Candy mixture is too gooey to roll into balls...need advice, I really want to get this right!?

Question

I am trying to make Martha Washington candy. I am supposed to be able to roll the mixture into balls for dipping in chocolate but the mixture is so gooey, it's impossible. Could I be overmixing? What am I doing wrong? Also, going by the recipe, the chocolate has a waxy taste to it. Is anyone familiar with how to properly use cake parafin and how much should I be using? This is my all-time favorite Christmas treat and I really want to be able to make it and add it to the fudge treats we give to my kids teachers every year.

This is the recipe I'm using:
Martha Washington Candy
1 stick oleo, room temperature
2 (1 pound) boxes powdered sugar
1 can Eagle brand milk
2 cups chopped nuts (optional)
1 cup flaked coconut
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 small package (3 ounces) cream cheese
Mix ingredients in large bowl until well blended. Put in refrigerator for about 1 hour. I do it overnight. Then roll a teaspoon at a time into little balls (the size of a walnut). Place on waxed paper on a cookie sheet or flat pan. Put a tooth pick in each ball & keep refrigerated until ready to dip in chocolate. I found that freezing works better. CHOCOLATE DIP: Melt 1/2 small cake paraffin in double boiler. Add 1 large package chocolate chips. Blend until smooth and keep over hot water while dipping. Place dipped chocolate back on waxed paper. After finished put a small amount on top of chocolate to cover toothpick hole.

Answer 1

I make peanut butter balls and you have to use a little bit of flour but dont over do it all do not over cook your chocolate or the parrifin will get waxy

Answer 2

You do not really need the parafin. Here is another recipe that may be better:

Martha Washington Candy

2 lbs. Powered Sugar
4 cups Pecans
1 lb. Chocolate plain bars(1 Semi-Sweet 1 Unsweetened) melted over hot water
1 can Eagle brand milk
1 tbsp. Vanilla

1/2 lb. butter

Directions:
Cream butter. Add powered sugar and milk. Add vanilla and pecans.

Drop on waxed paper. Refrigerate 3 hours.

Dip in chocolate with a toothpick.

I would go slow when mixing in the Eagle Brand milk and it may not take all of the can, although, all the recipes I have looked at cal for a can of Eagle Brand

Answer 3

Looking at the recipe.. the only liquidy stuff is the margarine and the cream cheese.

Those two items will get gooey if they get too warm - from sitting out or overmixing.

Put it in the fridge for an hour and see if it firms up... which it should since the cream cheese and margarine tend to do.

If it's still too gooey add more of the dry ingredients.

Answer 4

Try this recipe:

MARTHA WASHINGTON CANDY
Printed from COOKS.COM

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1 stick butter
2 boxes powdered sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 c. pecans
1 c. coconut
6 oz. semisweet mint flavored chips
1/4 lb. paraffin

Cream butter, 1 box powdered sugar and condensed milk. Add the other box of sugar, pecans and coconut (mixture will be thick). Roll out in small balls and place in refrigerator to harden.
In double boiler, put mint chips, and paraffin. Let melt well. Dip chilled balls into it, put on wax paper until hard.

Answer 5

You could probably skip the wax altogether. Chocolate chips are waxy to begin with and are hard at room tempreture. If your mix is too gooey, you could add more coconut or nuts to spread the mix thinner.

Answer 6

you may be over mixing...are you using crisco (same as oleio and margerin) or butter? because they have differnt moisture contents which will affect your dough consistancy.

if it's a very old recipe it may be assumed that the powered sugar would be packed which is something we NEVER do in modern recipies...if it should be packed it would help absord the excess moisture.

I would suggest "dolloping" it goo onto waxed paper and freezing it instead of trying to make balls of the stuff.