Considering my obsession with all things coconut, there was a certain inevitability about this recipe appearing sooner rather than later. Having grown up by the seaside, one of my earliest memories is of sitting on the beach eating sweet, crumbly coconut ice from a paper bag and my mother would regularly make it for me growing up! This is her recipe that I’ve made and enjoyed more times than I can mention. With a little change (blue for pink food colouring) it also goes down a wow at Frozen themed parties!
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Ingredients
- 13½ fluid ounces / 397g tin sweetened condensed milk
- 14 ounces / 395g icing sugar
- 13 ounces / 370g desiccated coconut
- Pink food colouring
Method
In a freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the condensed milk and icing sugar.
Add the coconut and mix until fully combined.
Remove half of the mixture and add a drop or two of food colouring to the mixture still in the bowl and combine until you get the colour you want.
On a clean surface dusted with icing sugar, use a rolling pin to shape each half into a square about ¾ inch / 2 cm thick.
Place one square on top of the other and roll with a rolling pin until about one inch / 3 cm thick.
Leave to set for about 3 hours or preferably overnight.
Cut into squares with a sharp knife.
Will keep for around 3 weeks in an airtight container.
Trivia
The term “condensed milk” typically refers to sweetened condensed milk while “evaporated milk” refers to the unsweetened variety. It was Marco Polo in the 1200s who first reported seeing the Tartar people of Europe and Asia removing water from milk to enable them to carry more of it on journeys. They would then add water back in when using it.
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