Home Made Almond Joy Bars

I saw this recipe on Joy The Baker's site last October, and have been patiently waiting for an excuse to make them.
I finally found one.
A Friday.
Good enough right?

Bill and I love these little candies! You can obviously make them like Mounds Bars and leave out the almond if you like. Without it though, how could you claim that these are healthy because there is protein in them!?


Ingredients
7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2 1/2 cups unsweetened flaked coconut
30 almonds
about 20 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread raw almonds onto a baking sheet and toast for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Stir in the unsweetened coconut. (The mixture will be thick.) Place mixture in the freezer for 30 minutes, it will make it easier to work with if it’s a little cold.

3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the coconut mixture from the freezer and with clean hands, shape one tablespoon of coconut into a little log about 2 inches long and 3/4-inch thick. Press the logs together tightly. Place the log on the lined baking sheet and continue until all of the coconut mixture is gone. Rinsing hands occasionally if they get too sticky. Press an almond on top of each coconut log. (It might not completely stick which is fine.) Place the baking sheet in the fridge to chill while you melt the chocolate.

4. Place a medium pot with two inches of water over a medium flame. Bring the water to a simmer. Place chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl and place the bowl over the simmering water. Stir the chocolate as it melts. Turn off the flame once the chocolate has melted but keep the bowl of melted chocolate over the hot water.

5. Remove the coconut candies from the fridge. Place one coconut almond log on a large serving fork. Use a spoon to scoop chocolate over entire bar. Gently shake to release some of the chocolate, scrape the bottom of the fork along the side of the bowl and place on the lined baking sheet. You might need a toothpick to help get the candy off the fork. Repeat until all candy is coated in chocolate. If chocolate gets thick, just turn on the flame and heat slightly.

6. Let dipped candy harden in the fridge for 45 minutes. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. If you need to layer the candy in a container, use waxed paper to separate the layers.

recipe adapted from the amazing Joy The Baker






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