Toasted Coconut Cheesecake Bonbons

I just found out that the word bonbon comes from the French word bon which means “good”…so these are goodGOOD!!!! (GOOOOD!) With toasted coconut on the outside and chewy coconut and cream cheese on the inside they couldn’t get any better! Oh- wait—yes they can!  Bite into one of these bonbons and you’ll find creamy dark chocolate and almonds inside!  YUM!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 bag (24-30 pieces) of Dove chocolates (dark chocolate with almond)
• 8 ounces of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
• 12 ounces (one bag) of white chocolate chips
• 1 tbsp of coconut extract
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 5 cups of shredded sweetened coconut (divided)
• 1/2 cup of butter (melted)

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Unwrap all of your chocolates.
• Soften Philadelphia Cream Cheese in the microwave for about 30 seconds- until it is warm and smooth after stirring.
• Melt white chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between until they are melted and smooth.
• Add softened cream cheese to the melted white chocolate and stir well.
• Stir in coconut extract.
• Add flour and mix until it forms a thick, sticky dough.
• Fold in 3 cups of coconut.
• Using your hands, take about 2T of dough, press it into your palm, place a chocolate in the center and wrap the dough completely around it.
• Smooth the dough by rolling it a little between your hands and set it on an un-greased cookie sheet. Repeat this process with remaining dough and chocolates.
• Brush melted butter over tops of cookies and press remaining coconut on the tops and sides of the cookies.
• Brush the coconut topping with butter and place in the oven.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. If coconut is not sufficiently toasted on the tops of the cookies at this point, turn your broiler on high and finish toasting it. (This will happen quickly under the broiler, so keep an eye on them!).
• Remove cookies from the cookie sheet and place on parchment paper to cool. They can be served warm or cooled to room temperature first– either way they are delicious!

My thoughts: mmmm…..I love these!  I created this recipe for Real Women of Philadelphia and it took me awhile to decide which chocolate to use in the middle and how to get the cookie part to taste REALLY coconutty (I just made that word up!)  These cookies remind me of the Chocolate Coconut Cream Cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory– seriously one of my favorite desserts and now in cookie (BONBON!!) form 🙂  ENJOY!

I shared this recipe on these wonderful blogs:

• Cupcake apothecary
• Pinch of this that and the other
• C.R.A.F.T
• The Joy of Desserts
• Two Maids a Milking