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A Life in Food by real-life Chef Cheryl Bennett

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candy

Chocolate coconut truffles with almonds

February 1, 2021

These chocolate-dipped coconut truffles taste like a bite sized Almond Joy candy bar. They are an easy, no bake treat that is perfect for Valentine’s Day. For another delicious dessert, try this dark chocolate cake with red wine chocolate ganache.

coconut truffles on red cake stand

These are super easy to make and if you have kids, they can help roll and dip the treats.

If you make a purchase through one of the affiliate links, I make a few pennies at no extra cost to you. Questions? Please see disclosure for info.

Coconut truffles

Valentine’s Day is for chocolate, that’s not up for debate. Whether it’s a box of candy or a chocolate bundt cake, we need some of that cocoa goodness.

chocolate dipped coconut truffles with toasted almonds

Coconut is a favorite of mine, and the combination of chocolate and coconut is delicious.

A very long time ago when I worked in catering, we were craving something sweet that was fast & easy and did not need cooking. What I came up with was this recipe. It earned the name “crack balls” by the kitchen staff because we couldn’t stop eating them. 

How to make truffles

These aren’t your normal chocolate truffles made with a ganache. This bite-sized copycat Almond Joy is made even better with an unexpected ingredient – a pinch of salt.

I use a combination of sweetened and unsweetened coconut flakes so the candy isn’t overly sweet. If you prefer them very sweet, use all sweetened coconut flakes to make them.

1. Combine both toasted and untoasted coconut with a pinch of salt and evaporated milk.

2. Using a small scoop, portion out truffles and place on baking sheet.

step by step instructions for making coconut truffles

3. Roll into balls, lightly packing them with the palms of your hands while rolling so they stay together.

4. Dip into melted dark chocolate and toss in chopped nuts.

I like to roll them in chopped toasted almonds, but you can use anything that you have. I’ve used peanuts, cashews and pistachios to coat these coconut truffles and all were delicious.

You can also opt for no nuts, if you prefer, and just dip them in chocolate. Another fun option would be to roll them in red or pink sprinkles.

sprinkling almonds onto coconut truffles

Once you have them covered, place them back onto a sheet pan to let the chocolate set up.

Finished chocolate coconut truffles coated with almonds on sheet pan.

These candies also make great homemade gifts. Tuck a few truffles into valentine’s treat bags to share with friends, family and neighbors.

Quick, easy and delicious, these chocolate coconut truffles are perfect for surprising your special Valentine.

I really hope you love this recipe. If you make it, snap a pic and share it with me either in the Fabulous Foodie Friends Facebook group or on Instagram by tagging @pookspantry and using hashtag #pookspantry.

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Your shares help this site to grow and I appreciate it so much. Do you know someone who would like this? I’d love it if you would share it on Facebook or pin it to your favorite recipe board.

Yield: 16 truffles

Chocolate Coconut Truffles with Almonds

Chocolate Coconut Truffles with Almonds

These chocolate-dipped coconut truffles taste like a bite sized Almond Joy candy bar. 

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 15 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup toasted sweetened coconut
  • 1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
  • 7 oz sweetened, condensed milk (half a can)
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 cup melted dark chocolate
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped almonds or peanuts

Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread sweetened shredded coconut out on a baking sheet in a thin layer and toast in the oven for 5 - 10 minutes, stirring once. When coconut is light brown, remove from oven and set aside to cool.
    2. Combine toasted coconut, shredded untoasted coconut, condensed milk and salt in a medium bowl. Stir to thoroughly combine.
    3. Using a small cookie scoop (or a teaspoon), scoop out mixture and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
    4. Place them in the fridge for 20 - 30 minutes to set up.
    5. Roll them in your hands to make a nice smooth ball.
    6. Working quickly, dip them in the melted chocolate and then into the chopped nuts and set on a clean sheet pan. If they start to get too warm, put them back into the fridge for a few minutes. 
    7. Once they are all dipped and rolled in almonds or peanuts, put them in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to help the chocolate set up. 

Notes

Use a combination of sweetened and unsweetened shredded coconut to keep these truffles from being overly sweet.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Norpro Stainless Steel Scoop, 25MM (.5 Tablespoon)
    Norpro Stainless Steel Scoop, 25MM (.5 Tablespoon)

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1 piece

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 247Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 184mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 3gSugar: 20gProtein: 5g

Nutrition information calculated by a third-party company as a courtesy. It is intended as a guideline only.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

© Cheryl Bennett
Cuisine: American / Category: Desserts

Thanks for stopping by! Have a delicious day 🙂

Questions? Send me an email, I’m happy to help. I’d love to have you on my newsletter, so you can get updates about what’s happening in the kitchen!

Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my photos or recipe without prior written permission. Thank you!

Originally published 8/31/11, most recent update 2/1/21

Filed Under: Desserts Tagged With: candy, no bake recipes

Homemade Buckeyes

December 18, 2019

Homemade buckeyes are the perfect no bake treat for peanut butter and chocolate lovers.

