White Chocolate Coconut Clusters

Geez, I'm such a slacker. I was supposed to get this post up last week. I sure hope you weren't holding your breath for these White Chocolate Coconut Clusters.

I don't like loose ends though, so I'm posting this recipe anyway and you can save it for next year.

C'mon, I'll show you how to make them.

You'll need small candy cups (get them now for next year, on sale . . . um, unless you live in my town because I bought all of them), finely chopped pecans or macadamia nuts, peppermint extract, sugar sprinkles, vanilla bark, white chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, and flaked coconut.

Combine the nuts, coconut, peppermint extract and sweetened condensed milk. Chill for an hour.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate and vanilla bark in a bowl over a hot water bath. A hot water bath is simply a pot of hot water, not boiling, in a pot on the stove. Then you put your chocolate in a metal bowl that rests over the hot water.

This ingenious little condiment bottle is going to make your work practically effortless, and waaaaaaay less messy. This brilliant idea came from Peanut Head's cousin, Alison, who makes these treats with the Barefoot Contessa every year.

You simply take a condiment bottle and cut the tip slightly larger to allow the melted chocolate to flow.

Then you keep it warm in a pan of hot water on the stove on low.

Now you're ready to put a small amount of chocolate in the bottom of each candy cup.

See how neat this is. No mess.

Next, take 1/2 teaspoon of your chilled coconut mixture and place it in the center of each candy cup.

Finish with more chocolate, about half way up the candy cups.

Sprinkle with pretty sugar crystals and . . .

Ta Da! The sweetest perfection.

And here's that recipe card. Enjoy!