Any excuse to use Ghiradelli chocolate....I'm in.
I was reading one of my favorite blogs, Hullabaloo Homestead, one day and saw that Lisa had posted a recipe for homemade Mounds and Almond Joy candies. The recipe was simple and I decided I must try it right away....as soon as I went out and fetched the coconut oil. Unfortunately, when I found it, I was dismayed the by the price. It wasn't terribly expensive if it was a product I used all the time (like extra virgin olive oil!), but since it was an ingredient that I needed only for this recipe I decided not to purchase it.
The idea of making homemade mounds bars stuck in my head and I couldn't let it go. Finally, I decided I would try a few substitutions with what I already had on hand at home. I had a large bag of sweetened coconut and a few baking bars of Ghiradelli 70% cacao which is a fairly higher percentage of cacao than semi-sweet chocolate chips which are usually in the mid 40% range. Crossing my fingers, I hoped the dark chocolate would cancel out some of the sweetness of the coconut....and it did. The candies turned out delicious and next time I plan on loading each one up with a couple of almonds.
I think my substitutions worked well and they are a great option for someone who wishes to try the recipe out with what they already have at home. Of course, I'm sure for many of you coconut oil IS a staple and in that case, I would recommend staying true to the original recipe.
Here were my subsitutions:
Butter for coconut oil Sweetened coconut for unsweetened coconut Ghiradelli 70% baking bar for semi-sweet chocolate chips
*Also note--I used half the honey and it was more to stay close the intended consistency of the coconut mixture in the original recipe than it was to add sweetness.
Find Hullaballo Homestead's recipe for Coconut Almond Joy bites here.
