CARAMEL COCONUT CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

The holiday season is near, and now is the right time to think about all the lovely sweet treats that will embellish the Christmas platters this year. Truffles are a type of dessert welcome on any occasion, and they are simply perfect for transporting and as edible gifts. Sweet caramel, rich dark chocolate, and coconut, all rolled into delightful little spheres, and fantastic served with strong coffee, after a hearty meal.

Ingredients
120 grams granulated sugar
100 grams grated apple
50 grams unsalted butter
150 grams dark chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
50 grams desiccated coconut

Preparation

Start by grating the apple, and leaving it aside while you prepare the caramel. The apple will release some juice as it stands, but that is perfectly fine, and exactly what is needed for the recipe. Pour the granulated sugar in an even layer in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, and let the sugar melt slowly. Do not turn up the heat or stir the sugar at this point. Once it does start to brown around the edges, slowly and gently move the melted parts towards the centre. Keep cooking over medium heat, whilst keeping a close eye on it, until it starts to turn darker in colour and become very fragrant. Once it becomes a deep amber colour, very carefully add the grated apple and all the juice it released. It might splash at this point, so it is very important to be careful. The sugar will become hard again, but that is fine, just keep cooking and stirring gently until it dissolves back, and mixes well with the apple.

Once everything is smooth and slightly thickened, after 2-3 minutes of cooking, add in the diced butter, and mix well, so it fully incorporates into the caramel. After that, remove the saucepan from the heat, and quickly mix in the dark chocolate. If may seem like it will not blend as you being to stir it through, but that is fine. Finally add in the vanilla and the desiccated coconut, and mix it through. Place the batter in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes, so it cools down, and the coconut and butter thicken it a bit. After chilling, depending on the type of butter you used, you may need to add a bit more coconut to make the batter firmer for shaping. Working quickly, take out tablespoons of the batter, shape them into truffles, then arrange them on a large cookie sheet lined with baking parchment, and place them back into the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes. Decorate them with unsweetened cocoa powder or more coconut. Best served chilled. Yields 20 truffles.