Coconut Kisses

Beijinhos de Coco
by Norman Van Aken
from New World Kitchen
(Ecco, 2003)
Makes 45 to 50 kisses

You’ll love these sweet, heady kisses the way you love a favorite candy bar from your childhood. Sometimes I offer them with fruit purées for a light contrast.—Norman Van Aken

convert Ingredients
2 extra-large egg yolks
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 pound unsweetened grated coconut
1 pound bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 cups unblanched almonds, toasted in a dry skillet until fragrant, and then chopped finely

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Method
1. In a large heatproof bowl, beat the egg yolks. Using the back of a knife, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add the seeds and bean pod to the eggs. Add the milk and butter and stir.

2. Set the bowl over a large pot of simmering water (or use a double boiler); the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water. Whisk constantly, frequently checking the temperature of the mixture with an instant-read thermometer, until it registers 140°F (60°C). Remove from the heat.

3. Discard the vanilla bean. Add the coconut and stir until incorporated. (The mixture will look like the filling of a Mounds candy bar.)

4. To shape the kisses, use about 1 tablespoon per morsel-I like to form them into little pyramids, but you may prefer little spheres. Set them on a platter and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

5. Spread the almonds on a plate. Put the chocolate into another large heatproof bowl and melt it over simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Pour a little of the melted chocolate into a shallow cup. With a fork (a cocktail or fondue fork works great), gently skewer each kiss and dip it into the chocolate, then quickly roll it in the chopped almonds and place on a platter. Continue this process, adding more chocolate to the cup as necessary, until all are dipped and rolled. Let the chocolate set in a cool place before serving. (Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, these will keep for up to a week.)

Note: To prepare the recipe, you’ll need an instant-read thermometer, which you can find at any cooking store or in the kitchen department of major supermarkets.

Recipe © 2003 Norman Van Aken. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.