Coconut Truffles

Second week of March and the azaleas outside my building are in serious bloom now, the pink and white clusters thick on the branches, the air fragrant when I walk to my car in the morning. Spring in Alabama is happening whether or not you prepared for it and I say yes, good, here we are.

I made my first Thai red curry this week. I bought a good quality curry paste at the Asian grocery in Montgomery, coconut milk, fish sauce, palm sugar, Thai basil, and a mix of vegetables: eggplant, bell pepper, zucchini, and a pound of chicken thighs cut into pieces. The method is simpler than I expected: bloom the curry paste in a little coconut cream first, add the rest of the coconut milk, the protein and vegetables, the fish sauce and palm sugar to balance the salt and sweet, and finish with the Thai basil off the heat.

The result was almost what I remembered from the restaurant, not identical but in the same neighborhood, and I was proud of that. The fish sauce smell when you first add it is alarming if you have never used it before. I want to say that for anyone who is afraid of fish sauce: it smells oceanic and pungent in the pan and it tastes savory and deep in the finished dish and you will not regret it. Trust the process.

I brought it to Gloria's on Sunday and she was cautious about it and then she tasted it and she was quiet for a moment and then she said it has depth. She said there is something in here I cannot name. I said fish sauce and Thai basil. She said well. She ate the whole bowl and had a second smaller one. I call that a victory.

After Gloria had her second bowl and declared that fish sauce has depth, I knew the night called for something sweet to close it out — and since coconut had already carried the whole meal, it felt right to let it carry dessert too. These coconut truffles are the recipe I keep coming back to when I want something that feels a little celebratory but doesn’t ask much of you: rich, creamy, and just sweet enough to feel like a reward. If you made the curry and you want to keep the evening going, start here.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes (plus 1 hour chilling) | Servings: 24 truffles

Ingredients

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut, plus 1/2 cup for rolling
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
8 oz white chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Pinch of fine sea salt

Instructions

Toast the coconut. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast 1/2 cup of the shredded coconut, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant, about 2—3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside for rolling.
Make the filling. Beat the softened cream cheese with a hand mixer or stand mixer until smooth. Add the powdered sugar gradually and mix until fully combined. Stir in the vanilla extract, coconut extract, sea salt, and the remaining 1 cup of untoasted shredded coconut until a soft dough forms.
Chill the filling. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until the mixture is firm enough to roll.
Roll the truffles. Scoop the chilled mixture by rounded tablespoons and roll between your palms into smooth balls. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Return to the refrigerator for another 15—20 minutes.
Melt the chocolate. Combine the chopped chocolate and coconut oil in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring until fully melted and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, about 3 minutes.
Coat the truffles. Using a fork or dipping tool, dip each chilled ball into the melted chocolate, letting the excess drip off, then roll immediately in the toasted coconut. Return to the parchment-lined sheet.
Set and serve. Refrigerate the finished truffles for at least 15 minutes until the chocolate shell is firm. Serve chilled or at cool room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Nutrition (per serving)

Coconut Truffles — A Sweet Finish to My First Thai Red Curry Night