• On Jan, 01, 2018
•  lady
•  Recipes

As a child, I was a shameless Almond Joy addict. I know, I was a major nerd. What kid likes Almond Joy? Definitely none of my friends. I didn’t mind though because the day after Halloween I could be found sitting on my bed, flush with the mini Almond Joys my friends had traded me. I would count and re-count them, slowly savoring one of the moist coconut and chocolate confections each afternoon. My supply would often sustain me until Thanksgiving. Based on the sheer numbers that were handed out, the adult candy-givers must have been fans of Almond Joy bars too.

12 chocolate wafer cookies (see recipe below)
12 whole almonds for garnish
1/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut for garnish
chocolate coating (see recipe below)
—>Place the wafer cookies on a wire rack that is set on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Place one scoop of coconut ice cream and an almond on top of each cookie (I used this ice cream scoop ). Place in freezer for approximately 45 minutes.
—>In the meantime, prepare the chocolate coating.
—>When you are ready to glaze the bonbons, remove the ice cream topped cookies from the freezer.
—>Spoon the chocolate coating over the top of each treat. Garnish with sweetened, shredded coconut. Continually scoop up the excess chocolate coating that falls through the rack onto the parchment, add it back to the bowl, stir until smooth and re-pour as needed.
—>Carefully remove the ice cream treats to an air-tight container and freeze for one hour before serving.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Wafer Cookies (adapted from )

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate squares
4 tablespoons non-hydrogenated shortening (use butter if you eat dairy)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum or (guar gum if baking corn-free )
pinch of salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, room temperature
—>Preheat oven to 350
—>In a glass mixing bowl, melt the chocolate squares and shortening on low power in microwave (or a double boiler), stirring frequently until smooth. Set aside to cool for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
—>Add the egg to the chocolate mixture and mix until combined.
—>Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly by hand or with mixer until a soft dough forms.
—>Flatten dough into a disk, between two layers of plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes or until firm. If you leave your dough in the refrigerator longer or even overnight, be sure to let the dough sit out for awhile in order to warm up. Dough that is too cold with crack and fall apart.
—>Roll out dough between sheets of plastic wrap (I made mine about 1/8 inch thick). Cut with a lightly floured cookie cutter and bake on parchment or silpat lined baking sheets in a 350 degree oven for 5-6 minutes. The cookies will feel soft if gently pressed and may look a bit undercooked, but they will harden as they cool. These cookies burn fairly easily, so beware.
—>Let cookies cool on sheet pan for a minute or two, then transfer to wire racks to cool.

This recipe yields approximately 36-42 cookies using a 2 inch diameter cookie cutter.