And now we come to the final installment of Candyfest 2011. Over the course of this year’s Candyfest, Paula and I created candy flavored with peppermint, peanut butter, chocolate and caramel. White chocolate, coconut and sweet macadamia nuts seemed like the perfect way to round out our box of Holiday sweets.
White Chocolate Macadamia Coconut Truffles
Adapted from a recipe at Epicurious
- 8 oz white chocolate
- 1 cup salted dry-roasted macadamia nuts (5 oz)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons amber or dark rum
- 1 1/2 cups finely shredded unsweetened coconut (toasted or not or both)
Finely grind white chocolate in a food processor and transfer to a bowl. Pulse nuts in food processor until finely ground (be careful not to grind to a paste).
Bring cream to a simmer in a medium skillet. Remove from heat and stir in rum. Whisk in white chocolate until melted by the hot cream and residual heat from the pan. When the ganache is smooth, stir in nuts. Pour ganache into a plastic-wrap–lined 8-inch square baking pan and chill, uncovered, until firm, about 4 hours.
Invert ganache onto a work surface and remove plastic wrap. Cut ganache into 64 squares and roll each piece between your palms to form a ball. When all balls are formed, roll in coconut to cover completely. We rolled some in plain coconut and some in toasted. Both were delicious. Chill truffles, covered, until ready to serve.