Coconut Surprise Candy Food

CHOCOLATE COCONUT CANDIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, coconut, almonds and milk. Shape into 1-in. balls. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes. , In a microwave, melt semisweet chips and shortening on high for about 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10- to 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth., Dip balls in chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Coat or garnish with ingredients of your choice. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.

COCONUT CANDIES

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together milk and sugar until smooth. Heat, without stirring, to between 234 and 240 degrees F (112 to 116 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface. Remove from heat and stir in coconut and vanilla. Let cool slightly.
• Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto waxed paper lined sheets and let cool completely.

2 INGREDIENT CHOCOLATE COCONUT CANDY CLUSTERS

Steps:

• Line a medium baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper. Clear some room in the freezer for this sheet. Set aside.
• To melt the chocolate, use the double boiler method or do the following. Add chocolate to a medium, microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 20-second increments until melted. Stir in between heating increments, until smooth.
• Add in coconut. Stir and fold until well combined and thoroughly mixed.
• Using a small cookie scoop, scoop and drop candy mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, spaced evenly apart. Here is the small cookie scoop that I use and love.
• Chill in the freezer for 10-20 mins, until firm. Enjoy! Storing instructions below.

CHOCOLATE COCONUT BARS

Steps:

• Combine the crumbs, butter and sugar. Press into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine coconut, milk and pecans; spread over the crust. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes; cool completely. In a small saucepan, melt candy bar and peanut butter over low heat; spread over bars. Cool until set.

COCONUT SURPRISE CANDY

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine coconut, sugar and mashed potatoes; mix well. Roll into 1-in. balls; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. In a microwave or double boiler, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip the balls into chocolate and then walnuts if desired. Return to waxed paper until chocolate is set.

CHOCOLATE COCONUT CANDY

Steps:

• Use a ladle to fill the plastic chocolate candy mold of your choice ( I used a small Bon Bon shape), with the tempered bittersweet chocolate. Tap the mold on the counter to encourage the air bubbles to depart. When the mold is full, empty it into the bowl of chocolate. The inside of each cavity should be evenly coated with chocolate. Scrape the mold clean with an offset spatula and place it upside down on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet. Once the chocolate starts to harden, about 5 minutes, scrape the edge clean again, with a chef's knife. When the chocolate sets, it shrinks or retracts from the sides of the mold. A clean edge will keep it from sticking and cracking as it shrinks. You can place the mold in the refrigerator for several minutes to help the chocolate to harden. Repeat with as many candy molds as you would like.
• For the filling: Place the coconut milk in a pan and bring to a boil. Stir in the corn syrup, coconut rum and rum. Place the white chocolate and in a large mixing bowl. Pour the hot coconut milk over the chocolate in the bowl and mix thoroughly. Stir in the shredded coconut. Allow the mixture to come to room temperature (though it should still be soft enough to pipe). Place the mixture in a piping bag and fill each chocolate cavity with the coconut mixture, to just shy of the top of the cavity. Allow this to set until the mixture hardens, about 2 hours.
• Use an offset spatula to cover the openings of each cavity with more tempered bittersweet chocolate. When the chocolate has begun to set, use an offset spatula to scrape away the excess chocolate. Allow the chocolate to set completely. Overturn the mold and give it a quick rap on the counter. The chocolates will release from the mold. They are ready to serve.
• Chocolate is tempered so that after it has been melted, it retains its gloss and hardens again without becoming chalky and white (that happens when the molecules of fat separate and form on top of the chocolate). There are a variety of ways to temper.
• One of the easiest ways to temper chocolate is to chop it into small pieces and then place it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time on high power until most of the chocolate is melted. Be very careful not to overheat it. (The temperature of dark chocolate should be between 88 and 90 degrees F, slightly warmer than your bottom lip. It will retain its shape even when mostly melted. White and milk chocolates melt at a temperature approximately 2 degrees F less because of the amount of lactose they contain.) Any remaining lumps will melt in the chocolate's residual heat. Use an immersion blender or whisk to break up the lumps. Usually, chocolate begins to set, or crystallize, along the side of the bowl. As it sets, mix those crystals into the melted chocolate to temper it. A glass bowl retains heat well and keeps the chocolate tempered longer.
• Another way to temper chocolate is called seeding. In this method, add small pieces of unmelted chocolate to melted chocolate. The amount of unmelted chocolate to be added depends on the temperature of the melted chocolate, but is usually 1/4 of the total amount. It is easiest to use an immersion blender for this, or a whisk.
• The classic way to temper chocolate is called tabliering. Two thirds of the melted chocolate is poured onto a marble or another cold work surface. The chocolate is spread out and worked with a spatula until its temperature is approximately 81 degrees F. At this stage, it is thick and begins to set. This tempered chocolate is then added to the remaining non-tempered chocolate and mixed thoroughly until the mass has a completely uniform temperature. If the temperature is still too high, part of the chocolate is worked further on the cold surface until the correct temperature is reached. This is a lot of work, requires a lot of room, and makes a big mess.
• A simple method of checking tempering, is to apply a small quantity of chocolate to a piece of paper or to the point of a knife. If the chocolate has been correctly tempered, it will harden evenly and show a good gloss within a few minutes.
• From Dessert Circus, Extraordinary Desserts You Can Make At Home by Jacques Torres.

CHOCOLATE COCONUT CANDY BARS

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Mix the graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar in a bowl. Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish to form a crust. Combine the coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and pecans in another bowl until well mixed. Spread coconut mixture over the cracker crust.
• Bake in the preheated oven until set, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Melt the chocolate bar and peanut butter in a small saucepan over very low heat, cooking and stirring until smooth, about 2 minutes. Spread the chocolate mixture evenly over the cooled coconut bars. Cool until set, about 15 minutes. Cut into bars before serving.

COCONUT CARAMELS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the coconut flakes in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and toast until light golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Brush an 8-inch baking dish generously with coconut oil or coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle about 3 to 4 tablespoons of toasted coconut in an even layer on the bottom of the pan, and set aside.
• In a medium heavy saucepan, combine the coconut cream, sugar, corn syrup and sea salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Boil, stirring frequently especially toward the end, until a candy thermometer reaches 250 degrees and caramel is a light golden brown and thickened, about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the ginger and cardamom.
• Pour the caramel into the prepared pan. Once the caramel stops bubbling and the surface forms a thin skin, about 3 minutes, sprinkle another 4 tablespoons toasted coconut across the surface. Allow to cool at room temperature and set completely, about 2 hours.
• Run a spatula around the sides of the baking dish, loosen and lift the caramel, and move onto a board or clean surface.
• Slice the caramel into 8 (1-inch-wide) strips, then across into 1/2-inch pieces, so you have about 72 caramels. Roll the sides of each piece in more toasted coconut. Wrap as individual sweets using 4- to 5-inch squares of parchment, wax paper, or cellophane, or use store-bought candy wrappers, twisting the ends to seal. Store at room temperature in a cool dry place. Caramels will keep stored at room temp for up to 7 days or frozen after wrapping for up to 1 month.

COCONUT SURPRISE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Hand mix cake mix, eggs, and oil in a large bowl. This will be extremely messy. Do this until batter is firm and holds together well.
• In a separate bowl hand mix coconut, and milk; adding the milk slowly till mixture is moist.(You may not need all of the milk depending on the brand of coconut).
• Take teaspoon sized amounts of dough and flatten. (I found if works best if I flatten against my palm). Place a generous pinch of coconut mixture and place in the center of the flattened batter. Roll the dough so that the coconut is not exposed. (pinch the sides closed if needed).
• Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-12 minutes. Move onto wire rack to cool.