Coconut & Candy Cane Fudge

Fudge is something I really only ever think about during the holidays. Once a year a treat like this is not only allowed but enjoyed with great restraint. Great, great restraint.

Creamy, rich, melt-in-your-mouth coconut fudge enriched with tons of coconut flavor and topped with toasted shreds.

Coconut Fudge
 1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tbl light corn syrup
2 tbl coconut oil
1 1/2 cups 58% chocolate chunks
3 1/2 cups organic powdered sugar
1/2 tsp coconut extract
1 cup toasted sweetened coconut shreds

Line an 8x8 inch pan with foil or parchment or use a smaller dish if you want thicker pieces.
Whisk together the cocoa powder, coconut milk, corn syrup and coconut oil into a smooth paste. Combine in a large heat proof bowl with the chocolate, powdered sugar and extract. Place over a double boiler and stir continuously just until the chocolate melts, about 3-4 minutes.
Spread into your prepared pan and top with toasted coconut shreds. Gently press down on the coconut to make sure it sticks to the fudge. Let cool and set at room temperature. Cut into squares and store covered, at room temperature.

Candy Cane Fudge
Follow the same recipe replacing the coconut extract with peppermint extract and coconut shreds with crushed candy canes.

Almond Roca

Per request, I made a big batch of vegan Almond Roca for a friend. I totally forgot about this candy in general and I certainly have never had it while being vegan so I was curious to see what it would turn out like on the first try. My results? Perfect! And now I remember exactly what it tasted like and I never want to forget again.
Traditionally this candy is in little rectangular pieces, but I found it less time consuming and easier to just make it in a big piece and break apart like bark. You will need a candy thermometer for this recipe.

Thick pieces of toffee studded with salted almonds, covered in chocolate and more almonds.

Almond Roca
6oz earth balance vegan butter
1 1/2 cup organic light brown sugar
2 tsp light corn syrup
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 cup coarsely chopped dry roasted almonds
8 oz semi sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup slivered, toasted almonds, ground as fine as possible

Line a 9" cake pan or casserole dish with foil and set aside.
In a medium sized pot, combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and salt and bring to a boil. Continue to boil until you reach 290F.
Pull from the heat and stir in the coarsely chopped almonds. Pour directly into the cake pan and allow to cool until it is hard.
Melt the chocolate and spread evenly over the toffee. Sprinkle with dusted almonds and let set.
Once the chocolate has hardened, break into pieces and enjoy.

Needhams-Maine's best candy I never knew about

Needhams are an old-fashioned candy native to the east coast, specifically Maine, that I had never had or even heard of until a couple of days ago. They are dangerously addictive if you were ever a fan of Mounds bars. I love coconut and chocolate anything so I was eager to make my own batch.  The secret to these candies is an unusual ingredient you don't see often...mashed potatoes! In the end, you can't taste any potato but they act as a great binder and give these coconut treats a wonderfully soft consistency. Potatoes have also shown up in other dessert recipes of mine here.

Needhams
makes about 18-1 1/2" rectangles
1 medium sized russet potato
2 cups organic powdered sugar
1 tbl earth balance vegan butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp coconut extract
pinch of sea salt
7 oz sweetened shredded coconut
1 lb semi sweet chocolate, chopped
2 tbl canola oil

Prick the potato with a fork and pop it in the microwave to cook fully. Additionally you can cook it in the oven if you have the time and patience.
Peel the potato and scoop out the filling and mash, let cool.
Set a small pot of water on the stove and bring to a simmer.
In a larger heat proof bowl (one that can sit on top of the pot of water) add the powdered sugar and make a well in the middle.
Add the butter, 1/2 cup mashed potato, extracts and salt in the middle. Place on top of the simmering water and whisk the center until the butter melts. Slowly whisk in a little bit of the sugar at a time until all of the sugar has dissolved, 3-4 minutes.
Take off the heat and add the coconut. Transfer to the freezer and cool for 20 minutes.
Shape into little rectangles or balls and freeze again for 30 minutes.
Melt the chocolate and oil together and dip each coconut piece, covering completely. Let cool and set at room temperature.

Sesame Chews

I often see sesame candy in the store but they almost all have honey in them..drats!! So my next line of thinking was obvious-make them myself. They take more time to cool and set up then they do to actually make so the only drawback is the time you spend waiting (daydreaming) to eat this delicious chewy candy.

Nutty, chewy sesame candies scented with floral hints of cinnamon, cloves and allspice.

