Cherry Blossoms Recipe

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1 cup margarine or butter
2 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
4 pounds (7 cups) icing (powdered) sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
about 48 maraschino cherries with stem
6 large bags milk chocolate chips


Melt margarine or butter; add milk, sugar and flavoring. Mix and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Rinse, drain and paper-towel dry each cherry; press slightly to assure liquid inside is removed.

Form mixture into flat circles about 2 inches in diameter. Place a cherry in the center of each, molding mixture around cherry. If your maraschino cherries don't have stems, put a toothpick in each cherry. If the mixture becomes warm and difficult to form, replace mixture back in refrigerator until it is cold. Place on waxed paper and freeze for one to two hours.

Melt chocolate over hot water or on lowest temperature of electric range; stirring frequently so it does not scorch. When the chocolate is melted, remove cherries from the freezer and dip in chocolate. Cool in the refrigerator on waxed paper. If desired, you may melt white chocolate and drizzle a pretty design over each chocolate.

Remove toothpick, if applicable. I place each cherry blossom in small cup-cake paper. This avoids a sticky mess if one candy would leak. Store in covered container in cool place.