winter is everywhere in Michigan. and with winter comes snow, and more snow. therefore the perfect winter dessert has to be a coconut snowball. Martha Stewart offers the best hot fudge sauce recipe around, so i go with her technique and it works every time. and, did i mention it is a totally delicious dessert? of course, i have substituted chopped pecans for the coconut before and replicated the famous dessert from the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island during the summer months.
to make the snowballs: use your favorite homemade or store-bought vanilla ice cream and form into snowballs. immediately roll in chopped coconut, chopped peanuts or pecans. place on waxed paper and freeze until right before serving. these can be made earlier in the day.
to make the hot fudge: in a medium sauce pot, over medium heat, bring one cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup light corn syrup up to a boil—-while stirring constantly. do not let the mixture boil. just bring it up to the boil. remove from the heat and whisk in 12 ounces of finely chopped semisweet chocolate until melted. serve hot over the snowballs.
hint: while adding the chocolate, go slowly and keep stirring the mixture. as the chocolate incorporates, the hot fudge will thicken. at first, the mixture will be very thin. but wait, it becomes the exact consistency of the best hot fudge ever.
angel food garden 