Happy Thursday, my gorgeous friends.
Another year has come to an end and as I look back with a heart full of gratitude
I can’t believe how many changes have taken place. I closed my day care business and began doing a commercial cookery course. My son got married in Israel and I got to visit the motherland with my siblings for the first time since we left in 1975. I got married to the man I love and bought my own little flat.
At 57 when most people begin to wind down I started my catering business. What can I say? I love a good challenge and setting goals for myself, and while I love cooking in general, I have discovered that without a doubt my favourite thing to do is to bake and create grazing boards, which is what my business is focusing on right now. But what gives me the most joy (apart from my family and friends) is writing / creating, baking/cooking for you, my friends.
As I look forward to 2023 my wish for you is inner peace, good health and to be able to rock your world in a way that gives you joy.
Thank you for all your support and for your kind words over the year.
I do have one request of you, if you have made any of my recipes can you please raise your hand. It would be nice to know that people are not just admiring the photos!
Wishing you a happy and healthy new year.
With love and gratitude
Nava
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Coconut bites
Calling all coconut lovers, this one is for you.
I’m sure lots of people have a recipe for these delicious coconut bites, and I have tried several different ones. It’s amazing how many different recipes there are for these sweet bites but this is the one I keep coming back to. I made these round delights a long time ago when I was playing around in the kitchen experimenting with white chocolate and coconut. Being a coconut addict, I wanted to make a small-size delight to satisfy my sugar craving. Little did I know that I would struggle to stop after one. I was sure one would suffice when something is that sweet, but obviously it’s not for this sweet tooth.
I made these scrumptious delights to take to the housewarming party of my brother and sister-in-law, along with my baklava cheese cake. They didn’t last long.
These scrumptious, delights are easy to make. They can be made a day ahead or at the last minute. They keep really well in the fridge in an airtight container: up to a week (if you can keep your hands off of them!).
If you want to make something quick, delicious and easy for New Year but are tired from all the cooking and baking, this is it.
Helpful tips
Use the thick bit of the coconut cream, only if you can buy the coconut cream a day before and leave it in the fridge it will help to separate the runny liquid from the creamy thick part, which if you just use that, will help the coconut to set and make the balls easier to mould.
A double boiler is a pot that is filled with hot or boiling water and a smaller pot that fits inside and uses the steam.
When rolling the balls you will need to wet your hands with a little bit of cold water.
I do not roll them in coconut. I love that smooth, pure white look. I did dip them in melted chocolate for the chocolate lovers but I prefer NO CHOCOLATE. I want that pure a coconut hit!
It’s an extra step and I can never get them to be perfectly round the minute you place them on the baking tray the ball loses that perfect symmetrical look and I love that beautiful smooth round white look.
Ingredients
3 cups desiccated coconut
coconut cream (thick part only)
400gm, good quality white chocolate
I made roughly 30 balls each weighing 19gm or was it 16gm (I can’t remember sorry)
Method
Place chocolate and coconut cream in a double boiler or in a microwave safe dish (I prefer the double-boiler method) and stir until chocolate has melted completely. If using a microwave you will need to melt the chocolate in small bursts of 10-15 seconds each so you don’t burn the chocolate. Give it a stir and put it back in the microwave.
Once chocolate has melted remove pot from the heat add the coconut and incorporate thoroughly by giving it a good stir.
Transfer to an airtight container and let it chill in the fridge for an hour or two.
When the mixture is set, wet your hands and with damped (clean hands) remove a small chunk of coconut mixture and roll into a ball. Repeat until you have used up all the coconut. Place balls in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.
Chocolate coated coconut bites
Ingredients
A block of dark chcocolate 180g
Method
Line a baking tray with baking paper, melt the chocolate and place a skewer in the coconut ball, dip the ball in the melted chocolate, hold the ball above the melted chocolate and let it drip until it stops and place on the tray. Repeat until you dipped the quantity balls you wanted coated. I dipped half the coconut balls.