I experimented with several cheese candy recipes by making a small portion of each recipe. You can do the same thing by cutting each list of ingredients in half or dividing by 4 to make a small (1/4 size) batch. In some of these recipes, the addition of fruit with an accompanying reduction in liquid ingredients leads to a nice fudge-like candy. I especially enjoyed using some whole-cranberry cranberry sauce to the cream cheese candy recipe, below that contains lemon.

In the following recipes, you can use any soft, mild cheese. These include processed cheese foods or mild cheddar cheese at room temperature, cream cheese, neufchatel cheese, fruit-flavored flavored whipped cream cheeses, etc. Cream cheese flavored with fruits are very tasty as a candy, but some savory blends may also taste food. I have and idea that a cream cheese with hot peppers of some sort will offset the sweetness of the sugar in a cream cheese candy recipe. This is similar to Edy's Hot Pepper Ice Cream in which peanuts are rolled in red pepper and then added to a rich vanilla ice cream - just enough heat to be interesting, a little spicy, and different.

Hard, sharp cheeses will not work at all in these candy recipes and hard cheeses will not work in the cream-cheese based recipes below. In those recipes, a melted American cheese can work, but this requires a small amount of cooking. If you want to try another type of cheese, such as freshly made mozzarella, cut a recipe to 1/2 or 1/4 in order to try a smaller batch without a lot of waste if it turns out badly. For the non-cook recipes, melt the cheese first, then remove from the heat and stir in the other ingredients quickly and proceed with the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• A 1 pound loaf processed cheese food, cubed <or> 1 pound of mild cheddar or American cheese, cubed and allowed to come to room temperature [I don't like the loaf of cheese food personally]
• 2 (16 ounces each) packages confectioners' sugar
• 1 Cup margarine or butter
• 1/2 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 Cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 Cup chopped English walnuts

INSTRUCTIONS

• Cooking spray a 8 inch x 13 inch baking dish.
• In a medium sized pot BEFORE pacing over the stove-top burner, combine the cheese, cocoa, chocolate chips, and margarine.
• Set the mixture over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until cheese and chocolate are melted and well blended.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, confectioners' sugar and walnuts.
• Pour the candy into the baking dish and set aside. Let candy cool and then cut into 2-inch squares.

If you don't have any candy molds, you can use ice cube trays, especially those that come in holiday shapes. If you use a regular ice cube tray, fill the compartments about half way, unless you wish to have large pieces of candy.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 4-ounce package cream cheese
• 4 Tablespoons margarine or vegetable-based shortening
• 1/2 teaspoon flavoring of any type you like
• Food coloring, if desired
• 3 1/3 Cups powdered sugar
• Granulated sugar for final layer
• Candy molds or ice cube trays - any shape will do.

INSTRUCTIONS

• In a mixing bowl, place the cream cheese and margarine togther and cream them well.
• Next, add the flavoring and coloring if you wish and blend all this together well.
• Next, with buttered fingers, knead the powdered sugar into the creamed cheese mixture.
• Form the candy dough into small balls, roll them in granulated sugar and press them into candy molds or ice cube trays.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 ounces cream cheese
• 1 stick butter or margarine
• 6 Tablespoons cream or evaporated milk
• A pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 5 Cups of powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

• Let cream cheese and butter or margarine set on the counter until they reach room temperature, then cream them together.
• Add in the cream, salt, and vanilla and cream this mixture until it is fluffy in appearance and texture.
• Next, pour in the powdered sugar and mix well. Then use a teaspoon to drop candies made form the dough onto waxed paper or parchment paper.
• Cover in an air tight container and place in the refrigerator.

You might want to divide this candy dough into section and use different flavorings and colorings. Reduce the original amount of vanilla to 1/2 tsp, but add 1/4 tsp additional flavoring for each section if you cut the dough into 1/4s.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 ounces cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel and 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• 9 x 5 cooking sprayed baking dish (like a short loaf pan); or an 8 inch square pan will make thinner candy.

INSTRUCTIONS

• In a mixing bowl, cream the cream cheese well until it is very soft.
• Next, pour in the lemon peel and lemon juice gradually while you continue to mix the ingredients together well.
• Next, add in the powdered sugar gradually in the same way.
• Finally, stir in the walnuts so that they are well distributed. Then press the candy dough firmly into the bottom and corners of a the baking dish/pan. Chill the candy in the refrigerator until firm and cut into sqaures.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 ounces cream cheese - soft and at room temperature. 
• 2 Tablespoons milk  
• 4 Cups sifted confectioners' (powdered) sugar  
• 1 Cup chopped walnuts  
• 1/2 Cup shredded coconut
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1 teaspoon rum flavoring or any other flavoring you enjoy - orange, lemon, mint, peppermint 
• 3 ounces of unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled but not hardened
• Butter or cooking spray

INSTRUCTIONS

• Line an 8-inch square pan with foil or parchment paper, then butter or cooking spray the paper. Thsi is done to prevent stickking of the gooey candy.
• In a mixing bowl, combine very well softened cream cheese and milk.
• Gradually add the sugar a little at a time while beating the mixture until it is very smooth.
• Stir in 1/2 cup of the nuts, the coconut, the vanilla extract and rum or other flavoring.
• Stir in melted, cooled chocolate and QUICKLY turn the candy out into the prepared pan; press it evenly across the bottom and into the corners of the pan.
• Sprinkle the top of the fudge with remaining nuts, pressing the nuts gently into the top of the candy.
• Cover the pan and chill it for at least 60 minutes or until set and firm. Cut into sqaures and serve, but store reminders in the refrigerator.