Fresh Coconut “Cream” Eggs

by Adobestock/V. J. Matthew

Directions

• To create them, first prepare the fresh coconut.
• Begin by piercing the two "eyes" on top of the shell and pouring the juice into a glass (it's good to drink fresh or to use in place of water when making cakes and such).
• Then bake the coconut, for 15 minutes, in a 400°F oven. (I use a woodstove, so I'm estimating a bit here.) Once it's cooled, place the 'nut on a chopping board and give it a sharp rap with a hammer. The hard outer shell should pretty much fall away. You can then pry off any stubborn pieces of meat with a paring knife, and scrape the thin brown skin from the white inner flesh before shredding the coconut flesh.
• Next, peel the potato and boil it in salted water for 10 minutes. When the time's up, carefully fish the hot spud from the water and mash it.
• Then mix the grated coconut, the still-warm mashed potato, the salt, and the vanilla in a large bowl.
• Now, you can begin to add the sugar — gradually — and mix it, after each addition, until the ingredients are well blended.
• The egg-to-be should then be allowed to "ripen" overnight. The following morning, divide the mixture into three equal portions (or more, if you'd like to produce smaller eggs).
• Shape the dough with your hands, then store the eggs in a safe place (away from pets, insects, or children's fingers), letting them "age" for two to seven days. (This "rest period" really does improve the flavor of the filling.)
• When you're ready to finish the eggs, melt the chocolate over hot water in a double boiler (make sure that no drops of water fall into the candy). Then, using a slotted spoon, dip the eggs into the melted coating one at a time, and place them on a wire rack to harden. Finally, while the chocolate is still warm, use a toothpick to write each child's name on top of his or her egg.