Cherry Blossom Snowballs

By tschnet1

Ingredients

• 3 cups rolled oats

Details

Servings 36
Adapted from facebook.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a lg bowl, combine roll-oats, 1 cup coconut, cocoa, walnuts and salt – mix well and set aside.

In a lg saucepan, low-med heat, combine milk, vanilla, sugar and butter. Stir until all ingredients are totally dissolved. Increase to med-high heat (at this time do not stir mixture) and bring to a hard boil . Continue cooking for 10 minutes or until temperature reaches 235° – 240ºF on a candy thermometer or at the soft-ball stage.

Remove from heat and let mixture settle (approx 1 minute). Carefully add mixture to dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Place mixture in refrigerator until cool enough to handle. Shape into round balls, press a hole in center with finger, place cherry in each and close. Coat by rolling in remaining coconut. Store in refrigerator or freezer.

Measurements of dry and liquid ingredients must be precise according to recipe

Divide the coconut; 1 cup for recipe, the other for rolling. If all coconut is added at once, the product will become hard as a rock and cannot be corrected

Once liquid commences boiling, do not stir. If you continue stirring, the consistency after the liquid is added to dry mixture will be liquidy, and unable to correct after it cools

Liquid must be brought up to a full boil, to the temperature of 230F (softball ball stage). This gives the proper consistency after it cools. If it is not brought up to that temperature, the end product will be gritty and unable to roll

Ensure mixture is refrigerated (do not leave at room temperature) or it will not gel properly. The consistency will be too soft and unable to roll