This is a really intriguing recipe that came to me from an Amish woman in Vanceburg, Kentucky. There is a small but growing settlement in this rural northeastern Kentucky community. Homemade candies are a fun but low-key way to celebrate the Easter holiday, which is why these are popular in Amish kitchens. The recipe looks super easy.
Beautiful hand-made chocolate eggs in an Amish bakery.
This picture is not of the homemade eggs in the recipe but of Amish-made “chocolate eggs” from Malinda’s Candy Shop in New York State. See more photos here.
The Amish do celebrate some of the more secular aspects of the Easter holiday: enjoying chocolate candies, hiding eggs for their children and some even incorporate the Easter Bunny. Some Amish parents just view that as a harmless, fun way to celebrate the season without undermining the message. And in some cases celebrating the secular is just plain profitable if you’re an Amish candy store or bulk food store. The Amish, at their core are pragmatic and practical, and if an extra buck can be made without compromising their core principles, than why not?
Anyway, back to this recipe It is a perfect example of how the Amish will celebrate the Easter season on their menu!
- 1.25 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 2.5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
- ½ cup (4 ounces) melted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ lb chocolate candy coating
- Preheat the oven to 325, and spread the coconut on a small baking sheet.
- Bake until the coconut is golden brown, stirring after every 2 minutes to prevent browning.
- Place the toasted coconut in a bowl along with 1 cup of the graham cracker crumbs, and 1.5 cups of powdered sugar.
- Stir vigorously for 5 minutes. (you could use an electric mixer here)
- Stop the mixer and add the peanut butter, melted butter, vanilla, and salt.
- Turn the mixer to low and mix until the candy is well-mixed.
- Add the remaining powdered sugar 1 /2 cup at a time, adding just enough to make the candy firm enough to shape into balls, but not so much that it becomes dry and crumbly.
- Using a spoon, scoop up a small amount of candy and roll it between your hands until it is an egg shape.
- Place it on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and repeat with remaining candy until you have approximately twenty eggs.
- Put the eggs in a cool place (a refrigerator will work) to stay firm while you melt the chocolate candy coating.
- Place the chocolate in a saucepan ( microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted) stirring after every minute to prevent overheating.
- Once the chocolate is melted, dip the eggs in the chocolate and replace them on the foil-covered sheet. While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle the tops of the eggs with the remaining crushed graham cracker crumbs.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set the chocolate.
- Crunchy Easter Eggs can be stored in a cool cellar or the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.
