Coconut Cream Truffles

I've done it again. I've put myself up for another food challenge. However, unlike my last challenge, the Sugar Crush Challenge, this current one is specific to me challenging myself to create a food from one of my fellow foodies, Amanda Bootes, food picks. And this week Amanda has challenged us to creating a recipe with chocolate.

Amanda chose chocolate to start off our challenge because she cares about raising awareness for the Sick Children'sTrust, who hosts a Big Chocolate Tea Party each year to help raise awareness, monies, and support for their charity.

 If you're interested in raising awareness for the Sick Children's Trust, you can also host a party, either online or through an organization such as schools or your workplace. Just go to their website here and check it out. It's a great way to give back to those in need of help.

Yes, that's a strawberry you see in the back there. With the leftover chocolate, I made chocolate dipped strawberries.

 

So in honor of the chocolate food challenge this week, I made a recipe I've had my eye on for some time now, Coconut Cream Truffles covered in dark chocolate.

A creamy coconut filling surrounded by a thin layer of dark chocolate. They remind me of a Mounds bar. So if you love Mounds bars, you're going to love these scrumptious little coconut bites.

And the best part is that I made them a little more healthy so you don't have to feel so guilty about eating them! I substituted coconut oil for the butter and pure coconut cream for the sugar laden cream of coconut. Plus I used organic unsweetened coconut flakes instead of the ones covered in sugar. And we all know dark chocolate is much better for you than milk chocolate.
 

The result is a sweet, creamy coconut center with a thin chocolate shell that satisfies any sweet tooth. If I never told you, you would never have guessed the ingredients I substituted to make these truffles good for you.

Stay updated to my blog for more food challenges this month from Amanda's  #letsgetfoodiechallenge.

 

 

Coconut Cream Truffles

Recipe by Julie Murphy

Scrumptious bites of creamy coconut covered in dark chocolate.

Prep time: 15
Total time: 25
Yield: 1 dozen
Ingredients

• 1/4 cup organic coconut oil, softened
• 2 Tablespoons coconut cream (separated from coconut milk)
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract*
• pinch sea salt
• 1 cup organic unsweetened flaked coconut
• 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 6-8 ounces dark chocolate melting wafers

Cooking Directions

1. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Set aside.
2. In a medium to large bowl, beat together coconut oil and coconut cream until smooth.
3. Blend in coconut extract, vanilla, and salt.
4. Gradually add in powdered sugar until thoroughly blended.
5. Fold in coconut flakes, making sure everything is mixed together.
6. Take Tablespoon size balls and roll between your palms until mixture is made into a uniform ball shape.
7. Place onto wax paper and repeat.
8. Once all of coconut mixture is shaped into balls, place cookie sheet into freezer for at least 1 hour so balls can set up. Can even leave in freezer overnight.
9. When you're ready to dip ball shapes, prepare melting wafers as directed on package.
10. Have 2-3 clean forks, a large spoon, and toothpicks available nearby.
11. Place chilled ball into prepared dark chocolate. Leaving the ball in one place, take spoon and gently drip chocolate over the ball.
12. Once ball is covered with chocolate, place ball onto spoon, lift out of dipping chocolate, gently transfer chocolate covered ball over to fork. Tap off excess chocolate using edge of bowl or two fingers from your free hand. Swipe fork on edge of bowl and repeat tap, swipe at least 2-3 times. You do this to remove excess chocolate so the chocolate doesn't overpower the coconut cream filling of your truffle.
13. Once this process has been repeated 2-3 times, take truffle ball on fork over prepared cookie sheet with wax paper, place toothpick at bottom of truffle ball and gently swipe off of fork using the toothpick. Immediately sprinkle with coconut flakes or candy sprinkles if desired.
14. After all truffles have been dipped in chocolate, place cookie sheet into refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour to let chocolate set.
15. Best served at room temperature.

 

*Helpful Hints*

 

- Watch me and learn how to dip your truffles here.

- I used Madagascar Vanilla extract, which is also known as bourbon vanilla.

-  As in the directions above, I state to have a few clean forks available while dipping your truffles. This is because you want a clean fork for dipping the truffles. Sometimes the truffle filling will get stuck between the tines. If this happens, just grab a clean fork that is nearby or wipe fork off clean with a towel.

Recipe inspired by ~ Dorothy at Crazy for Crust.
 

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Shared with: Mix it up Monday!, Skip the Housework Link Party #71