Cocoa Stars with Coconut Cream
·Mix the dry ingredients
Mix the dry ingredients – flour, sugar and cocoa. Tip the mixture onto a work surface or pastry board and make a well in the centre.
Add the wet ingredients
Crack the eggs into the well, then add the melted butter and vanilla essence.
Bring it together
Gently work everything together, taking care that the flour 'wall' doesn't collapse and let the butter run out over the board.
Let it rest
Once the dough comes together, knead it for about 3 minutes, then shape it into a ball, wrap it in plastic and chill in the fridge to rest – ideally overnight.
Getting ready to bake
About 4 hours before baking, take the dough out of the fridge so it can soften. Prepare your work surface and dust it lightly with flour.
Roll out the dough and cut out shapes
Divide the dough into 4 portions and roll them out one at a time to about 3–5 mm thick, then cut out the stars.
Bake
Arrange the stars on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving small gaps between them (the cookies won't spread or rise). Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 8–10 minutes.
Prepare the filling
In a small saucepan, combine the desiccated coconut, sugar and hot milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes.
Add the oil
Everything will come together into a thicker mixture, and now it's time to stir in the coconut oil.
Blend and whip
Blend the filling (to make the coconut really fine), then whip it for about 30 seconds.
Set up a water bath for the coating
Prepare a water bath: fill one pot with water and bring it to the boil. Place the chocolate and coconut oil in a smaller pot and set it over the simmering water, stirring constantly until melted.
Let it cool
Remove the pot of chocolate from the water bath and set it aside to cool slightly. The coating is now ready.
Sandwich the stars together
Using a knife, spread the coconut filling onto the stars (or other shapes) and sandwich them together in pairs.
Chill in the fridge
Put the sandwiched stars in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Dip in chocolate
Take them out of the fridge and dip them in the chocolate coating. Chill again for about 30 minutes, as the coconut oil in the coating means it won't set as quickly at room temperature.
Add the finishing touch
Once out of the fridge, you can decorate them further with white chocolate icing.
