Coconut Marzipan Balls Food

MARZIPAN TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet (small enough to fit in the fridge) with wax paper.Chop the dark/milk chocolate into small pieces and place them in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate in 20-30 seconds at a time, stirring each time, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. If you like a slightly glossier chocolate coating, stir in the butter or coconut oil at this point.
• Dip the marzipan balls into the melted chocolate, letting the excess drip off (you can use a dipping tool or tines of a fork) and then place them on the wax paper. Once all the marzipan balls are coated you can transfer the baking sheet to the refrigerator where the chocolate will harden more quickly.
• Once the chocolate has hardened follow the same procedure to melt the white chocolate. Use a spoon to drizzle stripes of white chocolate over the chocolate covered marzipan. Return the truffles to the fridge to let the white chocolate harden.
• Makes about 20 truffles depending on size.

COCONUT AND MARZIPAN MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
• Beat egg whites in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl until foamy. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
• Combine marzipan with 1/2 of the confectioners' sugar and rub with your fingers until mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add coconut, remaining confectioners' sugar, lemon zest, and rum. Mix well. Fold in stiff egg whites.
• Using 2 teaspoons, drop small dollops of mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the macaroons are golden but soft to the touch, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Place 3/4 of the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir frequently, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching, until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in remaining chocolate until melted.
• Dip 1/3 of each cooled macaroon into the melted chocolate. Set macaroons on waxed paper until chocolate has set. Store the macaroons in an airtight container, with waxed paper between the layers.

COCONUT MARZIPAN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch tube pan, and sprinkle flaked coconut over its bottom. Soften marzipan by heating it in a microwave oven, 10 to 15 seconds.
• In a food processor, combine marzipan, 8 ounces butter, the sugar and coconut extract. Process until mixture is very smooth. With processor running, break eggs one at a time through the feed tube. Stop processor and sprinkle cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt evenly over batter. Process again until mixture is smooth, making sure there are no lumps in batter.
• Pour mixture into prepared baking pan. Bake until surface is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven, and allow to cool in pan until slightly warm.
• To release cake from pan, cut around the edge with a thin knife. Holding a cake plate over the center tube of pan, invert cake so that it falls onto plate. Fill center of cake with berries and scatter remainder around perimeter of cake. Pass confectioners' sugar through a small sieve and sprinkle over cake and fruit. Serve immediately.

BEIJINHO DE COCO (BRAZILIAN COCONUT BALLS)

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and mix constantly with a wooden spoon (about 15 minutes).
• When mixture begins to thicken and begin to loosen from the bottom of the pan when you scrap it with the wooden spoon you know the mixture has completed the cooking cycle.
• Remove from heat and transfer to a greased plate and cool for 15 minutes. Grease your hand very well and roll into 1 inch balls. Drop balls into a plate full of sugar and completely cover the ball.
• These balls are usually served on miniature paper liners.