Chocolate Coconut Candies

Printable version

For three full weeks I have labored in the kitchen armed with a stack of recipes from my Aunt Suzy on a quest to make as many holiday treats as possible. It’s been a great learning experience because I don’t make many sweets or desserts.

Last Saturday, I found myself drooling over a skirt steak at the grocery store like a hungry dog waiting under a table at Thanksgiving. As I cooked it up later that evening, I found myself on cloud nine – just giddy to be making something savory. That’s when I knew I had to end my treat making adventure, I had hit the wall, completely burned out on sugar, chocolate and peanut butter.

I have saved the best of Aunt Suzy’s holiday treats for last though. These candies feature a rich and sugary center wrapped in chocolate – like an edible  Christmas gift. I’m thankful to have great cooks around me like Aunt Suzy, her recipes have given me a treat making boost, and I feel like I just completed a class in creating desserts.

BEHIND THIS BITE
I'm now convinced that I don't have a sweet tooth. I love a tasty dessert but I just don’t crave sweets. I got so burnt out on making holiday treats that I HAD to cook something savory. I just lost all motivation to cook. I learned a lot making all the recipes that Aunt Suzy gave me but I was tired of treats.

Immersing myself in sweet treats for the last few weeks has given me enough knowledge to improvise. Simple techniques like using cake mix as a base or corn syrup to create a gooey filling with peanut butter chips is invaluable to me.

One of my resolutions in 2013 is to make more desserts. Even though I'd rather cook meals based around the perfectly cooked flesh of animals, I will start throwing in the sweet stuff on a regular basis.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Makes 60; 45 minutes active, 2 hours cooling
1 C Butter (2 sticks)
2 lbs Powdered sugar
1 bag Coconut flakes (14 oz)
1 can Condensed milk
2 bags Chocolate chips
1/2 bar Paraffin wax

Make coconut balls
In a bowl, mix together butter, sugar, coconut and condensed milk until well incorporated. Shape into balls about the size of a walnut, place on cookie sheet. Insert a toothpick into each ball and refrigerate 1 hour.

Coat, chill and serve
In a double boiler melt chocolate chips and paraffin. Dip coconut balls into chocolate, return to cookie sheet and refrigerate another hour or until chocolate coating has hardened. Remove toothpicks and serve.

Peanut and Toffee Clusters

Printable version

This recipe is actually a modified recipe of my own from two years ago, it still qualifies as an Aunt Suzy Holiday Treat because it was adapted from a recipe of hers. The only change is the toffee bits, the original recipe calls for mini marshmallows.

Two years ago I substituted the marshmallows for candy corn while making a Halloween treat. For Christmas, I thought what the heck, why not try toffee. It worked well, in fact, so well that I think the toffee bits make this treat a cut above the candy corn or marshmallow versions.

After making this I thought that this is the type of mixture that becomes the inner layer of a candy bar or the heart of a delicious treat made by a chocolatier. In the future, I’m going to modify it a little and mold it so that it can be coated with another layer of yummy goodness – or be the center layer of some type of decadent desert. All this treat making has got my wheels spinning. It’s only a matter of time before I put out some original treats of my own.

BEHIND THIS BITE
This is the second time I have posted this recipe. I made it available previously to go along with a story that ran in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette about my blog.

Here is a link to the story.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Makes 30 treats; 2 hours 30 minutes
1 lb Vanilla candy coating
1/2 C Creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 C Dry roasted peanuts
1 C Crispy rice cereal
1 C English toffee bits

Melt candy coating, stir in peanut butter
In a microwave or a double boiler melt the vanilla candy coating, once completely melted stir in peanut butter.

Stir in peanuts, crispy rice cereal and toffee
Take mixture off heat and stir in peanuts, crispy rice cereal and toffee bits until well incorporated.

Scoop and cool
In tablespoon-sized scoops, place mixture in clumps on cookie sheet covered in wax paper. Makes about 30 treats. Put in a cool place for 2 hours to let candies set completely, then serve.