Spoiler Alert: These sweets are not good for you. The only identifiable health benefit is: they taste so good, they make you happy 🙂
They certainly make my Maus happy – I got a hug as she munched into one!. Maus loves all things coconut so when I spied these sweets in my book, Chocolate and Confections by Peter Greweling, I knew I had to give them a go.
As I have mentioned before, I highly recommend this book if you are interested in making sweets at home. I bought the book in an endeavour to improve my chocolate tempering skills, which I am still to perfect. In the meantime, I am trying out Mr Greweling’s recipes. So far, so good. It is an American book so there is a bit of converting to do but it is easy to convert oz to grams (if you don’t have dual unit scales), and Farenheit to Celsius, on the net. There are no fancy ingredients. So far, I have been able to find everything I need at Woolworths (That is not an ad for Woolworths – I actually hate the place – it is just that it is the closest, large supermarket to me). I have also found the coconut and glucose syrup in the local Foodworks and a few people have told me they have seen corn syrup around, but I haven’t.
As with all sweet making, you will need a good digital thermometer for this recipe.
Ingredients:
- 56g water
- 170g sugar
- 340g light corn syrup (substitute Queen brand glucose syrup which you can find in the baking section at Woolworths)
- 340g sweetened shredded coconut (I found McKenzie’s brand next to the desiccated coconut at Woolworths).
- 56g marshmallow crème (Marshmallow Fluff can be found in the spreads section of Woolworths [I can’t even bear to think that some parents would let their kids put this on bread, but that is another issue.] or make your own. It is basically a meringue mixture – there are piles of recipes on the net.)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Lightly oil a 22cm square baking pan and line it with plastic wrap.
- Combine the water, sugar, and corn syrup (glucose syrup) in a saucepan and bring it to the boil, stirring constantly.
- Cover the saucepan and continue boiling for 3 minutes.
- Remove the lid, insert a thermometer and continue boiling the mixture until it reaches 118.3°C (245°F).
- Remove the saucepan from the heat, stir in the coconut and then the marshmallow creme and vanilla extract.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking pan and flatten.
- Allow it to cool completely to room temperature.
- Remove from the baking pan by pulling the plastic wrap. Place on a sheet of baking paper and remove the plastic wrap.
- Cut the mixture into 2.5cm squares.
- Either eat as is, coat in melted compound chocolate or give tempering chocolate a go. If you decide to coat the sweets in chocolate, Peter recommends marking the top with a fork and decorating with a bit of extra coconut. I tried marking a few but, to be honest, getting the sweets enrobed in the chocolate before it went out of temper was more than enough for me. My fork marks left a lot to be desired.
Passion Fruit Garden 
OH! Just OH! These look so good & I doubt they’d last long in my house. Everyone loves coconut & who doesn’t love chocolate. If I made them I think they’d have to go to Diane’s Secret Stash though.
Hi Diane, they were good, I just had the last.
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I am a diabetic coconut lover! Only a tiny taste or so, so very infrequently. But all the more appreciation when the bite finally arrives. However, I have discovered the joys of cooking/baking with coconut oil, which is a solid here in the Oregon climate – it is simply fantastic stuff – and I love the subtle coconut taste when used for frying – I don’t especially like the price, but it now is one of my splurges!
Doc, you would be able to eat desiccated coconut, wouldn’t you? It has no added sugar Australians who live in the States are fascinated by the fact that desiccated coconut is not readily available. We don’t use the shredded sweetened stuff here, we use desiccated in all our baking. Another cultural difference.
Yes, you’re right – it’s difficult but not impossible to find dessicated coconut here. I think that’s because of America’s sugar addiction! I get mine from a Mexican grocery, where they always have it – and that’s very strange because Mexico has an even worse sugar addiction than does the U.S.!
Doc, I am continually amazed about the differences in what you guys eat and what we eat. Shredded sweetened coconut is not the norm here – desiccated coconut is the norm.
They look gorgeous and if they taste good and make you happy, what’s not to like about them. They look like a little taste of tropical island, and if you added palm tree decoration they’d look like an atoll 😉
Hi Glenda, Glad you received a hug from Maus.
I bought a book from the Op Shop ages & ages ago called “The Home Confectioner” by Lois Stocks. You know me never made anything from it, but just enjoyed reading the old fashion recipes. If you would like it, I will bring down next month.
Deb
Hey Deb, that is an offer too good to refuse 🙂 How is the new car? I can’t wait to see it.
New Car BLOODY FANTASTIC !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! we still can’t believe our luck.
mmm home made Bounty bars. A taste of paradise – according to the adverts years ago.
Anne, they are pretty good!! Pity about the waist line.
My Pete would absolutely love these!
🙂 Mandy xo
Hi Mandy, if you made them you may get a hug too!!
Marshmallow fluff?! Sounds suspicious…your coconut joys on the other hand look fab!
oops, sorry Mandy, didn’t mean to hijack your comment. Not sure why it posted it here! xx
Lisa, I cannot believe they actually market stuff like that.
They look wonderful, and I think you did a beautiful job!
Thanks so much Laila!
I’ve never heard of marshmallow fluff… but think I could eat a load of these little morsels!
Hi Liz, nor had I but it is there. It tastes pretty good but it certainly is not health food and not the things for a healthy snack.
They look wonderful! Did you coat them in milk chocolate? I can see your Christmas presents starting to come together, Glenda! 🙂
Hi Celia, yeah I used milk chocolate and it tempered well – even the last dregs set. I did get some streaks near the end though, but that is life.