Homemade peanut and almond candies are a modern take on classic Eastern sweets, where textures and a rich nutty flavor profile take center stage. The contrast method for peeling almonds keeps them perfectly white and crunchy, while adding chocolate peanut butter and quality varenaya sguschenka (dulce de leche) creates that signature chewy consistency that melts in your mouth. The aroma of toasted nuts combined with delicate shredded coconut instantly fills the kitchen with a cozy atmosphere. Rolling these little balls often turns into a fun family tradition: kids love helping shape the candies, and the result is so much tastier and more aromatic than any store-bought alternatives.
Appetizing homemade candies that taste like an exquisite dessert.
Ingredients
- 100 g (3.5 oz) peanuts
- 100 g (3.5 oz) chocolate peanut butter
- 30 g (1 oz) butter
- 50 g (1.7 oz) varenaya sguschenka (dulce de leche)
- 40 g (1.4 oz) honey
- 30 g (1 oz) powdered sugar
- 15 whole almonds
- 40 g (1.4 oz) shredded coconut
Instructions
Prepare the almonds. Place the nuts in a saucepan, cover with boiling water, and let sit for 5 minutes. Drain the hot water, then plunge the almonds into ice water and leave for a few minutes.
Soak the almonds in boiling water for a few minutes to easily remove the skin.
Peel the brown skin off the blanched nuts; it will slip right off like a shell. Place the peeled almonds on a paper towel and pat dry. If desired, you can toast the almonds in a preheated oven until light golden.
After an ice-water bath, the almond skins slip right off.
Pulse the blanched unsalted peanuts in a blender until very finely crushed. You can toast the peanuts in a preheated oven until golden or use store-bought roasted ones—choose whatever you prefer. Add honey and chocolate peanut butter to the crushed nuts.
Combine the crushed peanuts with honey and chocolate peanut butter for the base.
Add softened butter and dulce de leche (boiled sweetened condensed milk). Use butter with at least 82% fat for the best flavor.
High-fat butter gives the candies a delicate, rich flavor.
Pour in the powdered sugar. It is best not to substitute granulated sugar for powdered sugar, as the cornstarch in powdered sugar helps the mixture thicken properly.
Use powdered sugar—its cornstarch content helps the mixture thicken properly.
Blend the ingredients for a few minutes until you get a smooth, caramel-colored paste. At this stage, the mixture is quite runny and needs to be chilled before shaping.
Thoroughly blend all ingredients until you have a smooth and aromatic candy mixture.
Transfer the candy mixture to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the freezer for about 1 hour. It might take less time, so keep an eye on the consistency. If it freezes rock-hard, shaping the candies will be difficult.
Let the mixture rest in the freezer to make shaping the candies easier.
Pour shredded coconut onto a plate. Scoop the candy mixture with a teaspoon, portioning about 18-22 grams per candy. Place a blanched almond in the center of each scoop. Roll the candy into a ball and coat thoroughly in the shredded coconut. Place the finished candies in small paper cups and immediately chill them in the refrigerator. Repeat to form the remaining candies.
Place a whole blanched almond in the center of each piece and roll in shredded coconut.
Store the finished homemade peanut candies in the refrigerator or freeze them. By the way, I think they taste even better frozen—they resemble sherbet or creamy chocolate ice cream with nut crumbles. Absolutely delicious!
Place the finished candies in paper cups and chill in the refrigerator to set.
To make your homemade peanut and almond candies look like an elegant gift, serve them in small paper candy cups. If you are planning to serve them at a festive table or buffet, try making the portions slightly larger—about 30 grams each—turning them into elegant, bite-sized petit fours. For variety, experiment with the coating: swap the coconut for cocoa powder, crushed pistachios, or even freeze-dried raspberries to add a slight fruity tartness to the dessert. These treats are best stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, but their true flavor secret is revealed when deep-frozen. When slightly frozen, the homemade peanut and almond candies take on a texture reminiscent of creamy chocolate sherbet. This not only extends their shelf life but also concentrates the flavor. If you are making these sweets in advance, simply take them out 10 minutes before tea time so they can soften slightly while maintaining their signature cool center.
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