COCONUT JOY candy bars

I'm allergic to peanuts.  I mean deadly allergic to them.  And if you haven't already looked at the back of a candy bar,  in fine print down in the corner there is always something that says:  This candy bar was manufactured on machinery that has had peanuts on or near.  And if you eat this you might die... or something to that effect.  

Well I'm an Mounds Candy Bar freak, or should say, I used to be.  One of the chocolate cookbooks I have has a recipe that has pretty well cloned that little dream boat of a candy bar. 

CHOCOLATE and CONFECTIONS by Peter Greweling.  This book is one of the Culinary Institute of America "at home".  This is a really a down to earth book, and it takes you by the hand and directs you through working with Chocolates, Candies, etc. And it has pictures to follow.

Well anyway,  I found Peter's take on Mounds candy bar.  And I'll tell you what,  It's good,  No let me take that back, it's great.  So this past weekend I made a batch of them.  The guy across the street loves them,So does the lady down the street, The lady that lives at the other end of the street loves them, and the single guy next door loves them. Oh yea I love them,  and I have the balance of them under lock and key right now till I can make some more.  

The skill level is easy,  and really they are.  The hardest part is tempering the CHOCOLATE and that's not all that hard to do.  

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 oz    ( 1.25cup)  Water
• 6 oz    (.75 cup )   Sugar
• 12 oz  (1 cup )   Lite Corn Syrup
• 2 oz    (.50 cup) Marshmallow creme
• 1 tsp               Vanilla Extract
• 1 lb     (1.50 cup) Dark or Milk Chocolate, melted, tempered, for dipping.

DIRECTION:

1. Lightly oil a 9" square baking pan and line the pan with plastic wrap. This size pan will give you about a half inch thick mix.
2. Combine the water, sugar, and corn syrup in a 2 qt saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Cover the pan and continue boiling for another 3 minutes.  Remove the lid, insert a themometer and continue cooking until the mixture reaches 245F.  ( Note:  I didn't go that high,  and I noticed that the filling for the bar was good but my candy bars became candy bar nuggets. So do go to 245F.)  You'll be glad you did, but then again if you don't mind nuggets, that's fine also.  
3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the coconut.  (Then the fun part) mix in the marshmallow creme and vanilla extract.  Another note: Unless you've messed with Marshmallow creme,  use some Pam or some other non-stick spray.  That stuff is like Liquid Nail to get off a spat or fingers or elbows, or the kitchen cabinet doors.  I think that stuff was developed as a weapon of mass confinement.  So use non-stick,  Trust me on that one!!!
4. Pour The mix into the prepped pan.  Allow it to cool completely to room temp. You can leave this out over night, covered of course...  I used plastic wrap for the covering of the pan, in case Fluffy decides to take a look at this in the nite, you don't want Fluffy to be stuck to that stuff.  
5. Ok the next day remove this mix from the baking pan by pulling the plastic wrap out of the pan.  Invert onto a sheet of parchment paper.  Peel the plastic wrap off the coconut. If you cooked your mix to 245F this stuff should be pretty firm, but if you were a little shy on the temp. Expect it to be a touch sticky.  (So I told you so!)
6. Cut the coconut into candy bar chunks or 1" squares, or take some cutters and do flowers, or stars, or what ever gets your motor running.  But when you start cutting be sure you spray your knife or cutters or what ever your going to use.  Or else you'll get that stuff stuck to everything again.  Remember item 3.  
7. Now the simple part, Dip each piece into the melted and tempered Chocolate.  I used a wire rack,  (Not a good idea! Use Parchment paper to put them on after you have dipped.  If you use a rack, things are going to stick to the rack, and then you're going to be using a spat to get them off the rack... That is not a pretty site!!!
8. As far as garnishment,  I did a few pieces of Coconut and a few pieces of "FLEUR DE SEL"  or by us retired people,  French Sea Salt.  Go easy on the salt, but it does do a little kick to the candy.  And to me, it's just enough kick to the candy to kick it up a few notches.  You don't have to do that, but I wanted to get fancy about things.  But like i said go easy on the salt,  That stuff is strong.  But sure is nice.  

The chocolate that I used for the dipping was 70/30 Dark Chocolate.  You can use anything you want.  However, DON'T use store bought chocolate chips.  Chocolate chips are not made for dipping etc.  They don't melt the same as baking chocolate....

Have fun with this one,  It's not that hard to do.  and if you have any allergies, this is the way to go.  So let me know how you did, how you liked it, if you had any problems with it or comments.  I'll help you anyway I can.