Recipe By Shirell Dalton, The Simple Chocolatier

Prep: 5 minutes  Yields about 10 to 12 bon bons

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil

1 tablespoon light corn syrup  

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla 

1 cup unsweetened raw shredded coconut, reserve 1/4 cup to use as a topping – see note below

1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped (Optional) – see recipe below

Milk Chocolate Coating:

2 cups milk chocolate chips (containing cocoa butter) – see note below

1 tablespoon coconut oil

In a small saucepan, combine the butter (or coconut oil), corn syrup, heavy cream and brown sugar. Bring to a light boil and whisk over medium heat for about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, 3/4 cups of coconut, and chopped pecans. Allow the coconut mixture to reach room temperature. Measure one tablespoonful of mixture and roll into a ball. Place each ball onto a wax paper lined tray and refrigerate until firm.

Pour the chocolate chips along with the coconut oil into a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds then remove and stir; return to the microwave and heat for 15 seconds then remove and stir. If the chocolate has not melted completely, then return it to the microwave for another 15 seconds; remove and stir until smooth.  

Remove the German Chocolate Bon Bons from the refrigerator. Dip a bon bon into the milk chocolate and top with some of the reserved 1/4 cup of coconut then place onto the lined tray. Repeat these steps for each bon bon then return them to the refrigerator until the chocolate sets. Store remaining milk chocolate in a container (it should be tightly wrapped) and place in the refrigerator. 

Note: The recipe has been tested using unsweetened raw shredded coconut, Great Value Organic Unsweetened Coconut Flakes, and Birds Eye Fresh Frozen Sweetened Coconut. The Birds Eye coconut will need to be thawed first then squeezed in order to remove excess moisture. I do not recommend the bags of coconut that you find on most store shelves due to the preservatives they contain.

When selecting your chocolate, buy brands that contain real cocoa butter. My preferred choices are Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Baking Chips or Baker’s Corner Milk Chocolate Morsels (Aldi store product). 

German Chocolate Bon Bons with Toasted Coconut– Replace the 1 cup of coconut with toasted coconut. 

To make the toasted coconut– Add 1 cup of coconut to a medium skillet and cook on medium heat; stir frequently. When the coconut is mostly golden brown then remove from heat. Reserve 1/4 cup of the toasted coconut to use as a topping.

German Chocolate Bon Bons topped with Toasted Pecans & Coconut– Add about 1/2 cup of chopped toasted pecans to the German Chocolate Bon Bons with Toasted Coconut mixture (reserve some pecan pieces to use as a topping). After dipping a bon bon into the chocolate, top with toasted coconut and pecans then place on a tray lined with wax or parchment paper. Repeat these steps for each bon bon. 

To make the toasted pecans– Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or spread coconut oil or butter on the baking sheet). Toast the pecans just until they become aromatic, approximately 5 or 6 minutes. Be careful not to burn. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

German Chocolate Bon Bons with Honey– Replace the 1 tablespoon of light corn syrup with 1 tablespoon of raw honey.

German Chocolate Bon Bons (Vegan)– Use 3 tablespoons of coconut oil instead of butter in the recipes above. Substitute 2 tablespoons of almond milk (or other milk alternatives) for the heavy cream. Also substitute 2 cups of Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels and 2 tablespoons of coconut oil for the 2 cups of milk chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil.

Dark, Milk or White Chocolate: Use whichever chocolate you prefer to coat the bon bons. I use milk chocolate chips in this recipe. You can replace the milk chocolate chips with white, bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips- or a blend of bittersweet & semisweet chips, using equal amounts of each. Use 2 tablespoons of coconut oil with the dark chocolate chips instead of 1 tablespoon.        

Recipes developed by Shirell Dalton – The Simple Chocolatier  Copyright ©2015 Shirell Dalton, All Rights Reserved