Coconut milk or grated coconut can be added to cocadas.
Some claim that the coconut treats known as cocadas originate from the small but picturesque state of Colima, on Mexico’s Pacific border. These desserts have been a staple food for centuries in several Latin American countries such as Mexico, Peru, and Colombia. While recipes may vary by chef or region, the age-old recipe consists of a simple mixture of sugar, water, and grated coconut. Newer versions can add flavorings like vanilla or almond extract, cloves, and brown sugar, and can replace the water with creamier bases like coconut or condensed milk and thickeners like cornstarch.
To make cocadas in the traditional way, the chef dissolves the sugar in a little boiling water. One recipe calls for 1 pound (about 450 g) of sugar for just 1 cup (about 235 ml) of water. Stir the mixture constantly until it thickens, then remove the syrup from the heat and mix in about 1 pound (about 450g) of shredded coconut. This paste is then spread out on an oiled or buttered surface, such as a baking sheet, and then cooled to room temperature before being sliced for serving.
Numerous variations of this simple dessert are available. A batch of cocadas may contain brown sugar instead of sugar, along with cloves and cinnamon. Another cook may have used condensed milk and cornstarch instead of water, as well as almond extract, vanilla extract, and icing sugar instead of just granulated sugar. A Mexican recipe whisks the egg yolk and butter in water, along with the sugar and coconut. A bit of cinnamon finishes off these last cocadas while they cool.
Latin America is one of the many regions of the world that has adopted coconut as an ingredient for desserts. In Thailand, for example, the same flavor profile is achieved in a dessert known as ka nom ba bin. It can be a stretchy coconut jelly or a baked coconut bar with a slightly more complex mix of ingredients, adding not only flour, coconut milk, coconut, sugar and egg, but also other ingredients such as cinnamon, chocolate chips, nuts and sunflower seeds. .
In Colima, the region where cocadas were supposed to be born, a handful of desserts are considered a staple. Many of them focus on native foods such as coconut, tamarind, banana, pineapple, guava, mango, lemon, and coffee. A popular treat is called alfajores de piña, which are cookies filled with pineapple. Other staples include candied bananas and tamarind candy, a caramel-like confection made primarily from tamarind paste, brown sugar, and water.