Sesame Chews
1/4 cup organic light brown sugar
3/4 cup light agave nectar
1 1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch of allspice
pinch of cloves
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp maple extract
1/4 tsp baking soda

Line a 8x8" baking dish with parchment or foil and grease heavily.
In a medium-sized pot, combine the brown sugar and agave and bring to a boil. Add the sesame seeds, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and stir. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from the heat and add the extracts and baking soda. Stir quickly to combine and pour into the baking dish. Do not flatten out the candy, let it fall where it may and leave alone. Let it sit on the counter top for 30 minutes, uninterrupted. Transfer to the fridge and chill for one hour.
When ready, remove from the baking dish and parchment and use a sharp knife to cut small squares. Keep in an air-tight container with pieces of parchment in between each layer.

Salted Caramel Apple Chocolates

I was cleaning out my cabinets and found some chocolate molds I completely forgot I had! In an effort to work on my caramel recipes, I thought a caramel apple filling would be a great seasonal flavor.

Gooey, rich caramel fills the inside of these chocolates with tiny bits of apples sauteed in butter, cinnamon and a touch of Hawaiian Red Salt.

Caramel Apple Chocolates

1 tbl earth balance vegan butter
1/2 cup peeled apple cubes, very small dice
1 tsp organic brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of Hawaiian Red or sea salt
3/4 cup organic sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup unsweetened or vanilla almond milk
2 tbl earth balance vegan butter
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
12 oz-58% chocolate, cut into small chunks

Heat the oil up in a small saute pan and add the apple cubes. Toss with butter and cinnamon. Saute for 5 minutes until tender but not mushy. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Set the apples aside.

In a medium sauce pot, add the sugar and corn syrup and cook until 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. Drizzle in the almond milk while stirring at the same time. Add the butter and vanilla, stir to melt and remove from heat. Transfer to a bowl and let cool at room temperature for 4 hours until thick.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between until almost all of the chocolate has melted. Stir by hand to melt the rest.
Pour the chocolate into the molds, tap against the table to burst any air bubbles, then turn upside down to let excess chocolate fall out. Scrape any extra chocolate off the top of the mold for a clean set. Chill for 5 minutes to set faster.
Fill each chocolate with a couple pieces of apple and then fill not quite to the top with caramel.
Pour the remaining chocolate over the tops, scraping across the whole mold tray to get a smooth, flat surface on all the chocolates. Chill again.
When ready to take out, tap the mold against the table a few times and turn the chocolates out.

Peanut Butter Basil Truffles

Here was my train of thought-
Chocolate + Peanut Butter=awesome. Chocolate + Herbs=great. Basil+ Nuts=obvious.
Peanut Butter+ Chocolate+ Basil=?

The answer is..fantastic!
The basil is first infused into the cream to give a faint flavor to the liquid, and then very finely minced and mixed into the chocolate and peanut butter mixture. While the truffle sets to harden, the basil flavor marinates deeper into the chocolate and adds a great earthy, herbal flavor to the rich chocolate and peanut butter ganache.

Peanut Butter Basil Truffles

1/2 cup soy creamer
4 extra large (or 8 small to medium) sized basil leaves, whole
1 tbl organic sugar
12 oz semi-sweet dark chocolate chips
3/4 cup natural creamy peanut butter (if you use peanut butter with sugar in it, omit the 1 tbl of sugar)
2 tbl earth balance vegan butter
2 tbl vanilla extract
pinch of fleur de sel or kosher salt
1 tbl very finely minced fresh basil
1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts, chopped

In a small pot, combine the creamer, basil leaves and sugar and bring just to a simmer. Remove from the heat and cover with seran wrap. Let steep for 10 minutes. Remove the basil from the cream and discard.
Put the cream back on the heat and bring to a simmer. Immediately add the chocolate and remove from the heat. Stir until smooth enough to whisk, then whisk until completely smooth.
Add the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt. Whisk until smooth. Add the basil and combine.
Chill in the fridge until the chocolate is set and can be scooped out into balls, around 2 hours.

Use a small ice cream scoop or a spoon and form truffles. Set on parchment lined paper and chill again for 1 more hour to set up.
Roll the truffles into the chopped peanuts.
Keep in a sealed container at room temperature.

Candy Cane Fudge

A great, easy holiday recipe to make with kids, for gluttonous husbands or as hand-made gifts for friends or relatives.

Rich, decadent chocolate fudge sprinkled with crushed candy canes.

