Ideas for fresh coconuts?

[urmaniac13]

We found the other day in a market fresh coconuts were on sale at 50 cents a piece. We bought four mainly because we wanted to cut the shells in half and make cool ice cream bowls. This was done with great success (and coconut shell saw dust all over the place...), then we realised we had a lot of fresh coconut flesh to be consumed. We grated them all and made ice cream, coconut custard crostata, then coat some fish fillets with them and skillet fried, they were all delicious but we still have quite a lot. We may freeze some of them but we really would like to use them fresh as much as possible and I don't think they will keep in the fridge a whole lot.
Anyone has some unique, new recipe idea (sweet or savoury) using grated fresh coconuts?

[buckytom]

you could cut them in half, clapping them together and skip around the house pretending to be riding horses.

just a thought.

[urmaniac13]

Originally Posted by buckytom

you could cut them in half, clapping them together and skip around the house pretending to be riding horses.

just a thought.

I guess you have seen the great "Monty Python's Holy Grail" flick, haven't you...

[Yakuta]

Here is a recipe that you make like. It's sweet and I think you can find most ingredients easily.

Coconut - I would use 4 cups freshly grated
3 cups of ricotta cheese
2 cups of dry milk powder
2 sticks of unsalted butter
2 tsp of freshly ground cardamom powder
Heaping pinch of saffron
1 can of condensed milk or you can use 1.5 cups of regular sugar (or to taste)

In a saute pan, add the butter. Once the butter heats up add the ricotta and cook in until the water evaporates. Add the coconut and sugar or condensed milk (I prefer the milk) and the milk powder. Keep stirring until the mixture is incorporated and lumpy and some of the oils are released (takes about 30 minutes of elbow grease and continuous stirring). Add the cardamom powder and saffro and cook it for another minute. The mixture should resemble a dough ball and should leave the sides of the pan (so little to no liquid).

Pour it in a greased tray and let it cool. Cut into diamonds and sprinkle with slivered almonds and serve.

Buon appetito - Excuse my Italian, I tried

[urmaniac13]

Yakuta that sounds delicious!! So this is like a Indian style nougat? I never tried cardamom or saffron on sweet recipes, but I trust you as your suggestions are always spot on!! We have all the ingredients on hand, too!! I will give it a try, thanks!! btw is there a name for this dessert?

And your Italian is perfect!!

[Yakuta]

Hi ur, yeah it's Indian for sure (cardamom and saffron). It does taste really good even if cardamom sounds strange

It's called Coconut Barfi (sometimes Indian stores will label it as Burfi but it sounds more like the a than the u). We make similar Barfi's with fruits (mango, figs, dates etc.) with chocolate and with nuts (blanched and ground almonds, raw sweet cashews, sweet pistachios, walnuts) etc.

The Burfi base is always a rich ricotta sort of a cheese and milk powder, butter and sugar. It all comes together nicely and you can cut the peices and store them in a cool dry spot or refrigerator. A lot of people may find these creations scary because they sometimes use food color to color them (e.g. green in pistachio barfi) but it's really a cheese and milk base along with some sugar and then nuts, fruits and some food color. Try it and tell me what you think.

[urmaniac13]

Yakuta!! We made this the other day (sorry I didn't respond earlier... I have been scarce from the puter for a few days!) and it was delicious!! Cris came up with an idea to coat some of them with chocolate, it turned out like "Bounty Deluxe" with a nice twist, we loved it!!
Thanks for the great idea, as usual you rock!!

[buckytom]

urm, the next time you want to make coconut bowls, you don't have to saw all the way thru. you just have to score the coconut shell where you want the cut, then tap around that circle. it should crack on the scoring.

I've Got a Loverly Bunch of Coconuts

I've got a loverly bunch of coconuts,
There they are, a-standing in a row;
Big ones, small ones, some as big as yer 'ead
Give 'em a twist, a flick of the wrist,
That's what the showman said.
He said:
I've got a loverly bunch of coconuts;
Every ball I throw will make me rich
There stands me wife, the idol of my life,
Singing, Roll-a-bowl-a-ball-a-penny-a-pitch!

[Alix]

Y'know...I saw the thread title...I saw buckytom as poster and somehow I KNEW what I would find here. Now I'm going to be singing THAT little ditty all day!

[Dakota Rose]

Singing, Roll-a-bowl-a-ball-a-penny-a-pitch! Help, make it stop! Back to the question: 1) Have on hand ingredients for mojitos. 2) Using a vegetable peeler, peel off long, thin strips of coconut flesh. Place on baking sheet. Salt! Spritz with vegetable or olive oil. Bake @ 350, turning occasionally, until strips turn golden or lightly brown. Watch carefully, they burn easily. Voila! Munchie addictables! Serve as an appetizer — with mojitos, of course!

Dakota