Cherry Ripe & Bounty Balls

I made these beauties as presents for the teachers at work. They were a huge hit, but are oh so simple to make.

I used to make Cherry ripe slice, however the recipe didn’t always work. Last year a batch crumbled when I cut it, so I rolled it into balls, dipped it in chocolate and VOILA!

I decided to do something similar this year. I took inspiration from a Christmas edition of Family Circle. They had a recipe for coconut bon bons. When I read it, it reminded me of my Cherry ripe balls. Their recipe used icing sugar as well but I felt this was unnecessary.

The original recipe also called for shredded coconut. I made a batch using that, but then I made a batch using desiccated coconut and found I liked the desiccated better.

Cherry Ripe balls

1 Can condensed milk

250g Coconut

30g Copha (I made a batch without this and it worked fine!)

1 Packet Glace Cherries

Red food dye

300g Dark chocolate

1 Tbsp Vegetable oil

White chocolate (Optional)

1. Melt copha in microwave.
2. Mix the coconut, condensed milk, cherries & colouring together. Make sure you mix it well so that the coconut is fully mixed in.
3. Put the mix into the fridge until it is firm (about 1 ½ hr).
4. Once firm roll teaspoons of the mix into balls. Refrigerate again until firm.
5. Melt Chocolate in the microwave. Mine takes about 1 minute, stirring every 10 – 15 seconds. Add oil once melted and stir in.
6. Take balls out of refrigerate and dip into chocolate using a fork. Set back on tray, allowing the balls to set. (Use a tray that has been refrigerated to help the chocolates set quicker). Refrigerate if needed.
7. Once the chocolates were set I drizzled white chocolate on the top to make them look pretty.

To make Bounty

Omit the cherries and red colouring; add in a teaspoon of coconut essence.