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Cocada
Cocada: chewy Bahian coconut sweet cooked with sugar, in white and caramelised (queimada) versions
Baianas in long white skirts sell cocada from glass-fronted trays in the Pelourinho and on the beaches of Salvador, alongside acarajé, in shades from snow-white to dark caramel. It is the simplest of sweets: fresh coconut cooked in sugar syrup until it binds into chewy, glossy clusters, crisp on the edges and soft inside. Cocada branca keeps the sugar pale; cocada queimada takes the sugar to caramel first, which gives a deeper, slightly bitter edge (see the last step). Freshly grated coconut makes the best texture; frozen grated coconut from Asian or Latin shops is a good second choice. Dropping the mixture too soon is the usual mistake, because it stays sticky and spreads into a flat puddle. Chef's tip: a spoonful should hold its shape on a cold plate before you start dropping the rest.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
- 14 oz freshly grated coconutfrom about 1 large coconut, or frozen grated coconut, thawed
- 12 ½ oz sugar
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ oz butterplus extra for the tray
- 4 whole cloves (optional)optional, for fragrance
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Butter a tray or a sheet of baking paper.
Step 2: Put 12 ½ oz sugar and ¾ cup water in a heavy pan and stir over a medium heat until dissolved, then boil without stirring for 5 minutes, until syrupy.
5 minStep 3: Add 14 oz freshly grated coconut, ½ cup whole milk and 4 whole cloves if using. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly, for 15–20 minutes, until the mixture turns glossy, thick and starts to pull away from the base of the pan.
18 minStep 4: Stir in ½ oz butter. Test a teaspoonful on a cold plate: it should keep its shape. If it spreads, cook 2–3 minutes more.
3 minStep 5: Drop heaped tablespoons onto the tray and leave for 1 hour to firm up. For cocada queimada, cook the sugar alone with 2 tablespoons of the water until amber before adding the rest of the water and the coconut, then carry on the same way.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cocada take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
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