Friday, April 10, 2009

Coconut chicks


Have you ever had strawberry candies made from sweetened condensed milk, strawberry gelatin powder, and coconut? They were a staple of fancy cookie plates when I was growing up--I guess that dates me, huh? Maybe they're still popular in some places.

We make Easter candy chicks in the same way--not every year, but maybe every few. The recipe was clipped from a 1994 newspaper article, and it says that they "adapted" it from Alison Boteler's book What Should I Bring? I haven't been able to find it posted online--the strawberry recipe is all over the place, but no chicks.

Here's the basic recipe--I don't think I'm violating any copyrights by posting the parts that are pretty much like the strawberries. You need: one package lemon-flavoured gelatin powder, 1 can sweetened condensed milk (we make our own, it's much cheaper), and 4 1/2 cups flaked coconut. Also whatever you want for eyes and beaks: some combination of chocolate chips, raisins, bits of nut, bits of cereal, broken pretzels, or whatever. Chocolate chips, pointy side in, make good eyes.

Combine the gelatin powder and condensed milk; add coconut and mix well. Cover and chill for about an hour. The rest is up to your creative powers: basically make small balls (teaspoon size) for heads and slightly bigger balls (tablespoon size) for bodies. Stick together and decorate as desired. Warning: this is a messy business! Keep a bowl of water nearby both to clean off your hands and wet them (it helps keep the mixture from sticking to them).

Store in the refrigerator until wanted. You can arrange them in an Easter-grass-stuffed (and plastic-wrap-covered) egg carton, or add them to a cookie plate or table decoration.
Chicks made by The Apprentice.

1 comment:

Birdie said...

How cute!