A sweet mixture of coconut and chopped almonds, plus a dip of chocolate on the bottoms!
This recipe is adapted from a recipe I found amidst my grandmother's recipes, and the original only had two ingredients: coconut and sweetened condensed milk!
These uber-sweet treats are like a macaroon cookie, but with the minimal ingredients - basically just coconut and sugar, they are also like a candy! And what better to stick into and onto a sugary, coconutty candy than some almonds and some chocolate?
These Coconut Almond Drops certainly bear a strong resemblance to an Almond Joy candy bar. (I always preferred Mounds as a kid, but now on Halloween all the Almond Joys scrounged out of the kids' candy bags come to ME! I guess I feel like a nut.)
I think these have a more complex flavor and bite to them than the candy bar. For one the shredded coconut provides a satisfactory chewiness. Second, the almonds in the Drops are roughly chopped and toasted before they go in the batter, and the toasting brings out the loveliest nutty flavor! Then these treats get another toasting in the oven.
The bottoms get a quick dip and come away with a thick coating of chocolate.
Who doesn't want a big bite of chocolate? No one!!
The recipe is below and here are a few more sweet treats, too!
>> Have you tried these Coconut Almond Drops? Please tell me how you like them - scroll down to leave a comment!
Coconut Almond Drops
Ingredients
- 1 cup slivered almonds
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 1 pound (16 ounces) shredded sweetened coconut
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the almonds. Stir the almonds frequently over medium heat for about five minutes until they are lightly toasted and fragrant. Remove them from the heat and set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl combine the sweetened condensed milk, coconut, vanilla and salt. Mix by hand until all the ingredients are well combined. Stir in the cooled almonds.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop out tablespoon-sized balls of batter and with buttered hands gently roll them into balls. Place on baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Place one of the baking sheets in the oven and bake for about 16 minutes, until the coconut has begun to lightly brown. Remove the baking sheet and place the second sheet into the oven to bake. Allow the first batch to cool completely for about 10 minutes before transferring them off the baking sheet. (If any of the drops separate during baking, carefully squish them back together when you take them from the oven.)
- Repeat until all of the batter has been used. All the drops to cool before proceeding to the next step.
- Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler, and stir until smooth. Line a work space or baking sheet with waxed paper.
- Gently spoon or drizzle the melted chocolate over the cooled drops.
- Allow the chocolate on the drops to cool and set before serving. Store in an airtight cooler for up to two days.
- Makes about 35 Drops.
Nutrition
this looks DELICIOUS. must try. thanks
Thanks Ericka! When you do let me know what you think!