CHOCOLATE COVERED COCONUT BON BONS

This post brought to you by Dollar General. All opinions are 100% mine.

Did you know that there are less than 75 days until Christmas?  And even fewer before the first holiday parties fire up!  The season will be here before we know it, and it's never too early to start making plans if you'll be entertaining or hosting friends and family in your home.

My mother used to make Chocolate Covered Coconut Bon Bons while we were growing up, with a recipe that her mother used to make.  It has been a favorite of mine since I was little, and now my daughter begs for "those things with the chocolate on them" when we mention holiday baking.  They are so easy to make, now she's helping me with the task.

More and more, I'm shopping at stores that I can run in and out of quickly to get what I need.  I found just about all of the necessary ingredients for this treat at my local Dollar General.  Their Clover Valley line carries many baking essentials.  I especially appreciated the packages of already perfectly chopped pecans.  Having that bit of prep work done made the work time even faster.

Chocolate Covered Coconut Bon Bons

3 sticks butter

1 14 oz. package coconut

1 t. vanilla

2 lbs. powdered sugar

4 c. finely chopped nuts, I prefer pecans

1 small 5 oz. can evaporated milk

2 12 oz. packages chocolate chips

1 cake paraffin wax

Melt the butter in a large sauce pan, or in the microwave in a large bowl.  If on the stove, remove from heat once the butter is melted.  Add the sugar, coconut, milk, and vanilla and mix well, then add pecans and stir.

The mixture will have a thick, soupy consistency.  Chill until it thickens and can be scooped out and formed into a ball.  I chilled mine in the freezer for about 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes just to even out the temperature.

Using a dough scoop, dip out a ball of the chilled mixture.  I have a 1 ounce and a 1/2 ounce scoop, and either is fine just depending on the size and number of bon bons that you want.  I used the 1/2 ounce scoop this time, and this recipe made about 90 bon bons.  Form balls and lay on a cookie sheet covered with waxed paper.  Chill again.

If you have a pan that's specifically a double boiler, great.  If not, you can improvise with a pot and a heat proof (pyrex) glass bowl.  Boil some water in the pan below, and rest the bowl on top filled with the paraffin and chocolate chips.  Stir occasionally as the mixture melts.  Use caution, hot steam might escape from around the bowl and edge of the pan, and the bowl will be hot.  When all of the wax is melted, the chocolate is ready and the heat can be turned off.

Drop each chilled ball into the chocolate one by one.  If necessary, move it around to cover entirely and then remove, holding it over the chocolate for a minute to let the excess chocolate drip off.  Place on a sheet of waxed paper until the chocolate coating hardens.  I like to use a long handled meat fork for this step, but a skewer would work well also.  

When finished, I slide the waxed paper back on the cookie sheet and chill one more time, just to set the chocolate.  Then, I can stack them to store.  Although the steps are fairly quick and simple, the chilling time in between adds to the prep time of this recipe.  

I prefer these chilled, so I store them in an airtight container in the fridge, or they freeze beautifully for several months. If frozen, it's easy to take out the amount you need and after a few minutes of thawing they are ready to go.  You could get a jump on your holiday to-do list and prepare them now!

Bon bons can make a pretty dessert for a party when arranged nicely on a platter or cake stand, 

or they make great party favors by putting a few in a clear bag and tying with a festive ribbon.

For more great holiday ideas and recipes, be sure to check out Dollar General on Facebook, Dollar General on Pinterest, and Dollar General on Instagram.  There are also some great meal ideas on their website at Dollar General Easy Meals.

This is a sponsored post for Dollar General, but all opinions about their products are mine.  Thanks for supporting the companies that sponsor Dimples and Tangles!