Try these Coconut Candy Easter Eggs made with leftover mashed potatoes!!
These coconut Easter eggs aren’t some run of the mill, rinky dink Almond Joy candies here. These eggs are a dense wonderland of candy delight unlike anything that you’ve ever had before. The coconut is so densely packed it nearly denies being bitten and is surrounded by a dark chocolate shell so thick that it practically shoves your teeth out of the way to avoid getting to it.
Much like releasing the sword from the stone, the internet has provided me the answer as to why the homemade versions of these coconut eggs were failing so miserably. We had failed to use a mashed potato as one of the key components.
Yes, a potato. La papa. Potatoes are the glue that hold those magical candy Easter traditions together. I know, right?
Ingredients:
-3/4 cup unseasoned mashed potato, cooled completely (6 ounces)
-2 cups unsweetened flaked coconut
-about 6 cups powdered sugar
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-1 pinch salt
-12 ounces dark chocolate
-1 Tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil
How To:
1. In a bowl, combine the potato, coconut, vanilla and salt. Blend thoroughly.
2. Next, start mixing the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. You will notice that the sugar causes the potato to exude liquid. Keep adding the sugar until a thick consistency is achieved and the taste is to your liking. (The coconut will also absorb some moisture, so don’t use more than 6 cups.)
3. Wrap and refrigerate the potato coconut filling overnight.
4. The next day, allow the filling to come to room temperature before molding it into egg shapes with your hands or a mold. Place the molded eggs onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and refrigerate as the coating heats.
5. Over a double boiler, combine the chocolate and the oil. Heat the chocolate to 115 degrees over simmering (NOT BOILING) water.
6. Remove the eggs from the fridge. Dip each egg in the chocolate and return them to the parchment lined cookie sheet.
7. Allow the chocolate shells to dry overnight before wrapping them in tissue paper.
Recipe and photo courtesy of: http://unprofessionalcookery.com/2012/04/06/vi-la-papa/
