Homemade Chocolate Coconut Mounds Bars

So... these homemade delicacies are pretty divine. I think that if Jesus had a favourite chocolate bar, it'd be one of these little guys. They are super sweet and delicious, look amazing and pair so nicely with a cup of tea or coffee (or for breakfast when you're pregnant... or not even when you're not...). And hey, there's only 4 ingredients - how easy is that?

I wanted to share a few things that I learned from making these a couple of times now:

- do not skip on the coconut extract. I made the first batch without any and they were good, but they didn't have that big, coconutty 'umph' that I was hoping for. Using an extract is where it's at!

- follow the instructions on melting chocolate closely and do not be tempted to "thin" the chocolate to make it easier to coat. I thought that if I added a splash of cream to the chocolate that it would just make it a little thinner, but nope - it created a giant ball of squishy goo.

- keeping your mounds bars in the fridge will make the chocolate dry and crack a lot faster. I wouldn't recommend it

- one similar recipe that I saw made 'almond joys' by rolling the filling into a parchment paper log to facilitate the forming stage. I didn't try this personally, but the author ended up with nicely shaped little bars... just at thought! 

- I'll warn you that the chocolate dipping stage is a bit of a pain and you'll be silently cursing that they don't look "perfect", but just do your best! There isn't much getting around having them look "homemade", but your friends will love you all the more for them.  You may need to re-warm your chocolate a few times along the way.

Bon appétit! 

Ingredients:
15 oz milk cooking chocolate (I used 2 packages of milk chocolate chips)
3 cups flaked sweetened coconut
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
3 tsp. coconut extract (or, to taste)
* parchment paper

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, mix coconut, sweetened condensed milk and coconut extract to make a thick and sticky paste.

2. Using your hands, form some rectangles with the paste. Press firmly to make sure the rectangles will keep their shape. Every 3 or 4 rectangles, wash your hands and do not dry them completely. That way, the paste won't stick on your hands.

3. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and put in the freezer for about 20 minutes. This will make the candy easier to dip in chocolate. Don't skip this part or it'll be a mess!

4. In the meantime, put 2/3 of your chocolate it in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on medium power for 30 seconds, stir, then repeat in 15 seconds interval until the chocolate has melted. 

5. Add 1/3 remaining chocolate and keep stirring until it is fully melted. It's called tempering chocolate. It will allow the chocolate to have a glossy texture and to set correctly.

6. It's time for dipping now! Remove rectangles from the freezer 2 at a time and leave the rest in the freezer to stay firm. Using two forks, dip one rectangle in melted chocolate and roll it to cover all sides. Using one fork, remove rectangle from chocolate. With the other fork, remove excess chocolate and arrange your bounty on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. 

    

7. I finished mine off by drizzling some chocolate over top. Add some leftover chocolate to a small ziplock bag and cut a TINY little hole in the corner. Pipe your chocolate and let set for a couple of hours. Enjoy!

Coconut Cream Rice Pudding

We first came across this recipe when we paddled the Chochocouane River up in La Vérendrye, Québec. It was a 'add water when you get to camp' kind of recipe using minute rice but powdered milk and we LOVED it! It has now become a Giles-haus favourite since it is both lactose free and gluten free. The only thing that I've found about any recipes that I've tried is that you end up with a pretty solid product at the end - solid in the deliciousness sense and solid in well, the solid sense: the rice soaks up a lot of the coconut milk. If you have some extra coconut milk around, it's great just to mix some in the next day to return it to its slightly runny state. I've also used some soy milk for the same purpose.


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
3 cups water
2 cans coconut milk (highest fat content possible)
1 brick of creamed coconut solid
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 chopped mango (fresh or dehydrated, as per your preference)

Directions:
1. In a large, heavy pot, boil your rice and water for 7-8 minutes.
2. Add the coconut milk, coconut solid and sugar and simmer again for another 15-16 minutes - stirring occasionally.
3. Add salt and vanilla and cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and cool. Yum!

 

 

Red Thai Sweet Potato Soup

I love, love, love coconut based soups. I made up this soup a couple of weeks ago for a group of about 20 and really enjoyed it. It was soooo tasty. And coconutty. And just general goodness all around.  Given that I was making this soup for a large group, I got to use my new turbo-charged  food processor, which - I have to admit - gave me chills. I accidentally over-spiced things a little bit, but I like spicy. Using extra coconut milk, yogurt or sour cream can help alleviate some of the heat.

A couple of tips when making this soup: 

- be very, very careful how much curry paste you add. Different pastes have different heat levels and you can very easily make this soup super spicy. Gradually add your paste and taste along the way

- adding chicken strips would be a tasty addition

- if you have one, use a hand mixer to blend the soup - it's much easier than trying to transfer the whole thing over to a blender

Bon appetit! 

Ingredients:
1 tsp olive or rapeseed oil
2 garlic cloves , chopped
1 red chilli , deseeded and chopped
2cm chunk root ginger , chopped
1 stalk lemongrass , bashed
handful of coriander , leaves and stalks chopped separately
2 tbsp red Thai curry paste
750ml chicken stock (made with 2 stock cubes)
1 small can (160ml) coconut cream
500g sweet potatoes , peeled and roughly chopped
1 lime , juice only
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp fish sauce

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic, chilli, ginger, lemongrass, coriander stalks and curry paste and cook for 2 - 3 minutes until the aromas are released.

2. Add the chicken stock, coconut cream and sweet potatoes and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Remove the lemongrass and discard. Carefully transfer to a blender and blitz until smooth (I use a hand mixer). If freezing, for best results freeze at this point, otherwise as an easier option freeze complete recipe.

3. Stir through the lime juice, sugar and fish sauce, scatter with the coriander leaves and serve.

Coconut Thai Red Lentil Suop

This is quite possibly one of the tastiest soup recipes I've come across in a long time. Jerms made it up for the House last week and it was a big hit. The soup is  served with fresh slices of lime & cilantro and I mean, really, how can you go wrong with a coconut milk base? Definitely a keeper for those long cold stretches in winter. Bon appetit! 

Ingredients
1 tbs olive oil

1 tbs curry powder (or up to 2tbs if you are a big curry fan)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/3 cup tomato paste
5-7 cups water (depending on consistency you're looking for)
1 (15oz) can coconut milk
2 cups red lentils
1 (15oz) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
1 tbs freshly squeezed lime juice
fresh cilantro and lime wedges for serving


Instructions
1. To a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat, add the oil. Add the curry powder and cinnamon and cook, stirring often, until the spices are fragrant, about 2 minutes.

2. Add the onion and cook 2-3 minutes, followed by the carrots, ginger, and garlic, salt, sugar, and tomato paste. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more.

3. Pour in the water, coconut milk, lentils, and chickpeas. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes or until the lentils are tender and the soup has thickened.

4. At the very end, stir in the lime juice. Taste for seasoning and serve with fresh cilantro and lime wedges.