Ingredients
Coconut
- 500 gfresh coconut, grated
- or 400 g desiccated coconut, soaked
Syrup
- 500 gsugar
- 200 mlwater
- or 200 ml coconut water
To flavour
- 5cm fresh ginger, grated
- 1 teaspoonground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoongrated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoonvanilla
- a good pinch of salt
Equipment
- a heavy pan
- a long wooden spoon
- an oiled tray or board
Directions
- Soak it in warm water for ten minutes first. Dry coconut straight from the bag gives a hard sweet. Crack a mature brown coconut open. Keep the coconut water that runs out.
- Peel off the brown skin with a peeler. Grate the white flesh coarsely. A warning about the syrup comes first. Keep children out of the kitchen while it cooks. Never touch or taste the syrup in the pan.
- Put the sugar and water in a heavy pan. Stir over a low heat until the sugar dissolves. Brush the sides of the pan with a wet brush. Once clear, stop stirring entirely.
- Let it boil until it thickens slightly. Give it about five full minutes. Tip the grated coconut into the syrup. Add the grated ginger and the spices. Add the pinch of salt as well. Stir it all through thoroughly. Turn the heat right down to low. Cooking it down takes patience.
- Stir it continuously with a wooden spoon. The mixture is loose and wet at first. Tip the hot mixture onto an oiled tray. Press it flat with an oiled spatula. Aim for about two centimetres thick. Press it firmly so it holds together.
- Work fast, since it stiffens as it cools. Cutting it needs the right moment. Let it cool for about eight minutes. It should be warm and still pliable. Cut it into rough squares with an oiled knife. Cut right down through to the tray.
- Wait too long and it becomes hard to cut. Cooling it takes about an hour. Leave the pieces on the tray until cold. They firm up but should stay chewy. Break them apart along the cuts. Put them into an airtight glass jar. Layer them with paper if they stick. They keep for two weeks or more.
Technique
- Tablet here means a set slab of boiled sugar sweet, the same use of the word as in Scottish tablet, though the two sweets are unrelated.
- Creole Day is part of Dominica’s independence season, and the sweets are sold in quantity at its markets.
Substitutions
- Desiccated coconut soaked in warm water stands in for fresh grated coconut.
- Coconut water in place of plain water in the syrup adds a little more flavour.
Variations
- Some makers add far more ginger for a hotter sweet.
- A version coloured pink with food colouring is sold in some shops.
- Similar coconut and sugar sweets are made across the Caribbean.
History
A Dominican village sweet sold in shops and at Creole Day markets, cut into rough squares.
Frequently asked questions
What is Coconut tablet?
Coconut tablet is a dessert from Dominica: grated coconut boiled hard with sugar and ginger into set slabs. A Dominican village sweet sold in shops and at Creole Day markets, cut into rough squares.
How long does Coconut tablet take to make?
Coconut tablet takes 15 minutes of preparation and 35 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes about 30 pieces. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Coconut tablet?
Yes, within limits. Desiccated coconut soaked in warm water stands in for fresh grated coconut. Coconut water in place of plain water in the syrup adds a little more flavour.
What is the most important thing to get right in Coconut tablet?
Peel off the brown skin with a peeler. Grate the white flesh coarsely. A warning about the syrup comes first. Keep children out of the kitchen while it cooks. Never touch or taste the syrup in the pan.
