About this dish

• Serves: 30 or more
• Time: 30 minutes
• Method: cold prep

These candies are a contemporary magazine recipe, with slight modification (source not known). They’re basically coconut cream “Easter Eggs”, but rolled in cinnamon rather than dipped in dark chocolate. Served on St. Patty’s Day, of course – every recipe in my family has a day associated with it, and this is no exception. My brother is particularly fond of them.

Ingredients

A single batch fits nicely in a Kitchen-Aid mixer bowl; it makes 3 dinner-plate trays, one layer deep.

•  2 lbs powdered sugar (“#10” powdered)
• 1/4 lb butter (1 stick – do NOT substitute margarine)
• 8 oz cream cheese (do NOT substitute fat-free or lowfat)
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 1/2 t vanilla
• For Easter eggs:
  • 1 lb coconut (10-12 oz works fine – omit to make (shredded, sweetened) ‘plain’ butter cream candies)
  • milk or dark chocolate (enough when melted to cover a batch)
• For Irish potatoes:
  • cinnamon (enough to “dust” one batch)

Equipment

• cookie sheet

Instructions

Blend powdered sugar, salt, butter, and cream cheese until smooth. (dough-hook works nicely, also helps to melt the butter and warm the cream cheese slightly). Add vanilla and blend. Add coconut and stir in completely.

Chill mixture (several hours in refrigerator, covered – this step is optional, but helps the ‘ball making’).

Roll into balls.

For Irish potatoes:

do NOT round perfectly (imperfections make the candy look more like potatoes).

roll in cinnamon

For Easter eggs;

make egg-shaped

Chill result (they will ‘weep’ into the cinnamon if too warm). Serve cool or room temperature.

Makes 4 lbs (!). I don’t know if they freeze – with the cream cheese, I’d expect not very well.