Chocolatecoconutnutclusters Recipes

CHOCOLATE-COCONUT BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut a piece of foil 9- by 23-inches. Butter the corners and sides of a 9- by 9-inch baking pan. Line the pan with the foil, leaving an overhang on two sides. Fold the overhanging foil to make them doubly thick. (This will make it easier to lift the bar out of the pan.)
• For the topping: Whisk the coconut cream with the egg white and vanilla in a medium bowl. Toss the shredded coconut with the flour in another medium bowl. Stir the shredded coconut mixture into the coconut cream mixture. Set aside.
• For the base: Whisk the flour with the cocoa powder and salt in a small bowl. Put the cookie dough on a clean work surface and dump the flour mixture on top. Knead the flour mixture and dough together until it is dark and homogenous. Sprinkle a little extra flour on the work surface, and use a rolling pin to gently press and roll the dough into a 7- or 8-inch square; don't worry if it cracks a bit. Put the dough in the prepared pan, using your fingers to press it evenly into the sides and corners.
• Scatter the coconut topping evenly over the base, making sure you cover the edges well and being sure not to press down so that the coconut mixture lies on top of the dough. Scatter the chocolate on top and press it lightly into the coconut. Bake until the coconut is a toasted golden brown, the topping seems dry and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool completely on a rack before gently lifting out of the pan by the overhanging foil, about 20 minutes. Slice into 16 square bars.

COCONUT-CARAMEL-CHOCOLATE CRISPY TREATS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Line 2 jelly roll pans with parchment paper; butter the parchment paper. Spread coconut on a baking sheet.
• Bake coconut in the preheated oven until toasted and lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove and let cool. Leave the oven on.
• Combine caramels, 10 ounces of condensed milk, and 1/4 cup butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, stopping and stirring occasionally, until caramels are melted, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Combine marshmallows and remaining 1/2 cup butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and heat on high power for 30 seconds; stir. Repeat until completely blended. Add remaining sweetened condensed milk. Stir in cereal and toasted coconut. Press evenly into the prepared pans. Pour caramel mixture over cereal and smooth out. Sprinkle salt on top; add chocolate chips.
• Bake in the preheated oven until chocolate chips are melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Spread chocolate evenly. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then roll up each, starting on the long side.
• Refrigerate until caramel has set, at least 1 hour. Slice into individual pieces, then cut in half again.

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.

CHOCOLATE COCONUT NUT CLUSTERS

Steps:

• Line 4 miniature muffin pans with candy cups; set them aside. (Or you can skip the paper candy cups and just drop these by the spoonful onto wax paper lined cookie sheets.).
• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the coconut and nuts on separate cookie sheets.
• Bake each until golden brown, about 9 minutes for the nuts and 10 for the coconut, stirring every few minutes to keep them from burning. Let them cool.
• Combine the toasted coconut and nuts in a medium-size bowl. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave according to the package directions.
• Add the melted chocolate to the coconut mixture; stir well. Drop the mixture by heaping teaspoonfuls into the candy cups (or directly onto lined cookie sheets). Chill until set, about 45 minutes.
• If desired, melt additional chocolate according to the package directions.
• Pour the contents into a zipper bag. Snip off a small corner of the bag, then drizzle the chocolate over the clusters.
• Chill until drizzle is set, about 15 minutes.
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

