Yes, the title is a mouthful, but seriously, so is this candy.  Lots of flavors going on in these babies: coconut, chocolate, peanut butter, and even a hint of vanilla.

Shredded coconut is one of those foods that most people either cannot get enough of, or cannot stand. I fall in between the two: I love it, but only in moderation.

Today, though, there is some major coconut love going around. As I was importing my photos for this post, I noticed that Susan from Rawmazing had created almost the exact same thing!  Except she left out the refined sugar, added strawberries, and she didn’t cook anything. Okay, so not exactly the same.  And Tasha, from The Voracious Vegan made this insanely delicious looking dessert using coconut milk.

Anyways, these candies are ridiculously easy to make if you have a candy thermometer. They are a tad trickier if you don’t, but still easy. If you are a coconut fan… give these a whirl. Try them without the chocolate too. I really enjoy them both ways.

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Coconut Candy

Ingredients:

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
• 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup vegan chocolate chips

Directions:

Prepare a cookie sheet by lining with wax paper or a silicon mat. Set aside.

In medium sized, heavy sided saucepan, stir together sugar, salt and almond milk. Over medium heat, bring mixture to 236 degrees Fahrenheit.  Stir only a few times during the cooking of the syrup, and be sure to use a wooden spoon and rinse the spoon between stirs.  If you happen to re-introduce sugar crystals to the mixture it can seriously mess up your candy. Just don’t do it. :)

It will bubble up and remain at a steady roll for about 7 minutes or so (I honestly was not timing it).

During that time, measure out your peanut butter, shredded coconut and vanilla.  Set aside.

When the candy is done, the thermometer should read 236 degrees. Or, when you drop the syrup into a cup of cold water, a soft ball will form. Here is a great demo from another site about how to do that, and  here’s some more info from my previous caramels post. The caramels need to go to a “firm” ball stage, but it is pretty much the same thing, you just remove it form the heat earlier.

Again, to make these candies, you want to get the syrup to “soft ball” stage. The ball will be soft, and slippery, and if moved to a plate, you’ll see that it’s not really a ball at all. :\

So, when the syrup reaches 236 degrees, immediately stir in peanut butter and vanilla using a whisk. Work fast to get the mixture uniformly smooth. Quickly add in coconut (they cool really fast!) and drop by the spoonful onto prepared cookie sheet. Let cool until hard.

Next, melt your chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave. I microwaved my chocolate 4 times for 30 seconds each, stirring in between.

Dip one side of your coconut candies into the melted chocolate and place back on prepared cookie sheet.

Once all are covered in chocolate, chill in refrigerator until firm.  Store in cool place to keep the chocolate from melting. Enjoy!

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