Cocada Puxa

Ingredients

• 1 fresh coconut, about 400 g of flesh
• 400 g granulated sugar
• 250 ml water
• 150 ml coconut milk
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• Pinch of fine salt
• Butter, for greasing

Before you cook

• Grate the coconut flesh on the coarse side of a box grater, leaving the brown skin on for colour and bite.
• Grease a marble slab or a large sheet of baking paper with butter.
• Set out two spoons for shaping the cocadas.

Steps

1. Put the sugar, water, cloves and cinnamon stick in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.
2. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then stop stirring and let the syrup bubble for six minutes.
3. Add the grated coconut and the salt and stir to coat.
4. Cook over medium heat for fifteen minutes, stirring every minute so nothing catches on the base.
5. Pour in the coconut milk and keep the pan on the heat.
6. Stir constantly for another twelve to fifteen minutes, until the mixture turns golden and pulls away from the base of the pan in one mass.
7. Drop a little of the mixture into cold water to test it, looking for a soft chewy ball.
8. Take the pan off the heat and fish out the cloves and the cinnamon stick.
9. Beat the mixture hard with a wooden spoon for one minute to cloud it slightly.
10. Drop heaped spoonfuls onto the greased surface, spacing them well apart.
11. Leave the cocadas to set for at least 30 minutes before lifting them off.