Make sure you plan ahead since these need to sit overnight in the refrigerator. You can add some chopped pecans, walnuts or even almonds too, and present them in one of those cute holiday-themed aluminum tins with the plastic lids for gift-giving.

Homemade Russell Stover Coconut Chocolates

2 c. powdered sugar
1 15oz can evaporated milk
1/4 c. coconut
1/2 lb. butter
1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients except chocolate chips and chill overnight. Melt chocolate chips in top of double boiler, or directly on stove over very low heat. Form filling mixture into small balls, dip in melted chocolate and set on waxed paper to harden. Do not refrigerate.

[image: flickr]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

I found this recipe from My Baking Addiction, one of my favorite food blogs, and was very happy to realize that I had all the ingredients on hand.

In her post, Jamie explains how the creation of the cookies came from a need to clean out her pantry, something I can totally relate to! I had pecans that needed to be used up, half a bag of shredded coconut that was about to end up in the garbage, and several “odds and ends” bags of chocolate chips in the freezer.

When I make these again (it probably goes without saying that they were a hit), I’m actually going to pare down the chocolate chips and pecans just a tad, but everything else was perfect. I used 3/4 of a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips, and 3/4 cup of milk chocolate chips. I also got about 26 cookies out of the batch.

Coconut Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
from My Baking Addiction

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk, from a large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (semi-sweet, milk chocolate or any combination)
1 cup of chopped pecans
3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut

~ Pre-heat oven to 325°F

~ Cover 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper

~ Mix flour, baking powder & salt in a bowl or bag and set aside

~ Mix butter and sugars with with a mixer until blended and smooth, add egg, yolk & vanilla; mix until incorporated

~ Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined

~ Stir in chips, pecans and coconut

~ Divide into 18 equal balls, a 2″ cookie scoop works just about perfectly, (about 2.1 ounces)

~ Evenly space 9 on each cookie sheet

~ Bake for 12-18 minutes, rotating front to back and top to bottom after 8 minutes. (I did mine for 13 minutes.)

~ Cool on sheets to maintain chewy texture

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

Thankfully, they’re pretty tasty! The pack is only 1.5 oz, and contained about 23 candies. The candies themselves are about the size of a peanut butter M&M (slightly bigger than a plain but smaller than a peanut), and come in dark brown, green and white.

Maybe they put Miss Green on the package to make up for the fact that there are very few greens inside? (I’m kidding – fewer greens makes sense and is actually pretty visually appealing against the white and brown.) Some of the candies are printed with cute little umbrellas, suns, palm trees and flowers with the M.

Now, I liked these to the point that if I had a pack I’d snack on it, but I don’t know that I’d seek them out again like I do the peanut butter or peanut varieties.

The coconut, I think, is right on and is balanced perfectly with the chocolate, which is the standard M&M’s milk chocolate. There is a lingering aftertaste that, while not unpleasant, sticks around for a bit. Thankfully, these have the standard hard candy shell and not the weird soft shells that the Premium M&M’s have.

The kids really liked them, though, so even if they’re not a candy I’m gaga over, the kids will finish the box for me!

These supposedly won’t be available in stores until August, but like I said, I picked this box up at Sam’s Club last week for about $8.

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

What’s your favorite kind of chocolate cake? Plain? Molten? Zucchini?

[image: flickr]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes