I believe this to be my favorite Christmas Candy.
I believe it’s also Brandi’s, Chantri’s, Shannon & Danielle’s as well.
Who are they?
My four daughters.
You can buy this fabulous Candy at a famous Candy shop named “Florence’s.”
Some of you might also call her shop . . . “Mom’s Candy Kitchen.”
If you don’t live close to Florence, then you will just have to make it yourself.
. . . We buy it . . . and make it!
I buy a big 10 lb. block of wonderful “high class” dipping chocolate from Florence, and go to work.
And we did.
I wish I had the authentic recipe . . . but I don’t.
This comes pretty darn close, and they are both delicious.
Both Candies have Boston Cream Centers that are then dipped in Milk Chocolate.
The left one is rolled in Toasted Almonds, and the one on the right is rolled in Toasted Coconut.
Trust me . . . They don’t last long!
The Boston Cream Centers are scrumptious!
Princess Michelle’s – Almond Hand Rolls – Pecan Logs
BOSTON CREAM CENTERS
Caramelize in heavy skillet, 1 cup sugar, to this add 1 cup warm cream, and stir until it all dissolves. (This takes a long time for the hardened sugar to dissolve!)
Patience is another name for this candy.
*If the caramelized sugar hardens up, that’s o.k. You must just keep stirring over medium heat until it’s all dissolved again. (This takes awhile, but it makes a big difference in the overall taste of the Boston Creams.
Add other 3 cups sugar, 1/8 tsp. salt and 2/3 Cup milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, you don’t need to stir as much . . . I stir every 2 or 3 minutes. Boil this mixture to 236 degrees (check candy thermometer for your area) or until mixture is a medium firm ball. When tested in cold water, it should form a nice round ball, that doesn’t flatten immediately once you set it on your counter, but you don’t want a hard ball either. You are looking for a nice chewy consistency. Butter a heavy marble slab with butter & pour on the candy. Bring edges into center with spatula, and continue this action until you obtain a creamy smooth ball.
If you do not have a marble slab, you must pour the hot mixture into a buttered glass bowl, let cool for about 10 minutes…..DO NOT STIR DURING THIS ENTIRE TIME. Take a wooden spoon, and begin to stir, (like you would when you are making fudge)….when gloss leaves and you have a creamy texture, roll into logs, balls for later.
I beat mine with a hand mixer until the sheen of the candy is gone, then place Boston Cream into a buttered bowl with a good lid to cool. Refrigerate if necessary and then shape into small balls. (I’ve never used my KitchenAid for this candy, so I can’t tell you the results)
Note: If your candy goes to sugar, simply put the mass back into a buttered pan on low heat. Add about 1/2 to 3/4cup of Cream, and stir, stir, stir, until you have a liquid again. Start over. Don’t throw it away. Just make sure that ALL the Sugar is dissolved before you turn the heat to medium again!
by Get Off Your Butt and BAKE
Wow, these look pretty great!! I am getting cream this week, now if I can only find the marble slab!!
My first time visiting your beautiful blog…great blog name and recipes. Your food photography is absolutely edible! I look fwd to following your posts.
oh my God these look irresistible! I’m going to have to try this ASAP!
These look so good! Thanks for sharing!
Mark took these to work and everybody went crazy for them. They thought I made them. I hated telling Mark I didn’t. Thanks for making me look good!!!
Yum! I just found your blog and I am from SUGAR CITY! I actually think I know two of your daughters!!! I worked with Shannon for a while and I took Chantri’s spot when she left. Small world! I tried making these the other night and I messed them up royally! I caramelized the sugar until it was melted and in a liquid form and then I added the cream and it hardened it (dumb me!) anyway…I remember these from Mom’s candy kitchen and would LOVE to figure out how to make them, please tell me what I did wrong!!! 🙂 Thanks!
Hi Kim,
You didn’t do anything wrong….mine does the same thing. You must stir, stir stir until that lump of caramelized sugar dissolves. It takes some time, but it will eventually dissolve. Don’t move on in the recipe, until you can’t see it any longer. You can make this without caramelizing the sugar, and the candy will taste good, but not the flavor you will acheive if you do this step first.
Hey Jonna, I love your blog. It makes me want to bake all of the time. It could be bad for our waistlines! I want to make the Princess Michelles, but I have messed up candy in the past and want to make sure I have it right before I start. When you are bringing the candy to 236 degrees, do you stir it while it cooks? I want to be clear when I should stir it and when I shouldn’t. Also, can you use a Kitchen Aid mixer to stir it after it cools, or will the metal bowl mess up the candy? Thanks!
Hi Halee and anyone wanting to make this yummy candy.
I added a few more notes to the recipe, that might help you get great results.
If you have anymore questions, just leave me a comment, and I will try to answer them.
Thanks,
Jonna
Ok, I got up the nerves to make this again. It turned out like caramel. It also was sugary after I let it cool in a bowl, so I reheated it and it has done the same thing. What am I doing wrong and how do I get it that cream color? (I am using heavy whipping cream, is that the right stuff?) Thanks!
Hi Kim,
Unfortunately, this candy is very finicky!
After the cooking process, it is just like caramel. It’s the continued stirring
that makes it turn creamy. It’s just like fudge, after you cook it to the proper stage, it is glossy like fudge is, until you beat it. It’s the beating that makes the glossiness leave and a more creamy texture appears. (like fudge)
I use regular cream, and have also had success with heavy whipping cream as well, so I don’t believe that would cause the problem. Here are some things you might check:
Start the candy on low heat, and don’t turn the temp up until you know that all the sugar is dissolved. Make sure that you aren’t scraping the sides of your pan as it cooks, because if any sugar is coating the sides of your pan, you will start a sugar chain reaction in the rest of the candy. Make sure that you don’t undercook the candy before removing from the heat to let cool….before you begin beating the heck out of it.
I have also had it turn to sugar at the last minute. When this happens, I put it all back into a clean pot that I have buttered around all the sides. Add about 1/2 cup of whipping cream to the glob of candy, and on low heat begin to melt it all back down to a liquid. If you need to add a bit more cream, you can do so. The important thing is to make sure that ALL the sugar is dissolved and it’s a nice liquid again before you turn the heat to medium to begin the cooking process. This candy takes a long time to cook. It also has the name “patience.” True story.
Good luck, if you have anymore questions just ask.
Jonna