Candy Cane Fudge

1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tbl earth balance vegan butter
1/2 cup extra dark cocoa powder
1 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate (between 58-65%)
3 1/2 cups organic powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 drops peppermint extract
4 organic vegan candy canes, crushed

Line a 8x8 baking dish with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap comes up and over the sides.
Fill a medium sized pot with 1 inch of water and bring to a simmer.
In a small pot, combine the coconut milk, butter and cocoa powder. Whisk until the mixture is completely smooth and there are no lumps of cocoa powder. Continue cooking and whisking over medium heat until the mixture JUST starts to come to a boil. Remove from the heat and add in the chocolate chips. Whisk the mixture to start melting the chocolate chips. To help the chocolate chips melt, set the bowl on top of the pot of simmering water and stir until smooth.
Remove chocolate from heat and add the powdered sugar and both extracts. Stir until the mixture is cohesive, thick and smooth. Pour the fudge into the baking dish and press down firmly. Sprinkle the crushed candy cane over the top and let the fudge set and cool at room temperature before cutting into pieces.

Spicy Chocolate Mendiants

Mendiants are chocolate discs stuffed with nuts and dried fruits. My recipe is merely one way you could take this but the flavor combinations are endless. If you have never tasted chocolate and cayenne pepper, I strongly suggest it. The flavor is not immediate on your tongue but comes up quick in the back of your throat a couple seconds later.

Sweet chocolate folded with a variety of toasted nuts, coconut and fragrances like hot cayenne, spicy cinnamon and fresh citrus.




Spicy Chocolate Mendiant

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4c toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp finely minced orange zest
5 tbl toasted shredded coconut, divided
2 tbl toasted pumpkin seeds
2 tbl slivered toasted almonds
2 tbl golden raisins
coarse sea salt

Prepare a muffin tin to shape the chocolate discs. Cut large pieces of foil out and line each muffin tin so the chocolate can be easily removed.
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate, cinnamon and cayenne. Melt for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between for 10 seconds. Do this three times and then stir by hand to melt the remaining chocolate. You want the residual heat of the chocolate to finish melting it all. Add all of the remaining ingredients to the chocolate except 1 tbl of coconut and the salt. Drop one tablespoon of the mixture into each cup and smooth out flat with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle each top with sea salt and the remaining coconut. Chill in the fridge to set up.

Boysenberry Lemon Truffles

Recently I had a truffle that had some lemon in it and I thought it was pretty good, so I wanted to recreate it but with another flavor and a more unexpected twist.

These dark chocolate truffles are saturated with lemon zest, boysenberry jam, thick coconut cream and coated in chocolate infused with Meyer Lemon oil.

1/2c coconut cream (not coconut milk, it is too thin)
2 tbl boysenberry jam
1 tsp lemon zest
2c dark chocolate, cut into small chunks, divided
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp Meyer Lemon oil

In a small pot add coconut cream, jam and zest. Bring to a simmer. In a blender add 1 cup of chocolate chunks, vanilla and coconut mixture. Blend until completely smooth. Pour into a bowl and cool until firm enough to scoop. Scoop truffles with a melon baller or small ice cream scoop.

In a small bowl add remaining 1c of chocolate and lemon oil and melt in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until mostly melted. Stir by hand to melt the remaining chunks. Dip truffles into chocolate mixture and coat all sides. Garnish with lemon zest.

Old Time Candy-Sea Foam!

Sea foam! Whenever I ask someone if they've ever had it, I get a pretty perplexed stare back. No, I don't mean something from the ocean, I mean candy. Sea foam is a pretty old timey candy, one you might find in candy shops on boardwalks and beach towns. Personally I think it has a horrible name. While I understand why it's called Sea foam (it's airy, light and has the texture of sea foam from the ocean) it certainly doesn't TASTE like it's from the ocean. And its color does not resemble that of anything blue or green. Maybe it should be called sponge candy. Although I wouldn't want to eat that either. Looks like sea foam was probably the best bet.
Sea foam is incredibly easy to make and somewhat impressive looking in texture. Normally I would not condone eating something made solely made of sugar and corn syrup, sometimes you have to live a little?!

Seafoam
1 cup organic cane sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
4 tsp baking soda
melted chocolate for dipping

Prepare a loaf pan, or any kind of pan with tall sides with parchment paper.
In a very tall pot, combine sugar and corn syrup and cook without stirring until 300 degrees on a candy thermometer. If you go above that then it will taste horrible, I have found this out from experience! Once it has reached 300 degrees remove it from the heat and stir in the baking soda with a wooden spoon. The mixture will immediately rise very fast. Pour it into your prepared pan and let cool and harden completely. Break into pieces and dip in chocolate, let cool on parchment paper.