A year ago, it seems like the internet exploded with homemade versions of all the fun packaged treats, i.e.pop tarts, Hostess cupcakes, peppermint patties, etc. I’m not quite sure why I didn’t do anything similar here on sophistimom. But just because I never rode that wave on my blog, it doesn’t mean my kids and I don’t love that kind of thing. It’s a pretty regular Sunday afternoon ritual to come home from church, find out one of my kids didn’t get treats from his Sunday school teacher when one of my other kids did, and answer his or her whines with, “Don’t worry. I’ll make you some candy!” (Hm. Maybe that’s the trouble with my parenting: I make candy for them when they whine.) Usually we end up making homemade Reeses peanut butter cups, which I can post another time (but the general idea is in this ancient post I did on making peanut butter turtles—and you can probably piece together how to do it from there). But a few Sundays ago, I wanted something a little different, so I tried making these homemade Almond Joy cups. I’m so glad I did.

Now if I could just figure out how to make those Almond Joy Pieces . . .

Homemade almond joy cups

This is a really casual recipe, so use whatever amounts of ingredients you have.

3/4 cup dried flaked coconut (unsweetened, if you can find it. If not, use the regular shredded coconut. I used the regular shredded in the picture—that’s why it’s so white.)

3-4 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 bag of milk chocolate chips (Ghiardelli or Guittard brands)

1/4 cup toasted almonds

1. Mix the coconut with the condensed milk and the vanilla in the food processor (for best results), or by hand. It should be thick and sticky. Add more milk or coconut as necessary, to achieve Almond Joy center consistency.

2. Line a mini muffin tin with about ten to twelve paper liners. Melt about half of the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, in 30 second intervals, stirring well after each. Pour about a teaspoon of melted chocolate into the bottom of each liner. Shake the tray back and forth to distribute the chocolate. Put in about a teaspoon and a half of the coconut mixture into each, and top with an almond. Pour chocolate over the top of each. Shake the tray to distribute the chocolate evenly. Melt more chocolate as necessary. Refrigerate until chocolate is set.