Buckeyes are fast, easy and delicious, making them a great choice for the holidays when you need a tasty treat that doesn’t take too much time or energy. Another no bake treat (for adults) that is always on hand during the holidays are these easy rum balls. 

chocolate dipped peanut butter buckeyes

The very basics of a buckeye candy are peanut butter, chocolate and powdered sugar. As easy as a buckeye recipe is, not all buckeyes are created equal. This recipe has a secret ingredient to make these homemade buckeyes the creamiest and most delicious peanut butter buckeyes ever!

If you make a purchase through one of the affiliate links, I make a few pennies at no extra cost to you. Questions? Please see disclosure for info.

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Filed Under: No bake desserts Tagged With: candy, no bake recipes

The Ultimate Malted Milkshake

March 5, 2019

This is the Ultimate Malted Milkshake.  Made for lovers of extra maltiness! Made with malted chocolate candy, extra malted milk powder, homemade whipped cream and a mini ice cream cone garnish – this the ULTIMATE malt!

I loved this malt.  It was surprisingly not too sweet, it was perfectly malty and oh so delicious! This is a childhood treat. In my humble opinion, a malt is so much better than a regular milkshake. It has more flavor and complexity than just ice cream and milk.

malted milkshakes with mini ice cream cones

Malted Milkshake with Mini Cone

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Filed Under: No bake desserts Tagged With: candy, ice cream recipes

Holiday Candy Bark

November 22, 2016

Holiday Candy Bark - Perfect hostess gift or quick treat for busy holiday schedules!

This week, Betsy from Desserts Required is doing a guest post!  I love Betsy and I know you will too!  We’ve been friends for a few years now and I must tell you, when you are around her – a good time will be had, whether you like it or not!  🙂  She is a ball of energy, a ray of sunshine and has a serious sweet-tooth just like your truly.   Betsy is a “girl’s girl”, a cheerleader & champion of her friends, the kind of friend everyone should have.

Hello Pook’s Pantry readers!

I am so excited to guest blog while Cheryl takes some much needed time to recover from her surgery. I met Cheryl at Food Wine Conference a couple of years ago and last year she was my roommate. To say that I love and adore her would be an understatement. I mean, seriously, you already know how fabulous her sense of humor is in addition to her talent in the kitchen but I got to see it firsthand. Cheryl was on team Betsy’s Balls in the Chopped competition and, holy moly, can that woman cook!

My blog is Desserts Required and I live by the mantra, “Without desserts, life would not be as sweet.” If there is a delicious dessert within reach, driving distance or flying distance, I am always up for giving it a try. That goes for candy, too.

Since Thanksgiving is two days away, I thought it would be best to offer a quick and delish option to make; Holiday Candy Bark. I love the idea of making something that is as easy to serve at home as it is to take to someone for a hostess gift.

holiday-candy-bark-november-2016

The key is to use high quality chocolate. I love bittersweet chocolate but Holiday Candy Bark will work just as well with semisweet, milk or even white chocolate. When I was at Whole Foods buying dried cranberries and unsweetened shredded coconut, I had trouble locating dried apricots. I was directed to a bin of very dark, almost black, apricots. I thought something was wrong with them but learned that they were Turkish apricots and, as such, did not contain sulphur, which gives that very bright unnatural orange color. Although, initially, I wanted that bright orange color, I opted for the natural dried fruit. Feel free to use whichever dried apricot you prefer.

Assembly is a breeze. It’s just a matter of adding layers of dried fruit, coconut and toasted pecans over most of the melted chocolate and then drizzling more melted chocolate over the top to keep the goodies in place.

Holiday Candy Bark - a perfect hostess gift or quick treat at home for busy holiday schedules!

Best of all, Holiday Candy Bark is great throughout this holiday season. I’ve even heard a rumor that Santa loves a batch with his milk and cookies!

Find DR on twitter, facebook & instagram!

Holiday Candy Bark

Holiday Candy Bark

A delicious, no-bake treat perfect for hostess gifts and holiday gatherings!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup 141 grams dried cranberries, chopped
  • 1 cup 172 grams dried apricots, chopped
  • 1 cup 120 grams pecan pieces, toasted
  • ½ cup 40 grams unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 2 pounds 910 grams bittersweet, semisweet, milk or white chocolate, melted

Instructions

  1. Line a 9” x 13” baking pan with heavy duty aluminum foil. Add 4/5 of the melted chocolate and use a small offset metal spatula to spread it evenly in the pan. Top with the cranberries, apricots and most of the pecans and coconut.
  2. Drizzle half of the remaining chocolate over the top. Sprinkle the remaining pecans and coconut over this. Lastly, drizzle the rest of the chocolate on top to ‘glue’ the pecans and coconut onto the bark.
  3. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes. If the block of chocolate is too hard to cut through, allow it to sit out on the counter until a knife cuts through the chocolate without breaking it into shards of chocolate. Cut in squares.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

© Betsy Cohen

 

holiday-candy-bark-

Filed Under: No bake desserts Tagged With: candy, No Bake

Fruit and Nut Chocolate Bark

July 13, 2015

 

Bark

I try, I mean I REALLY try to eat a healthy diet about 90% of the time… but, there is this issue I have with sweets.  I don’t limit myself to candy a few times a year like most reasonable people…  I limit myself to chocolate a few times a month (ok, a WEEK!),  it’s a problem but honestly I don’t care.  Chocolate Bark is one of the easiest treats to pull together and this one has fruit and nuts in it, so it’s practically health food.

