Coconut Fudge Truffles

The brigadeiros were a big hit -- but I feel like I'm going into a diabetic coma just eating one (or maybe two... or three). So we were thinking about how to make a slightly less sweet variety. The main idea was using evaporated milk instead of condensed milk and adding in sugar ourselves (condensed milk is about 4 parts evaporated milk to 5 parts sugar, which is crazy -- we wanted to try 2 parts evaporated milk to 1 part sugar and see how it went). Well, we got a little carried away... but the truffles turned out so delicious!

So here it is -- a pretty crazy spin on Brazilian truffles.

[Makes 30-35 candies.]
Ingredients
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 tsp. salt
4 tsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. instant coffee
2-3 Tbsp. tasty flour

Directions
Bring the first seven ingredients to a rapid boil over medium heat. Lower heat and simmer mixture, stirring occasionally to keep it from sticking. If it still seems too liquid after about 10 minutes, add in a bit of the flour. It took us about 20-25 minutes of simmering to decide to add in flour, after which point the mixture still didn't seem thick enough, but we took a chance and put it in the fridge. It came out fine. Keep it in the fridge until it's completely cold (we just left it overnight because we got tired, but an hour or two should do the trick).

Meanwhile, chop up nuts, toast some coconut flakes, and prepare whatever other toppings you want to use. This time, I used pistachios, hazelnuts, almonds, and toasted coconut. Take 1 teaspoon at a time of the fudge and roll into a ball over the topping(s) of your choice -- if the topping is some kind of nut, try putting a whole one in the middle. Place the candies on parchment or wax paper. If storing or giving as gifts, try wrapping them in wax paper (as shown here).



Tip: Get your hands wet with warm water -- this will keep the fudge from sticking to your hands while you're trying to roll it. Wash your hands after every four or five truffles you roll, or whenever they start to get dirty -- if the chocolate mixture starts to accumulate on your hands, the truffles will stick more, creating a frustrating mess.

Variation: Try dipping them in chocolate.