When I was searching through Greek cookbooks, I noticed that the use of carrots in sweets and desserts was a recurring theme. I debated between trying this recipe and one for carrot jam; it was the hefty dose of coconut in these truffles that sealed the deal. Shredded carrots gets cooked in a sugar syrup until candied and chewy, flavored with some vanilla and lemon and combined with shredded, unsweetened coconut.
I wouldn’t go as far as to say that these are healthy, but they definitely have a nutritional edge over your average candy. These colorful truffles would also be great with some add-ins, such as candied ginger, pineapple or even raisins. Anything that you’d think would work in a carrot cake would likely work here as well.
Carrot Truffles
Yield: Approximately 2 dozen truffles
Ingredients:
* 1/2 pound carrots, peeled and grated
* 1 cup sugar
* zest of 1 lemon
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2-1/2 cups dried, unsweetened coconut, divided
Directions:
Combine the carrots and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Mix in the lemon zest, vanilla extract, and 2 cups of the coconut. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Shape the mixture into small balls and roll in the remaining coconut.
Adapted from Vefa’s Kitchen