Pineapple Truffles

This little gem was the Epicurious.com recipe of the day one day last week.  I had a container of pineapple left over from a jar of Stoli-Doli's so I figured I'd give them a go.

Hubs immediately dubbed them "Pina Colada Balls" because, well, that's exactly what they taste like.....sans the alcohol.  Believe me, I know rum is the best part of a Pina Colada but then they wouldn't freeze.  It's not a perfect world, people.  These are refreshing little balls of concentrated pineapple and coconut coated in a coconut sugar.  Perfect for summer!

The recipe was originally published in the book Passover by Design:  Picture-Perfect Kosher by Design Recipes for the Holiday by Susie Fishbein.  One of the commenters on epicurious.com noted that since the recipe called for confectioner's sugar, it was not kosher.  I don't know anything about that but I do know that you can grind regular sugar in the food processor to make powdered sugar.  I've had to do that before and it works pretty well.

Here's the recipe:

Pineapple Truffles

Epicurious, March 2011

Makes 50-60 truffles

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups firmly packed sweetened flaked coconut, divided

3/4 cup sugar, divided

1 medium pineapple, ripe

3/4 cup confectioner's sugar

4 large egg yolks

Directions:

In a blender or food processor fitted with a metal blade, process 1/4 cup coconut with 1.4 cup sugar.  Remove to a bowl or ziplock bag.  Set aside.

Cut the pineapple out of the shell.  Discard core and cut the flesh into chunks.  (I went the lazy route and used already cut pineapple!)  Puree pineapple in blender or food processor. Transfer the pureed pineapple to a medium pot.  Mix in 1 cup coconut, 1/2 cup sugar, and the confectioner's sugar.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Cook until all the liquid evaporates, about 30-35 minutes, stirring often to make sure the mixture is not browning on the bottom.  If the mixture starts to brown, lower heat slightly and stir more often.  The mixture will turn a dark golden color.  Turn off the heat.

Remove 1/2 cup pineapple mixture and mix it into the egg yolks to temper them.  Add the tempered yolks into the pot.  At medium-high heat, continue to cook until dry and pulling away from the sides of the pot, about 5 minutes.

Place the pot in the freezer and chill completely.

Remove the pineapple mixture from the freezer.  Using a tiny melon baller or 1/4 teaspoon measure, make balls.  Roll in the coconut/sugar that was blended in the first step.  If the truffles get too sticky to roll, place the mixture back into the freezer for a few minutes.

Place on parchment-lined baking sheets and place into freezer.  Once frozen, remove and store in an airtight container in single layers separated by parchment paper.  Return truffles to freezer.

Serve right from the freezer or place in little paper candy cups or on a platter 10 minutes before serving.