Ingredients
Coconut
- 500 gfreshly grated coconut
Syrup
- 400 gsugar
- 150 mlwater
- or 400 ml coconut syrup or thick sugar syrup
Sometimes
- a pinch of salt
- a little vanilla
- food colouring, for pink or green pieces
To serve
- cut into squares or dropped in spoonfuls, kept in a jar
Directions
- Use a mature brown coconut with firm white flesh, not a young drinking nut. Young coconut flesh is soft and jelly-like and it will not give the chew this depends on.
- Grate it finely rather than in long shreds. Pare the brown layer off before grating if you want a white candy. Brush down the sides of the pan with a wet brush to dissolve stray crystals. Boil the syrup to the soft ball stage, around 115 to 118°C.
- Use a thermometer if you have one, since this is not something you can judge reliably by eye. Below that temperature the mixture stays sticky and never sets into firm pieces. Drop a little syrup into cold water: it should form a soft ball that flattens when squeezed between your fingers. If it dissolves away, keep boiling; if it sets hard, you have gone too far.
- Add the grated coconut to the syrup and stir continuously over a low heat. Stir without stopping from this point, since the mixture catches and scorches readily. It will look wet at first and gradually dry out. Cook it until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan in a mass. Drag the spoon across the base: it should leave a clear channel that does not fill back in.
- Keep the heat low if you want a white candy, since the sugar caramelises readily. Letting it colour to a light golden brown gives a caramel version, which is equally traditional and arguably better. Turn the mixture out onto a greased tray or a sheet of baking paper. Press it flat with a greased spatula or the back of a spoon, to about a centimetre thick.
- Work quickly, since it sets hard within minutes. Grease your hands, since the mixture is extremely sticky. Take care, since sugar at this temperature causes serious burns and it sticks to skin. Score it into squares while it is still warm and pliable.
- Cut it fully once it has cooled a little but before it is completely hard. Waiting until it is cold means it shatters rather than cutting cleanly. Let it cool completely at room temperature until firm. It hardens as it cools and it should be firm and chewy rather than sticky. Keep it in an airtight jar, where it lasts two or three weeks.
Technique
- Fresh grated coconut is essential; desiccated will not bind.
- The syrup must reach soft ball stage or the pieces will not set.
- Score it while warm, since cold candy shatters rather than cutting.
Substitutions
- Frozen grated coconut, which works reasonably.
- Coconut syrup in place of sugar syrup, which is traditional in some islands.
Variations
- Cooked darker, for a caramel version.
- Coloured pink or green.
- Dropped in spoonfuls rather than pressed and cut.
History
A household sweet across the Federated States, made from the two ingredients always at hand on an atoll.
Frequently asked questions
What is Coconut Candy?
Coconut Candy is a dessert from Micronesia: grated coconut cooked with syrup or sugar until it hardens into chewy pieces. A household sweet across the Federated States, made from the two ingredients always at hand on an atoll.
How long does Coconut Candy take to make?
Coconut Candy takes 15 min of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes about 30 pieces. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Coconut Candy?
Yes, within limits. Frozen grated coconut, which works reasonably. Coconut syrup in place of sugar syrup, which is traditional in some islands.
What is the most important thing to get right in Coconut Candy?
Grate it finely rather than in long shreds. Pare the brown layer off before grating if you want a white candy. Brush down the sides of the pan with a wet brush to dissolve stray crystals. Boil the syrup to the soft ball stage, around 115 to 118°C.
