When I was growing up, Cherry Mash Candy and so many sweet favorites were made in the weeks leading up to Christmas Eve. My parents’ annual open house also had Russian teacakes, peanut butter balls, divinity, spritz cookies, orange balls, dipped pretzels, coconut bon bons, peppernuts, fudge, pecan tassies, peanut clusters, party mix, and…a vegetable tray!
All homemade by my mom, we savored these delicious treats and then scaled back when we learned about saturated fats. Isn’t this a fabulous 70’s picture of my amazing family, during Mom’s open house heyday?! I have claimed and kept her recipes and made so many of them through the years. They spark sweet memories.
This Cherry Mash Candy requires searching out cherry chips each year, which can be difficult. When I do find them, I make sure to buy a few packages so that I can also make my Blue Ribbon Cherry Chip Cookies in the summer. Tell me, where do you have success finding cherry chips, and have you ever found them outside of the Christmas season?
Now that I make just a few treats each Christmas season, I have to pick and choose from all of Mom’s amazing favorites. I have also added a few of my own findings through the years, like sugared pecans, coffee shop fudge, and crinkly gingersnaps.
Cherry Mash Candy
Ingredients
- 2 c sugar
- 2/3 c evaporated milk
- 1/2 c margarine
- 12 regular marshmallows or about 2 c mini
- 1 c cherry chips
- 1 t vanilla
- 1 12- oz package milk chocolate chips about 2 cups
- 3/4 c crunchy peanut butter smooth works fine, also
- 2 c crushed peanuts I like cocktail peanuts
Instructions
- Coat a 9x13 pan with margarine and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, evaporated milk, margarine, and marshmallows
- Heat over medium heat and boil a full 6 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat and add cherry chips and vanilla
- Stir until chips are melted, and set aside.
- Separately, melt chocolate chips and peanut butter. Add crushed peanuts.
- Spread half of chocolate mixture on bottom of pan. Chill until firm.
- Spread all of cherry filling on top. Chill again.
- Spread rest of chocolate mixture over top. Keep chilled.
- Allow to come to room temperature before cutting into small squares.
Originally posted in November 2010, updated in 2020
This is such a heartwarming post for me, Rebecca!! I do remember how crazy I was at stirring up all those Christmas treats back in the 70`s! It was so much fun having all the Christmas open houses with friends stopping in. Wonderful memories.