We have all seen the peppermint bark for sale around the holidays.  Why limit yourself to peppermint and why limit this deliciousness to only the holidays?   While we’re on the topic, why pay $20 a pound when you can double that amount for half the price?

This treat is perfect for those times when you want a little something (which for me, is always), but you just don’t feel like turning on the oven, or getting the big stand mixer out, or cleaning up a huge mess (does anyone ever want to clean up a big mess?!).   During the summer months, I’m especially inclined to make something that allows me to have my sweet fix without having a 400 degree box of heat cranking in the kitchen.

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Filed Under: Desserts Tagged With: candy, Chocolate, fruit, nuts

Get Your Game Face On…

January 30, 2014

Break out the fat pants… It’s Super Bowl Party time.   Oh, don’t give me that face!  You know as well as I do that no matter what, you and I will be eating more than we should.    I love football parties;  a gathering of friends, yelling at the television in unison, eating, drinking and being merry… until of course there is a fumble or an interception.  Then the merriment seems to dissipate.

This year, I will have my very first Super Bowl Party.   I love throwing parties and I will use any excuse to have friends over and feed them.  The fact that there will be a football game on is a bonus!    The smile that creeps across their lips as they taste something heavenly (or sinful)… that’s the stuff I live for.  Seriously.

Here are some of the things that will be on our Super Bowl party menu:

photo courtesy of Cravings of a Lunatic

photo courtesy of Cravings of a Lunatic

http://www.cravingsofalunatic.com/2014/01/jalapeno-bacon-poppers-appetizerweek-savorx-giveaway.html

She had me at bacon…  Dang.   You know those (GASP) frozen jalapeno poppers that people seem to be a fan of?!   Make these and they will NEVER think those are a good idea, ever again.  These little babies pack a punch and leave you reaching for more!

 

Who doesn't love a corndog?!

Who doesn’t love a corndog?!

https://www.pookspantry.com/guilty-pleasures/

This is serious.  I don’t recommend eating these often, but once in a while… You need a corndog.  Especially if they are mini size!   These are so much fun!  They are a taste of childhood for me.  It was a special treat that we used to get and that sweet corn batter, deep-fried to  golden brown delicious makes me smile every single time.    A tray of these will make your friends very happy.

 

photo by: Alex Farnum coutesy of: Leite's Culinaria

photo by: Alex Farnum
coutesy of: Leite’s Culinaria

http://leitesculinaria.com/87995/recipes-soft-pretzels.html

These little gems are on my menu.  I love a soft pretzel more than any reasonable person really should…   If I am somewhere that has them, I’m not walking out without one.   I’m making a BIG batch of these and stashing some for those nights when the craving strikes.    These are absolute snack perfection.

 

photo courtesy of: Pastry Chef Online

photo courtesy of: Pastry Chef Online

http://pastrychefonline.com/2014/01/23/turtle-graham-crackers-candy/

Tell me your brain isn’t thinking “how do I get some of that?!”  After all the snacks have been devoured, your guests are going to need something sweet.   Jenni has come up with something that fits the bill quite nicely. 

 

photo courtesy of: Pass the Sushi

photo courtesy of: Pass the Sushi

http://passthesushi.com/huli-huli-bacon-chicken-bites-captainstable/

If these don’t scream “SUPER BOWL PARTY”, I don’t know what does…  Check them out & tweet with #captainstable to help donate a buck to ending hunger!    Chicken wrapped in bacon… that is all kinds of right.

 

photo courtesy of: Foodie with Family

photo courtesy of: Foodie with Family

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2014/01/29/garlic-parmesan-stadium-style-baked-steak-fries/

Is there ANYONE on the planet who doesn’t love fries?  These are not just ordinary fries… Look at that cheesy, herb-laden goodness.   These would be good for a party, movie night, dinner, a random Tuesday…  You get my point.

 

Sweet Corn Fritters & a Cold Beer= Perfection

Sweet Corn Fritters & a Cold Beer= Perfection

https://www.pookspantry.com/445/

Sweet Corn Fritters.  What else is there to say?  A plate of these & a cold beer and all is right with the world.   There are so many ways to dress these up.  You can leave them plain, as I did here, or mix in some bacon or crab.  Wanna keep it vegetarian?  Roasted red peppers, chipotle in adobo for a little kick or scallions would be nice.  

 

Thanks to all of my generous friends who allowed me to use their images & links!  Please check them out…  And a big THANK YOU to all of you who take a few moments to read this blog!

 

#SuperBowl  #GameDay  #Food

Filed Under: Appetizer Tagged With: appetizer, bacon, candy, corn dogs, french fries, game day, peppers, Pretzel

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Hi there and thanks for stopping by!  I'm Cheryl, Chef by day and Blogger by night!

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