I tried on about thirty different pairs of skinny jeans last week. It wasn’t cute. This trend is not ok with me.
I have thighs. They rub together a little.
These candies might be why.
If you feel compelled to make some sort of joke about the word ‘joy’ in the title of this recipe and my name… which is also Joy.
Well… go on. Get it out of your system.
Just don’t make any Joy to the World jokes. I’m so over those.
I really like what’s going on with these little gems. I combined unsweetened coconut with sweetened condensed milk and toasted almonds… and I covered the whole thing in dark chocolate. Seriously good.
But aren’t Almond Joys kind of a Grandpa candy bar? No… that’s Baby Ruth… totally an old dude candy bar.
Homemade Almond Joy
makes about 30 little bars
7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2 1/2 cups unsweetened flaked coconut
30 almonds
about 20 ounces (a bag and a half) of good quality semi sweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, spread raw almonds onto a baking sheet and toast for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
In a medium bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Stir in the unsweetened coconut. The mixture will be thick. Place mixture in the freezer for 3o minutes. It’s easier to work with if it’s a little cold.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the coconut mixture from the freezer. With clean hands shape one tablespoon of coconut into a little log about 2 inches long and 3/4-inch thick. Press the logs together very well so they don’t crack when dipped. Place the log on the lined baking sheet and continue until all of the coconut mixture is gone. Rinse hands occasionally if they get too sticky. Press an almond on top of each coconut log. It might not completely stick. That’s ok. Place the baking sheet in the fridge to chill while you melt the chocolate.
Place a medium pot with two inches of water over a medium flame. Bring the water to a simmer. Place chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl and place the bowl over the simmering water. Stir the chocolate as it melts. Turn off the flame once the chocolate has melted but keep the bowl of melted chocolate over the hot water.
Remove the coconut candies from the fridge. Place one coconut almond log on a fork. Use a spoon to scoop a bit of chocolate over the almond. This will help the almond stick to the candy and not fall off during dipping. Lower fork into chocolate and spoon chocolate over candy to coat. Lift fork and gently shake to release some of the chocolate. Scrape the bottom of the fork along the side of the bowl and place on the lined baking sheet. You might need a toothpick to help get the candy off the fork. Repeat until all candy is coated in chocolate. If chocolate gets thick, just turn on the flame and heat slightly.
Let dipped candy harden in the fridge for 45 minutes. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. If you need to layer the candy in a container, use waxed paper to separate the layers.
shihui
boo to skinny jeans! :P
Emma @ Shichimi
Yum! My mom and I always used to buy mini Almond Joys for Halloween, but no one ever came to our house, because it was in a ‘bad’ neighborhood. That just meant there was more for us at the end of the night! ;) I can’t wait to try your recipe.
CarolinaGirl
Those look awesome! I am definitely a fan of Almond Joys! Also, the skinny jeans, not so much for this girl with some thighs!
Amie
Oh dear Lord. Why are doing this to me Joy? I have to make these now. One time I ate a whole bag of mini almond joy bars. And then I got sick. It wasn’t pretty. I bet these taste delicious.
Emily
a) skinny jeans are definitely awesome on not-so-skinny legs – i have former-fieldhockey-player thighs & butt, and the skinny jeans actually look pretty good with some curves in them. (also, i just noticed chocolate glaze on mine from making your donut muffins last night… whoops…)
b) my sister definitely calls me an old lady when i eat almond joys or rasinettes, but i don’t mind, they’re delicious (and these look even better!)
Wendi @ Bon Appetit Hon
I made these for one of my Food Memories blog entries this spring. They were fantastic. I had to send them to my husband’s office because I could not restrain myself from gobbling them all up.
Maria
I was just telling my husband yesterday that I was going to make almond joys! Skinny jeans are just about making the majority of women in this world feel bad about themselves. Embrace your curves, they are of the Goddess as are we all. We are women, we are not supposed to look like boys. Viva la hips!
Emily @ Darby O'Shea
People whose thighs don’t rub together a little bit can see me in hell. That is all.
Heather @ The Single Dish
How cool, those look yummy! I love the crunchy almond, chewy coconut and smooth chocolate in these candies!
tj
…Yeah baybee! :o) These look wonderful and thank you so much for the recipe! *now printing*
…Skinny jeans are the devils’ work. Seriously. :o\
…Blessings…
The Blue-Eyed Bakers
We were seriously just looking for a recipe for homemade Almond Joys after seeing an Almond Joy inspired recipe in the new Baked book…and yay our search is over! These look perfect!!
HappyWhenNotHungry
Almond Joys are definitely better than Mounds! These treats look amazing and simple to make. Thanks for sharing :-)
Lauren
These look amazing, can’t wait to try ’em out.
Am really not excited about skinny jeans, either.
Also, I love Baby Ruth bars … don’t hate!
Reesa
Joy, I am also someone whose thighs rub together. On a whim, I took the plunge and tried on a pair of “jeggings” (awful word!)… and guess what? They suck in said thighs! No rubbing! So, um… there you go. As for these candies, woah nellie. They look uhhhh-mazing. Thanks!