It’s sunny! And warm! And not snowy! All of these things are beyond exciting after the winter we had, and even hold true up in Massachusetts, where I just spent a wonderful week at home. I made the most of my time with my bake center, and squeezed in another little project last night while watching the Bruins thoroughly confirm that they had no place in the playoffs this year.

Now, last weekend, for Easter, I made Lemon Blueberry Layer Cake. But I felt a little bad about the fact that it wasn’t gluten-free, since a significant portion of my mom’s family are celiacs, and my mom herself is currently giving gluten-free a shot. So, to make it up to her, I decided to make a gluten-free coconut dessert to leave for her after I returned to New Jersey, and came across this awesome idea on Pinterest: Almond Joy Truffles.

I adjusted the recipe a little bit to make it an OCD dream, such that there are no leftover ingredients that you have to try to find random uses for. Everything can be added in the size it comes in, which I found particularly satisfying.

I also cheated a little bit and used Wilton’s Candy Melts (shown below) instead of true dark and white chocolate. They are easy to deal with, since they harden quickly at room temperature, and you can find them at Michael’s craft stores in the cake decorating aisle.

So, first you need to mix together the coconut, confectioner’s sugar, sliced almonds, and sweetened condensed milk. This will take a bit of arm strength – keep working at it until all of the sugar is incorporated.

Roll the dough into small balls (think truffle-sized) between your palms. You want them to be pretty spherical, so trying to maneuver two spoons in order to save your hands some stickiness won’t work.  Place them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.

Put the cookie sheet in the fridge to chill for at least an hour. I was rather dejected after the Bruin’s loss (and falling asleep on the couch…), so I left them in overnight.

When you’re ready to finish them up, melt the dark chocolate according to package directions.

Dip each ball into the chocolate and make sure to cover it in chocolate. Remove it back to the cookie sheet. I recommend using a fork for the transfer rather than a spoon, since some of the chocolate can then run between the spokes back into the dish.

Now, full disclosure, Candy Melts, if you’re using them, harden very fast. I think I maxed out at 8 truffles before I’d have to remelt the chocolate and keep going.

Also, with all of the tools I was using to make this happen, I felt like a chocolate surgeon.

Doesn’t that look like it belongs on the operating table of a chocolate rabbit?

Anyways, I digress. As I was saying, the Candy Melts harden quick, so there actually isn’t much wait time here.

Melt the white chocolate according to package directions and pour it into a Ziploc bag. Cut the corner to use it as a decorating bag.

Drizzle the white chocolate over the truffles. They’ll harden quick and can be stored at room temperature! My mom was nice enough to eat one for breakfast so I could get a good picture of the inside.

And, as I said at the outset, they are gluten-free. Enjoy!

Almond Joy Truffles

Ingredients:

• 14 ounces coconut flakes
• 1 pound confectioner’s sugar
• 6 ounces sliced almonds
• 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
• 24 ounces dark chocolate Candy Melts
• 12 ounces white chocolate Candy Melts

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the coconut, confectioner’s sugar, sliced almonds, and sweetened condensed milk.
2. Roll the mixture into truffle-sized balls and place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.
3. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
4. Melt the dark chocolate according to package directions. Cover each coconut ball with chocolate and place back on wax paper until hardened.
5. Melt white chocolate according to package directions. Pour into a plastic bag and cut the corner. Drizzle truffles with white chocolate.