cover cookie sheet with wax paper and secure with tape

2. Place chocolate and shortening in a glass bowl

3. Place bowl into a larger glass bowl or pan of very warm (not hot) water that reaches halfway up the smaller bowl. Be careful not to let any of the water mix with the chocolate mixture.

4. Stir mixture constantly with rubber spatula until chocolate is completely melted and smooth (approximately 20 minutes).

5. Remove bowl of chocolate mixture from the water and set one chilled buttercream center on fork.

6. Completely dip center into coating, gently tap fork on side of bowl to remove excess, and place onto prepared cookie sheet.

7. Decorate top with small amount of chocolate by using the tip of the fork or with optional nuts

8. Repeat with remaining centers

9. Store loosely covered in a cool, dry place.

Note: If chocolate becomes too thick while coating, repeat process of warming chocolate in the warm water bowl.

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