While shopping for Mother's Day cards every year I struggle to find one that sums of even a glimmer of how I feel about my Mom. There are none. I should probably just buy a "blank inside" card and simply write: "Dear Mom, There aren't words. Love Mandy". That would be the most accurate way to summarize how I feel in the limited space of a greeting card. What has my Mom taught me? Everything. Because this is a cooking blog, I will spare you from hearing my entire life story and how my Mom is the only reason that I am the person I am today. I'm not perfect by any means, but I am me. That I owe to her. She didn't have it easy raising me. I am not a parent, but I certainly observe a lot of parents in my life, and I often hear the phrase "Because I told you so..."
My Mom rarely said things like that to me. She didn't (and still doesn't to this day) teach me by telling me what to do. She showed me. She showed me how to be a strong, motivated, ambitious person who isn't afraid of overcoming obstacles. She lived it. She showed me how to be a generous spirit with unending perseverance and kindness toward others. I may not be a shining example of it all the time, but she taught me by living that way herself.
People ask me all the time, "What made you like cooking so much?" My Mom did. I watched her cook and show her love to others through food, amongst many other ways, for my entire life. She still hosts a big family dinner every single Sunday after church, and anybody and everybody is always welcome at the table. Friends and family are so intertwined that you certainly don't need to be related by blood to be an equal member of the family forever. She throws a graduation open house like it's nobody's business. (If you aren't from the Midwest, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about. You're missing out.) She is the greatest parent/friend/supporter I can ever imagine. I surely hope that someday I can show all the things I've learned from her to a little girl of my own.
Anyway, there may not be words to express how I feel about my Mom, but sometimes words aren't necessary. Actions are better. That's how Mom did it, and I hope to learn that from her. She taught me everything, because she told showed me so.
So, these Coconut Almond Truffles... Let me just tell you, they're pretty amazing. I highly encourage you to make a batch of them for your Mom/Wife/Self this weekend. They're incredibly easy to make, but they're so much better than the candy that comes in a box with a nearly impossible to understand little grid that is supposed to tell you which kind of candy is in which spot. As a little girl, I skipped reading the diagram inside the box altogether and just stuck my pinky finger into the bottom of each candy one-by-one until I found the coconut one. Leaving an entire tray of candy that appeared untouched until you picked one up and there was a little crater in the bottom. (Hey, I couldn't risk biting into one of the ones with the sticky pink fluff inside. Ick.)
The quest to find the coconut filled truffle is a challenge no longer, since this recipe makes 20 golf-ball sized Coconut Almond Truffles. Enough to satisfy even the most passionate coconut lover, like myself. I have always liked Mounds and Almond Joy candy bars, but never could figure out why there isn't a milk chocolate version of Mounds. Why do I have to choose between almond and milk chocolate? I want both. As I have gotten older, my aversion to dark chocolate has faded.
For this recipe I used a combination of milk chocolate and dark chocolate for the outside of the truffles. In fact, the chocolate bars I used even had bits of almonds in them. A few weeks ago, I received some samples from Theo Chocolate, and I was hooked. Fortunately my local grocery store carries their products now, so I was able to buy some more for this recipe! I like the flavor of the combination of both the milk and dark chocolate. It's sweet but not too sweet, without being too bitter for the non-dark-chocolate lovers out there. It also helps balance out the sweetness of the coconut filling. I placed a whole almond in the center of half of my truffles, which is entirely optional. I do recommend that if you're doing some with an almond inside and some plain coconut inside that you find a way to distinguish them so you don't have to poke your finger through the bottom of your lovely handmade truffles. I sprinkled coconut on some of my all-coconut filled truffles, and placed an almond on top of some of the almond-filled ones. Some however, I just left plain on the outside. that's where mini cupcake liners come in handy. I had polka dotted papers for the truffles with an almond in the center, and striped papers for the all-coconut ones.
PrintCoconut Almond Truffles
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 20 truffles 1x
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon coconut extract
- 2 tablespoons cream of coconut (I used Coco Lopez)*
- Pinch of salt
- 1 ½ cups confectioners sugar
- 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
- 3 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (I used Theo brand Salted Almond Dark Chocolate)
- 3 ounces milk chocolate, chopped (I used Theo brand Salted Almond Milk Chocolate)
- ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
- Additional shredded coconut for topping (optional)
- Whole almonds for filling and/or topping (optional)
Instructions
- Beat butter with a mixer or a wooden spoon until smooth. Mix in vanilla, coconut extract, cream of coconut, and salt. Gradually add in the confectioners sugar, mixing until combined thoroughly. Stir in shredded coconut.
- Scoop tablespoon-sized balls on a waxed paper or Silpat lined baking sheet and roll them into smooth balls by hand (roughly the size of a gumball is great). If desired, place a whole almond in the center of some of the coconut balls. (Hint: If you only put almonds in some of the truffles, make sure to make a marking on the wax paper so you can keep track of them.)
- Chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour before coating in chocolate.
- Place the chopped chocolate pieces and the tablespoon of butter in a large glass measuring cup and microwave on low heat, stirring frequently until melted and smooth. (Alternatively, you could melt the chocolate in a double boiler or a bowl set over a pan of simmering water.)
- Dip each ball into the melted chocolate, allowing the excess chocolate to drip off before placing on a new baking sheet lined with waxed paper. (I like to drop the ball into the chocolate and then scoop it up with a fork, letting the chocolate drip off through the prongs of the fork.)
- Sprinkle with shredded coconut or top with a whole almond while the chocolate is still wet. Continue process with all remaining coconut balls.
- Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. Store in refrigerator. Allow to come up to room temperature a bit before serving.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Cream of coconut is not coconut milk. It is available in a can near the mixed drinks ingredients at most grocery stores (it is used when making Pina Coladas). If you shop at a Super Target, they carry it on the baking aisle.
Since you only need 2 tablespoons of cream of coconut for this recipe, may I suggest saving the extras so you can make Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Buttercream? They're phenomenal.
Robin
What a sweet tribute to your mom! Better than any Hallmark card....ever.
Kay VanDyke
Your mom is everything you described, Mandy, and more. I'm proud to call her, "friend", and to call her daughter friend as well! <3 :) <3