CHOCOLATE COCONUT TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Melt 1 pound of chocolate, slowly stirring, in a double boiler. Warm the cream in a large saucepan but do not scorch. Remove the chocolate from the heat, cool slightly, then combine with the heavy cream. Stir the butter into the chocolate cream mixture and refrigerate until firm but still pliable, about 20 minutes. Transfer the chocolate to a pastry bag fitted with a large straight tip and pipe into teaspoonsize mounds onto a waxed paper covered cookie sheet, or use a spoon to dole out teaspoonsize mounds. Refrigerate the entire pan until the chocolate is hard to the touch.
• When the chocolate is sufficiently firm (this can be done a day or 2 ahead) remove the chocolate from the refrigerator and, working quickly to prevent melting, roll the chocolate mounds into balls, then chill the balls again until firm.
• In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse the coconut briefly to make it a little finer so that it will adhere better to the truffles. When firm, roll each truffle in the coconut, pressing firmly to make sure the coconut sticks. At this point you can refrigerate the truffles for as much as a day, until you are ready to dip them.
• Melt the remaining chocolate in the double boiler. Remove the double boiler from the heat and using a wire dipping spoon, or a regular teaspoon and your hands in latex gloves, dip each coconut covered truffle briefly into the melted chocolate. Place on a cake rack set over a cookie sheet until dry, and refrigerate until firm. You may scrape up any chocolate that has dripped on the cookie sheet and return it to the dipping pot for more dipping. The truffles will keep for several weeks if refrigerated in a covered container.

CHOCOLATE COCONUT SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a food processor pulse biscuits or crackers until finely ground. Melt butter and in a large bowl stir together with crumbs, coconut, and salt until combined. Firmly press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan and bake in middle of oven until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool crust completely in pan on a rack.
• Chop chocolate. In a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate, stirring until smooth. Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and cool chocolate 15 minutes.
• In a small bowl lightly beat yolks. In a saucepan heat cream over moderate heat until it just boils and whisk 1/2 cup into yolks, whisking constantly. Add mixture to remaining cream and cook over moderate heat, whisking, until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F. Whisk custard into chocolate until just smooth and pour evenly over crust, smoothing top with a small metal offset spatula or rubber spatula. Chill confection, covered, at least 4 hours, or until firm. With a sharp thin knife cut confection into 36 squares. (Squares keep, layered between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container and chilled, 1 week.)
• Using star shapes cut out of parchment paper as a stencil, dust squares with confectioners' sugar.

CHOCOLATE NUT & CRAISIN CLUSTERS

Steps:

• Melt chocolate chips in microwave for about 2 minutes.
• Chips will not appear melted.
• However, stir them to distribute the heat and get them melted.
• Add nuts and craisins, stirring until well coated.
• Drop teaspoonfuls onto a wax-paper lined cookie sheet.
• Place into refrigerator for about 1 hour.
• Note: if doubling the recipe, microwave time does not double.
• Check chips at about 2 1/2 minutes and add small amounts of time until chips are melted.
• It takes a bit under 3 minutes for a double recipe in my microwave.

NUTTY CHOCOLATE PEANUT CLUSTERS

Steps:

• In a double boiler or metal bowl over hot water, melt candy coating and chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Remove from the heat; stir in peanuts. , Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes or until set. Store in airtight containers.

NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE CLUSTERS

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat or with 40 mini-muffin liners.
• If you're using white chocolate, use 6 tablespoons/85 grams butter. For semisweet chocolate, use 8 tablespoons/113 grams butter. Put the butter in a small saucepan, top with the chocolate and cook over very low heat, stirring almost constantly, until smooth. (Alternatively, you can stir in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water or in a microwave-safe bowl in a microwave, stirring in 20-second increments.)
• Meanwhile, toss the cornflakes, cranberries and coconut, if using, in a large bowl. Pour over the melted chocolate and gently stir in with a flexible spatula. Some of the cereal will break - it's inevitable - but keep working until you've coated all of the flakes.
• Use a medium cookie scoop or two spoons to shape sweets either on the lined baking sheet or in the paper liners. Gently press the mixture into the scoop or a spoon, binding the elements, before releasing the scoop or scraping the mixture off the spoon with another spoon onto the sheet or into the liners. Finish with salt and sprinkles, if using.
• Refrigerate or freeze (my preference) for about 30 minutes, or until set, before serving. To keep, cover and refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for up to a month. These are good straight from the fridge or just a few minutes out of the freezer.