Chocolate Covered Coconut Balls

I'm a huge fan of both of chocolate and coconut, so this recipe really appealed to me. I am also not the best at baking and this delicious treat is no-bake (big bonus!).

Oh and it's also gluten-free and vegetarian - just in case those are things that are a dietary requirement for you.

What you will need:

• 2 slabs of 70% Lindt dark chocolate (you can use any chocolate, but this is what I used & recommend)
• 3 cups of desiccated (aka shredded) coconut 
• 1 cup of sweetened condensed milk (about a tin)
• wax paper

**Optional extras: a handful of ground almonds (I use a coffee grinder) & some dried cranberries 

Time: about 45 minutes to make & an hour or two to set. 

What to do:

1. Mix the 3 cups of coconut and 1 cup of condensed milk in a large bowl, until blended into a paste (it should be thick and not runny). 
2. Use your hands to mold the mixture into ball shapes and place them onto a baking sheet that is lined with wax paper (I think I got 20 - 22 balls from mixture)
3. Once all the mixture  has been rolled into balls, put the tray in the freezer for 10 - 15 minutes to help them get harder and easier to dip.
4. While the coconut balls are in the freezer, break all the chocolate up and place 2/3 of it in a microwave safe bowl (if you prefer to heat on stove top, here's how)
5. Microwave on medium heat for 30 seconds, then stir... and then microwave for 15 seconds and stir  - repeat this 15 seconds and stir process until chocolate has just melted (avoid getting to the bubbling or boiling stage). 
6. When chocolate has melted, take bowl from microwave and stir in the last bits of chocolate until they are melted in properly.
7. Remove your coconut balls from the freezer and, using forks or a spoon to help you, dip the balls into chocolate until coated well (don't use your fingers, it really doesn't work as well. I tried)
8. Once dipped, place the balls on a new sheet of wax paper and sprinkle with a little coconut (to make them look a bit more pretty).
9. Once they are all dipped, allow them to cool at room temperature for a while (mine took about an hour and a half to set properly) and then share them with some friends/family (don't be greedy and probably not the best idea to eat them all yourself)

**Adding optional extras: If you like to experiment, like I do - mix in some ground up almonds in step 1 and add a few cranberries to each ball during step 2. I did this and it was a nice variation to have a few different ones.
Tip - also, if your mixture turns out a bit too runny, the ground up almonds will help mixture be thicker. 

Storage: put them in an airtight container and store in a cool place. They should be good for about 5 days. Don't put them in the fridge, apparently it dries them out quicker. 

I was inspired to make these by Not Enough Cinnamon blog and this recipe.

Please note: All photos are of my actual treats and were taken by me.