You know it's Easter in central Pennsylvania when you find baskets of homemade peanut butter eggs for sale beside every cash register in every restaurant or store. Somewhere in church basements, ladies gather to make hundreds and hundreds of peanut butter and coconut eggs to sell. You'll find them wrapped in colored foil or in wax paper bags, and they're so reasonably priced you'll find yourself buying them by the dozen. And if you're like me, you'll be eating them by the dozen too.
A few years ago I started making my own peanut butter eggs. I use a recipe given to me by my coworker Natalie, which includes an ingredient the churches haven't discovered yet - marshmallow fluff. In my opinon, it's the secret to the creamiest, smoothest peanut butter egg.
So why am I posting about coconut eggs and not peanut butter eggs? Well, this year I took the leap into finding the perfect coconut egg recipe because I seem to have found a boyfriend who - get this - doesn't like peanut butter. How is this possible you might ask? I ask the same thing everyday.
So the secret to my new coconut eggs? You guessed it, marshmallow fluff. A creamy, coconut center, enrobed in a smooth, dark chocolate. They're boyfriend approved.
Coconut Cream Eggs
an Amber's Confections original recipe
1 stick margarine, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
6 oz. marshmallow fluff
2 cups shredded coconut
4 cups powdered sugar
2 lbs. good quality dark chocolate melts
Mini Easter sprinkles for decorating
In a large mixing bowl, combine margarine, cream cheese and fluff. Mix by hand until thoroughly combined. Begin adding the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until mixed. Add the coconut, one cup at a time until all the ingredients are combined. Chill the coconut dough for 2 hours, or until firm.
Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop out a ball of the coconut dough and roll it into an egg shape. The dough will be sticky. You can coat your hands in a bit of powdered sugar to keep the eggs from sticking, or chill the dough longer. Place the egg onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. When all of the eggs are shaped, wrap the pan in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer.
Allow the eggs to harden in the freezer for about 2 hours.
Melt the dark chocolate over a double boiler. When the chocolate has melted and is smooth, remove the pan from the heat. Remove the eggs from the freezer and prepare another parchment lined baking sheet.
One by one, dip the eggs into the chocolate and coat them completely. I use a fork to do this. Place the dipped egg onto the baking sheet. Continue dipping the eggs, working quickly before the chocolate thickens. After the eggs have hardened for a few minutes, give them a quick, decorative drizzle of chocolate. Sprinkle with mini Easter sprinkles. Allow the eggs to harden completely (about a half hour).
Package the eggs individually in colored foil or wax paper bags (both can be found at candy or baking supply stores). Store in the refrigerator.
Makes about 24-30 eggs.
