Homemade Raffaello

 Here is a Romanian version of the popular Raffaello sweets. They have coconut and do not require baking. It is a very rich dessert but each bite is worth it. It is tasty and satisfying. I want to give credit to my niece Cami Grama in Romania who shared her own version of the recipe with me, inspiring me to develop this version made in America using ingredients available here. 

Here are the ingredients:

200 g unsalted butter

200 g powdered sugar

200 g nonfat dry milk 

1/3 cup heavy cream 

100 g coconut flakes (plus another 25 g to coat them) 

6 packets of vanilla sugar (or 1 spoonful vanilla essence)

Around 50 raw almonds

Toast the almonds in a pan for 2-3 minutes in a little butter, then turn off the heat and allow them to cool.

Using a mixer, beat the butter and powdered sugar until they become fluffy. Add the coconut flakes (except for the small amount set aside to coat them at the end), then the vanilla sugar, then the dry milk. Finally add the cream. Continue beating until it is firm with an even consistency. 

Make balls the size of small walnuts by rolling a spoonful of the mixture between your palms. Insert an  almond, pushing it to the center of the ball. Roll again to smooth out the exterior and perfect the shape of the ball. Each ball then gets rolled in coconut until each call is coated with coconut embedded in its exterior. Once they are all ready, place them in the refrigerator to harden. 

When they have stayed in the fridge a couple of hours, they are ready to enjoy, and you'll agree they were well worth the wait.