coconut cream truffles

I was shocked at how fast my coconut truffles got very popular around the web and food blogging world.
It all started with a post on Pinterest and "boom" did that take off.
Those coconut truffles alone got over 1 million hits!
I love that I have a lot of coconut fans.
I've always wanted to try and do a coconut cream like truffle.
But I wanted a thick cream not a liquid filled truffle--I don't like many liquid filled truffles UNLESS
it's Champagne or rum.

You know how some liquid truffles are just either too sweet or taste like Nyquil?
Yeah, I hate that.
What is the best truffle you had?
My favorite truffles are the kind that have the highest levels of cocoa in there so that when you bite into your chocolate craving is satisfied for a month. (Oh, and a little bit of texture is good too--always have to have texture in a truffle).




Or top with crushed almonds!


Speaking of truffle fillings---why not try adding a touch of rum to the filling?

coconut cream truffles

print recipe

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

14 ounces of toasted coconut (you don’t have to toast it, but it does taste much better)

8 ounces white chocolate chips

hefty pinch of sea salt

large crushed toasted almonds (about ¼ to ½ cup, depending on how nutty you want it), optional

10-14 ounces of semisweet chocolate for dipping truffles

(you can use whatever chocolate you like for dipping, but milk chocolate was just too sweet)

*save some of the toasted coconut for decorations (about ¼ or less cup), optional

Cook notes:  I did not crush my almonds I wanted them whole.  But feel free to do as you wish or no nuts at all.  You can also coat these truffles in white chocolate. I tried using milk chocolate, but for me it was too sweet so I stuck with semisweet.  Feel free to use what chocolate you prefer.

I don’t have a mixer, so I mixed this by hand, but if you have a mixer, then mix the cream cheese until creamy; set aside.

Melt the white chocolate chips and the cream cheese over a double-boiler.  You’ll need to stir this a lot as it’s heating up.  Once it’s all combined add in almost all the toasted coconut, the hefty pinch of salt, the almonds, and mix well. 

(Remember; do not add in all the toasted coconut if you want to decorate the tops of the truffles: save less than a ¼ of a cup or an 1/8 of cup?)

Spread into an 8x8 or 9x9 glass or ceramic dish. 

Cover dish with plastic wrap and chill for several hours.

(I left mine in fridge for two nights and it was fine).

When ready to mold the truffles, take dish out, let it come to almost room temp or you can try rolling out at any time; it might need about 20 minutes to be workable.

Scoop chocolate out with a spoon, melon ball size scoop (this is what I used, in photos).

Roll chocolate mixture into balls, place in bowl/plate and chill for a few minutes while you get your dipping station set up.

I highly suggest using semi-sweet and white chocolate for dipping.

Milk chocolate was just too sweet.

If you want to coat the tops of the truffles with toasted coconut, make sure to do so when the truffles are still wet.

If your kitchen is warm, then place truffles in fridge to set up a bit.

Depending on how big or small you make them, you should get between 20- 30 truffles.

Keep them in an air-tight container for a few days.

friday links

Happy Friday!

Here on cape cod we've had nothing but rain for the past 2 or 3 weeks?
After 2 weeks who keeps counting?
All this rain and darkness gets to me; wil I start to grow gills?
They say sun for this weekend--I'm ready.

craigville beach, hyannis, ma.

cape cod canal

skaket beach, orleans, ma

Our first seafood dinner of the season. This year we tried Cooke's Seafood in Hyannis.
It was OK. The scallops were good, small portions though and the fries aren't so good.

And my favorite ice cream joint Emack & Bolio's has opened for the season.
Pictured above is the peppermint patty ice cream.  My favorite peanut butter-oreo wasn't in stock.
I have no complaints here, only that their prices went up: $5.19 for two scoops, but almost all the prices have gone up everywhere on cape cod.
Coming to the cape this summer? Best meal for your money?
Go to Lindsey's Restaurant in Wareham, crappy part of town, but the food is good and the portions haven't shrunk and the seafood is always the freshest!

Please play a visit to an authentic french bakery: PB Boulangerie Bistro in south wellfleet
Just their croissants alone are worth the drive.


They run out fast, so get there early.


