I was given a plateful of these candies when I moved into a new neighborhood and immediately felt welcomed. These are best described as homemade Mounds. They're creamier and more coconutty than the PeterPaul version, and they are a cost-effective OMG! addition to Christmas gift plates. The recipe was given to me 25 years ago by my friend Drema, a native of Alabama; it has a "cheater" coating, calling for the addition of paraffin (found in the canning/preserving section of grocery stores) to stabilize the chocolate because, as Drema relates, without air conditioning in Alabama, you'd be the one to get tempered, not the chocolate. They're a companion to the homemade Reese's cups (Buckeyes with Rice Krispies added, shaped in paper cupcake liners instead of balls) I make for the winter holidays. I also make homemade PayDay bars (Marshmallow Fluff fudge recipe using Reese's baking chips; the cooled fudge is rolled into 1" ropes, which are pressed into salted peanuts). Now, if I could only perfect my nougat, and if I could figure out how to dip that caramel- and peanut-topped nougat into milk chocolate for homemade Snickers, family and friends would love me even more.

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