Friday, March 9, 2018

Easter Coconut Bunnies

Unleash your creativity with these super cute, easy-to-make, no-bake coconut snowball cookies perfectly decorated for spring and Easter
Hello cutie! 
Here is the perfect Easter activity for you. 
Right after you are done decorating and coloring your hard eggs, why not?!? You can make some of these delicious, eye-catching, edible bunnies.
These coconut balls are deceivingly easy and super fun to whip up. So make sure your kids help out too.
And the results?!?  Soft, delicate and coco-nutty cookie balls. Decorated with sugary pink ears and chocolate eyes. These bunnies are just what happens when coconut snowballs melt with delicate ricotta clouds. Simply heavenly!

You can make these coconut snowball cookies at any time of the year, no need for the bunny decorations. They are the perfect last minute dessert idea that everyone will love. You only need three simple ingredients - coconut, powdered sugar and ricotta. That is all. 
And did I mention these are gluten-free?! Cause they are :)
One more thing... I've got a sweet chocolatey surprise for you. If you want to make this recipe a little more fun, you can add a chocolate egg in the middle. Oh yeah! So when you bite into the soft ricotta-coconut concoction, you are going to find a melty-chocolatey heart. Oh-so good. Take a look!

For this recipe I recommend using unsweetened shredded coconut, to avoid an overly sweet cookie. Especially if you add the chocolate egg in the middle.
So note, if you decide to use sweetened coconut (or that's all you can find at the store), I suggest using half of the powdered sugar .. unless you like it sweet! 
The nice thing about this recipe is that you can actually easily adjust the ingredients while you are making it. Yes, taste as you go! And add more sugar or more coconut as you wish. 
Ready to try these out too?! 



INGREDIENTS:

YIELD: about 16 bunnies
    • 12 oz (340 gr) of ricotta cheese (whole milk recommended)
    • 2 3/4 cups (200 gr) of shredded coconut, unsweetened
    • 1/2 cup (75 gr) of powdered sugar
    • mini marshmallows, about 24
    • pink decorating sugar
    • mini chocolate chips for the eyes, about 32
    • about 16 small chocolate eggs (like Lindt, with creamy middle), optional

PREPARATION:

TIME: 10 minutes to prepare, plus 20 minutes or so to decorate
    In a large bowl, mix the ricotta cheese with the powdered sugar and 1 cup of shredded coconut. Save the remaining coconut for later.
    Roll the mixture into balls, about 1.5 inch in diameter.  Roll them in shredded coconut.
    You are welcome to make bigger or smaller bunnies, based on your taste.
    If you like, add a small chocolate egg in the middle.
    Cut the marshmallows in half diagonally (best with kitchen scissors).
    Dip the middle part (sticky) in the pink sugar. You can clean the sides easily with the tip of a knife or tip of your finger.
    Cut a small round piece of marshmallow. Make it into a small ball with sticky middle on the outside. Roll in pink sugar.

    Decorate the coconut balls with two mini chocolate chips for the eye (tip inside so it won't fall out), the ears and nose.


    Press down firmly so they stick (but careful enough not to ruin the shape of the bunny). You can wet with a drop of water the bottom of the ears if they don't stick properly.
    Store in the refrigerator to set for one hour or longer.




    6 comments: