Coconut Drops
Jamaicans love their coconuts and have learned and perfected the art of using it in almost everything, desserts are no exceptions. Made of just three ingredients, coconut, ginger and sugar, this snack taste so delicious it will have you wandering around town looking for more.
If your ever in Jamaica, stop and take a look around; There's a good chance that you'll see at least one coconut tree. Like other tropical islands, there’s a lot in Jamaica.
I guess it is for this very reason that coconut derived snacks are so popular here, which is why Coconut Drops is an old time faviourte to most Jamaican’s.
Preparation for this snack varies based on your taste or how adventurous you are. Time will not permit me to detail all the variations but here are two of my favorites.
Recipe #1
Ingredients:
I cup chopped ginger
2 cups of brown sugar
2 medium-sized dried coconuts chopped to yield 3 cups of freshly chopped coconuts
3 cups of water
Process:
1. Break open the coconuts. Taste to ensure the coconuts are fresh. Remove the coconut “meat” from the shell with a knife. This is dangerous as you run the risk of cutting yourself. Therefore you should proceed cautiously until you get the hang of it. Cut the coconut “meat” into pieces approximately two inches in diameter or smaller. Cut these into very small pieces of approximately 1/8 of an inch by cutting the coconut into 1/8 vertical strips that remain intact at the bottom of the larger piece of coconut, then cut across in 1/8's of an inch down to get very small pieces that are approximately 1/8 inch square front to back. (If cutting the coconut by hand is too much for you an alternative is to chop it up in a blender using the chop setting. That will work fine but it wont be the traditional way.) 2. Chop a quarter of a pound of pealed fresh ginger that has been cut into small pieces in a blender using the chop setting. Use only enough water to make the blender operate smoothly. 3. In a large uncovered cooking pot mix one cup of this chopped ginger and water, 2 cups of brown sugar, 3 cups of firmly packed coconut and 3 cups of water. Bring to a rapid boil and reduce the flame to medium to high. Allow the mixture to cook until it thickens. Reduce the flame to low to medium. Use a large spoon to continuously turn the mixture to prevent it from burning or sticking to the cooking pot. The idea is to cook the mixture until the sugar begins to caramelize. When sugar begins to form at the bottom of the cooking pot and it is very difficult to turn the mixture with the spoon, reduce the flame to the lowest setting. Use a tablespoon to spoon the mixture and drop it onto the smooth side of aluminum foil or into a baking pan. Allow to cool.
Recipe #2
Ingredients:
2½ cups brown sugar
2 cups dicedcoconut
¾ cup water
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 pinch nutmeg
Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, combine coconut, sugar, water, ginger, salt, vanilla and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent lumping or burning.
3. To test if mixture is ready, take a teaspoon full of the mixture and drop into cold water, it should form a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water.
4. After cooking is completed, scoop out small mounds onto grease paper and allow to cool.