These chewy coconut cookie cups filled with rich chocolate and fluffy cream cheese are topped off with soft caramel, chocolate and toasted coconut. More than delicious, these are truly a unique dessert that will have all your friends and family wondering how in the world you made them!
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 c. yellow cake mix (any variety)
- 2 c. crushed coconut cookies (I use WalMart brand)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 c. vegetable oil
- 1 c. shredded coconut
- 1/4 c. whipping cream
- 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 16 Kraft Caramels (unwrapped)
- 7 oz. sweetened condensed milk
- 1/4 c. margarine
- 6 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
- 1/2 c. sugar
- 4 oz. Cool Whip (refrigerator temperature)
- 12 oz. Wilton Dark Candy Cocoa Melts
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- In a mixing bowl combine cake mix, crushed coconut cookies, eggs and oil. Blend well.
- Scoop batter evenly into 12 un-greased muffin tins, pressing it down with spoon. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Spread coconut over a small cookie sheet and toast at the same time your cups are baking for 10 to 15 minutes (check often to prevent burning!)
- While cookie cups bake, make your fillings:
- Chocolate ganache: Place whipping cream in a small saucepan and heat it over the stove until it just starts to bubble at edges (20-30 seconds). Turn off heat, add chocolate chips, over and allow to sit on warm burner for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, stir until smooth.
- Caramel Sauce: Place caramels, condensed milk and margarine in a saucepan and heat until caramels are fully melted and mixture is smooth (about 5 minutes) stir constantly.
- Cream filling: Combine cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Fold in Cool Whip.
- Remove coconut from oven when it is a toasty brown. Place in bowl to cool.
- Remove cookie cups from oven. They look like muffins at this point–using a tart shaper or the end of a wooden spoon, press the middles of the muffin in to form a cup shape. (NOTE: because ovens vary in temperature, your cups may need to bake longer. When you press the middle in it should look a little oily from the coconut oil in the cookies- but it should hold its shape– if it’s doughy and wont stay pressed down, place it back in the oven for a few minutes.)
- Tip the muffin pan over a clean counter to release the cups and carefully turn them all upright to cool.
- Melt chocolate candy coating in microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between until smooth.
- Dip the top edge of each cup into the chocolate and then sprinkle with toasted coconut.
- Spoon chocolate ganache evenly into each cup.
- Place cream filling in a large ziplock. Cut one corner and pipe the cream evenly into each cup.
- Spoon caramel sauce evenly over each cup.
- Drizzle any left-over candy coating over each cup and top with remaining coconut.
- Keep refrigerated until serving.
- Makes 12 cups.
My thoughts: I “invented” this recipe for Kraft using Philadelphia Cream Cheese. It has some of my favorite flavor combinations– coconut, chocolate and caramel– amazing! It is also a great texture combination: chewy, creamy crunchy….yum. This is a fairly time-consuming recipe. If you love baking it is FUN FUN FUN!!!! (I’m actually a little addicted to making these!) I can’t give it an “easy recipe” tag though– its just too involved. If you get a chance to try these let me know what you think! Enjoy!!!! r-
EASYBAKED 