That chocolate tarte?  Will cure your chocolate craving for a month!


around the web:

lemon-raspberry swirl ice cream sandwiches from annie eats
5 fats that don't make you fat from mind body green
the best fish tacos you'll ever make from a cup of jo
a big appetite (series presents tiny, meticulously detailed figures posed in real food
environments....)
natural sunscreen: foods that help protect you from the sun from alignyo
health risks of electromagnetic fields (EMF) from intent blog
BPA (found in plastics) linked to obesity in puberty-aged girls from science daily
if you're going to eat fish: eat the healthiest possible from mind body green
vegetarian gyros from the scattered cook
bittersweet hot fudge sauce from view from the great island
red velvet fudge pie from pizzazzerie
ginger shrimp balls from pickled plum
great info chart about back pain from mind body green
vegan cocoa macarons from mad cap cupcake
brownie truffles from I heart naptime
peanut butter-bourbon filled doughnuts from sprinkle bakes
want to know what you should read next? click here from whatshouldIreadnext.com
vegan mango lassi from alignyo
how to balance your pH levels from intent blog
even our ancestors never really ate the paleo diet from discover magazine
in europe monsanto backing away from GMO crops from huffington post
scientists explode the myth of running injuries from science daily

books I'm dying to read:

peanut butter-oatmeal morning bars

Quite honestly I didn't know what to call these besides tasty lil fockers!
A little history: these bars come from those gluten free peanut butter cookies I made with that wonderful peanut butter powder.
I had some of that powder (see photo below) left over and wanted to do something different.
Having a craving for healthy morning bars--you know the ones that you can take with on busy mornings, but won't weight you down with heavy carbs later on?
So...these bars are kind of healthy, there is some sugar in there, and butter, but there is no flour.
Most days I don't like to have flour; I'll have grains, but not white flour--it just makes me so sleepy.
I wish I could call these gluten free, but there are oats in there, and how the oats get processed, I'm sure there is some sort of cross contamination.
If you want these gluten free, just take out the oats and take out the butter. I added in the butter just for the addition of the oats.
One bowl baking too! Gotta love that.
Do me a favor?
Invest in a jar of this peanut butter powder.
It's so good when used in baked goods; adds that little something special in the background.
Not to mention how much tastier it makes peanut butter cookies!

Where to find? Most health food stores and Whole Foods Market.

Did I tell you how tasty these are?
They aren't dry or boring. You know how some oatmeal cookies or bars are boring? Yeah, not these.
Just darn tasty!
Addictive too.
Perfect with morning coffee!
I am NEVER making oatmeal cookies without this recipe--this is so good.  OK, I know I said that a lot.

See those edge pieces?
Yeah, save those for yourself--you're welcome!

peanut butter-oatmeal morning bars

print recipe

1 ¼ cup all-natural chunky or all natural smooth peanut butter (not too oily)

¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed

1 cup + 2 TB old fashioned oats

½ - ¾ cup of raisins (add or takeaway how much you like)

1 stick of butter (8 ounces), room temp

1 large egg, room temp

1 egg yolk

1 ts baking soda

3  OVERSIZED TB powdered peanut butter

1 ts sea salt

cook notes:

This recipe is almost gluten free since there is no flour. 

But there are oats in there, so….

In a small bowl add the peanut powder, baking soda, oats, and salt and mix, set aside.

In a small bowl beat egg and egg yolk, and beat.

In a mixer or by hand, combine peanut butter, butter, and sugar until well combined, add in the eggs, mix well..

Add in the dry mixture, and mix. Then add in the raisins.

Cover bowl and let it sit in fridge for about an hour.

It needs to set up a bit/harden before baking.

Do not let this sit overnight as the dough becomes dry!

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease up an 8 or 9-inch square baking pan. Place batter in baking pan, making sure to get it evenly spread all around and in the corners.

Bake for 16-21 minutes, until lightly browned on the edges. It cooks up very fast, so I really wouldn’t go past the 20-21 minute mark.

The middle might still be a bit soft, this is ok, it will harden up a bit.

You know they are done when there is no jiggle in the middle.

Cool for a while as this baked dough is still fairly delicate and hard to move. I waited 1 hour, then put them in fridge to set up faster.

I keep them stored in the fridge, at least a couple days, covered well.