Recipe By Shirell Dalton, The Simple Chocolatier

Prep: 5 minutes

Yields about 10 to 12 bon bons

Ingredients:

German Chocolate Filling:

3 tablespoons coconut oil

1 tablespoon raw honey (can also use maple or light corn syrup) 

2 tablespoons non-dairy milk (I used So Delicious Original Culinary Coconut Milk)

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

Dark Chocolate Coating:

2 cups dark chocolate chips- dairy free (I used Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels)

2 tablespoons coconut oil

In a small saucepan, combine the coconut oil, honey, 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 dark 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 dark 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.

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 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.

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

Recipe By Shirell Dalton, The Simple Chocolatier

Total Time: 8 minutes Yields a single serving

Ingredients:

1 cup (8 ounces) hot water

1 tea bag (Tazo Chai Classic Tea)

1 tablespoon raw sugar (or natural sugar alternative such as coconut sugar or stevia, sweeten to taste)

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or other non-dairy alternatives such as almond coconut blend and coconut cream)

2 teaspoons coconut oil

Toppings: So Delicious CocoWhip Coconut Whipped Topping, ground cinnamon, dark chocolate (dairy-free) shavings or curls

Fill a microwavable glass or ceramic mug with 1 cup of water and place in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. Remove and add raw sugar and one Tazo Chai Classic tea bag to the hot water. Raw sugar has large, coarse granules. The hot water will cause the granules to dissolve so that your tea will not have a grainy taste. Allow the tea bag to steep for 5-6 minutes. While removing the tea bag, gently press the tea bag against the side of the mug to remove the excess tea from it. Stir the almond milk and coconut oil into the tea. Top the Chai Coconut Dessert Tea with coconut whipped topping then sprinkle with ground cinnamon. Also top with dark chocolate (dairy-free) shavings or curls.

Chai Dessert Tea with Kahlúa– For this version of the recipe, add 1 tablespoon of Kahlúa to the dessert tea before adding the toppings. Because of the sweetness of the Kahlúa, omit or reduce the amount of raw sugar.

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

Recipe By Shirell Dalton, The Simple Chocolatier

Active Time: 47 minutes Yields about 6 large cups or 8 small chocolate cups

Ingredients:

Dark Chocolate Cups:

1 cup dark chocolate chips- dairy free (I used Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels)

1 tablespoon coconut oil

Dairy-Free Graham Cracker or Other Cookie Crumbs (Optional):

1 cup graham crackers (such as Kinnikinnick Foods S’moreables Graham Style Crackers), crumbled

3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted (optional)

Cranberry Crème:

1 (9 ounces) container of So Delicious CocoWhip Coconut Whipped Topping

3 tablespoons frozen cranberry juice concentrate (or use 2 tablespoons for a slightly firmer crème), thawed – see note below

1 (14 ounces) can cranberry sauce (use 1/2 cup for the cranberry crème and 1 to 2 teaspoons

to partially fill each chocolate cup) – see note below

Toppings (optional): whole or halved cranberries, dark chocolate (dairy-free) dipped cranberries, graham cracker crumbs, or dark chocolate (dairy-free) curls and shavings

To make the Dark Chocolate Cups– In a dry microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl, combine the dark chocolate and add the coconut oil. Place in the microwave for 30 seconds then remove and stir with a dry wooden spoon or rubber spatula (no metal); repeat this process at shorter intervals, stirring every 15 seconds. Once the pieces are mostly melted (the remaining bits will melt in the residual heat), remove from the microwave and stir until chocolate is completely melted and smooth.

Use silicone baking cups (or plastic molds) for the chocolate cups. Pour chocolate into the silicone cups and swirl or spread around. Turn the silicone cups upside down and tilt from side to side in order to evenly coat (or use a mini rubber or silicone spatula to spread the chocolate around bottom and sides of the cups). Allow any excess chocolate to drip onto wax paper so it can be reused. Wipe off any chocolate that dripped onto the outside rim of the cups. Place the cups (right–side up) into the refrigerator or freezer to set. Once the chocolate has become partially set, add another coat of chocolate. Place in the refrigerator or freezer until the chocolate is completely set.

Remove the chocolate from the silicone cups by carefully pulling back the sides of the silicone cups and pushing upwards to release the chocolate. Place the chocolate cups on a wax or parchment paper lined plate or tray. Return to the refrigerator until ready to fill.

Dairy-Free Graham Cracker or Other Cookie Crumbs– Place a few graham crackers (or your favorite cookies) in a gallon size food storage bag then use a rolling pin to crush the crackers. Pour the crumbs into a bowl. If you prefer, stir melted coconut oil into the graham cracker crumbs for added flavor and moistness. You can also find homemade graham cracker recipes online that are very simple to make. They can be easily made and stored in the freezer until ready to use.

Cranberry Crème– In a medium bowl, gently fold the juice concentrate and 1/2 cup of cranberry sauce (mash the cranberry sauce before adding) into the whipped topping. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Remove the chocolate cups from the refrigerator to begin layering the flavors. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of graham crackers to the bottom of the chocolate cups. Then add about 1 to 2 teaspoons of cranberry sauce on top of the graham cracker crumbs in each cup. Next pipe or spoon the cranberry crème into each cup. Fill each chocolate cup to, or above, the rim with the cranberry crème. If you prefer, you can finish your Chocolate Cups with Cranberry Crème with any of the toppings listed.

Note: I recommend using Old Orchard Frozen 100% Juice Cranberry Blend (concentrated)– this product brand does not contain high fructose corn syrup. These products are sold at Walmart stores. The So Delicious CocoWhip Coconut Whipped Topping and 365 Organic Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce are sold at Whole Foods Market. 

Cranberry Crème with Vegan Cream Cheese– Add 4 ounces (half of carton) of softened Daiya Dairy Free Cream Cheese Style Spread (comes in an 8 oz. carton) to a medium bowl. Gently fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese spread. Then gently fold in the juice concentrate and 1/2 cup of cranberry sauce.

Cranberry Crème Parfaits– In a serving dish, layer the cranberry crème with ingredients like granola, dark chocolate (dairy-free) chunks, coconut, fruit and nuts- or your favorite homemade or store-bought dairy-free pudding. Alternate layers of cranberry crème with whichever of these ingredients or other ingredients you prefer.

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

Recipe By Shirell Dalton, The Simple Chocolatier

Prep Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 5 minutes Yields about 1 Cup

Ingredients:

1 cup non-dairy semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Chips) – see note below

1/2 cup coconut cream (I used So Delicious Original Culinary Coconut Milk)

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 teaspoon raw honey

Pour the bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate chips into a medium–size heatproof bowl. Place bowl aside. In a small saucepan, combine the coconut cream, oil and honey. Bring to a light boil over medium heat. Remove the cream mixture from the heat, and pour over the chocolate chips. Gently swirl the bowl to cover the chocolate completely with the cream. Slowly whisk until the chocolate chips melt. Tightly wrap and freeze any unused portion for up to 3 months.

Note: For this recipe, you can also try combining 1/2 cup Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Chips and 1/2 cup Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels (or use 1 cup Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels) for a more mildly sweetened ganache.

Recipes developed by Shirell Dalton – The Simple Chocolatier Copyright ©2017 Shirell Dalton, All Rights Reserved