#bon bons

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Avon Candy Licious Bon Bons Lip Balms in Creamsicle and Cotton Candy

early 2000s

(This recipe made 36, 3/4" / 2cm candies)

3/4 of a 16-oz / 454 gram Jar of Maraschino cherries

2 oz / 4 T / 56 grams butter (if vegan you could sub solid coconut oil)

1 lb / 450 grams powdered sugar

Tiny dash of salt (trust me)

1/2 t / 2.5ml cherry extract (Watkins makes this; they carry it at Menards or you can get it here ) [you can make these without it but the Cherry flavor won't be as intense; the candies will be slightly more buttery tasting]

1 cup / 170 grams semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 T / 14 Grams Butter (coconut oil If vegan)

You will find it helpful to have a REALLY stiff/wooden spoon, bowl, mesh strainer, a sheet of parchment paper, a baking sheet, and another bowl that will be heat-safe OR a microwave-safe 2 cup glass measuring cup.

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Finely chop cherries without juice, or pulse in a food chopper. Dump cherries into a mesh strainer and squeeze out as much liquid as possible with your fist.

Mash room-temp butter with 1/2 the powdered sugar in a mixing bowl with a stiff wooden spoon.

Add the chopped cherries, dash of salt, and extract if you're using it. Gradually stir in the rest of the powdered sugar. This will get REALLY thick.

Chill cherry mixture in the fridge until firm (1/2 hour)

Using a small pastry scoop, melon baller, or teaspoon, scoop out balls of the cherry dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill these a few more minutes while you prepare the chocolate.

Melt chips with the butter/coconut oil 30 seconds at a time in a microwave-safe glass measuring cup, stirring between each time period. You may have to reheat the chocolate briefly during the dipping process.

OR put butter/coconut oil and chips in a heat-safe bowl set atop a saucepan of simmering water. Stir chips when they begin to look melty. Be careful not to splash any water in the chocolate; this will cause it to sieze.

Retrieve cherry balls (heh, balls) from the fridge. Working quickly, lightly roll a ball between your palms then dump it into the chocolate. Roll it around and fish it out with a fork. Set it back on the parchment paper.

Repeat for each candy.

Let them cool in the refrigerator 1/2 hour, then package as you see fit. These stay good practically forever in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Are these cute or what? (Delicious, too)