Grandma Inez' Candy Easter Eggs

While cleaning, my mom found her mother's cookbook, which included some of her written recipes, including my favorite, her candy Easter Eggs. Grandma had such a sweet tooth, that it's no surprise that this recipe was hard to read because it had been used so often.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 12
• Yields: 1 egg

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons butter
• 4  tablespoons  condensed milk
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 2  lbs confectioners' sugar (originally said 4x sugar)
• 1⁄2 cup maraschino cherry, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup dates, chopped
•  cherry extract
• 1⁄2 lb  semisweet chocolate
• 1⁄2 piece  paraffin wax

Directions

1. Heat milk and butter until hot. Add sugar and salt. It will become a stiff fondant.
2. Add about a teaspoon of flavoring (she would use the cherry juice from the maraschino cherries). Knead well.
3. Let stand for 30 minutes, and then add in fruits and nuts. Shape into egg shapes, and let sit overnight in the refrigerator.
4. Melt together chocolate and wax. Dip candy eggs into chocolate mixture, stirring chocolate after each dipped egg, and let dry thoroughly before adding any decorations.