Mounds Drops for Coconut Lovers

Many people love Mounds Bars, and they are difficult to find in Boquete. David is such a person and he’s always looking for these candy bars when we visit a new store that carries candy. He’ll buy a Mounds Bar and eat it all within a few minutes.

What we do have in Panama and in Boquete is coconut and excellent chocolate, both available at most supermarkets. El Rey Supermarket in David has a large display of shredded coconut, that caught my eye. I couldn’t resist buying a bag and trying to develop a recipe that David would love. Any cake I bake, he loves with white icing coated with shredded coconut. After I frost the cake, I take fingers full of coconut and press it against the surface of the icing so it sticks out, big and fluffy.

Lately, I’ve been working on the “Boquete Gourmet Community Cookbook”, and in it is a recipe for Chocolate Truffles. Last week, I made the truffles with guava centers, which were delicious. Why couldn’t I make truffles with coconut centers? So, this is the way I made an easy treat our of 3 simple ingredients.

Mounds Drops

1 cup sweetened fancy flake coconut
2 tablespoons honey
1 3.5-ounce bar dark chocolate, I used Villars 72% cacao

In a medium bowl, mix together the coconut and honey, stirring to coat all the coconut with honey. With your thumb and 2 fingers of each hand, press clumps of coconut into a small ball. Place on a tray and freeze for 30 minutes. With dry fingers, press the balls again to make the surfaces smooth and freeze again. While your balls firm up, break the chocolate into small pieces and place in a small, heat-proof bowl. Set the bowl into boiling water and heat until melted. Using a small fork, quickly drop the frozen coconut balls into the chocolate and place them on waxed paper to cool. It’s not necessary to completely cover the coconut with chocolate, your choice. Makes about 25 drops.

How easy it is to make this sweet treat. The ingredients are readily available and can be kept in your pantry for months. Some rainy afternoon, if you want to make an impression on your family or friends, make some Mounds Drops, everyone will love them. Now my question is whether to serve my drops with a delicious, steaming cup of Boquete’s finest coffee, or with a tall glass of Famiglia Bianchi, Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 from Argentina.
So yummy!
Cora

Chocolate Truffles with Wine!

These truffles are extraordinary, make them and you’ll see why. The first thing to do is to buy really fine chocolate.

At the new Felipe Motta Wine Store that just opened in David, I was able to find Villars 72% cocoa chocolate. One hundred grams of this delectable chocolate was $5.50, compared to Lindt 70% cocoa chocolate, half the price at El Rey at $2.49. The richer the chocolate, the higher the price.

I will buy both chocolates to see which is the very best, the one I will use for “Crazy for Chocolate” cooking class on April 7. See a recent blog for more details.

The recipe is something really special, one that I developed over the years using the finest chocolate I can find. Now, I call it “Boquete Gourmet Chocolate Truffles”. The sommelier at Felipe Motta Wine Store in David will pair my truffles with just the right wine for the upcoming chocolate class.

Boquete Gourmet Chocolate Truffles

2 100-gram bars good-quality dark chocolate
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon Abuelo rum, 12 year old
cocoa powder

Chop the chocolate into small bits, about 1/8″ or finer and place into a heatproof bowl. Set aside.
Combine cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring slowly to a simmer, stirring to keep the butter moving and to prevent the cream from boiling.
When butter is melted and cream forms bubbles around the surface, almost scalding, pour hot mixture over the chocolate. Cover with GladWrap and let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk until all chocolate is fully melted and the ganache is smooth and fully combined, about 2 to 3 minutes and blend in the rum. Cover tightly with GladWrap and refrigerate 8 – 12 hours or overnight.

When ready to make truffles, put cocoa powder in a small plastic bag and line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Using a teaspoon, scoop out bite-sized amounts of the filling and roll into balls between your palms. If they’re not perfectly round, egg-shaped will work fine. Carefully drop the balls, one at a time, into the bag and roll to coat truffle.
Lift truffle out with fingers slightly spread and transfer to waxed paper. Cover and chill truffles at least 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature. Truffles can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks and frozen for up to 2 months. If I made a mistake in this recipe, it was making the truffles too big, they are so decadent!

To learn more about the art of chocolate, stop by Sugar & Spice Bakery on the Main Street of Boquete. Pastry Chef, Richard Meyer will be sharing his recipes using chocolate as the main ingredient in his cooking class on April 7, and Felipe Motta will share their wines paired with Richard’s creations.

Love that chocolate!
Cora