Coconut Perfect: Cocada con Almendra 
...close your eyes and imagine the breeze under a nice, perfectly warm
sunshine bathing you, with all the blessings that Mother and Father
Nature can send you at once! Ahh! Picture the lonely beach, the coconut
trees and all that sense of freedom you instantly get when you are in
paradise...It sounds like a dream right now, but how about if you
transform that dream into a beautiful, delicious cocada?
Lets share the sunshine with our loved ones! After
all, coconut is the tree which gives all that is necessary for living!
This is a very special recipe, it is nutritious, simple and delicious. Actually it has what I trust as the three main ingredients for a recipe worth to keep close to our heart.
If you are curious about the nutritional wonders and the delicious possibilities to create using this tropical ingredient, I invite you to read on and, and perhaps head over to my previous article on Coconut: Nuts About Coconuts, and as a bonus you will get a unique formula to prepare Coconut Meringue Pie. Yum!
Now, ...back to the cocada please. Let's stay focused! 
The secret: a piece of cake. I followed the recipe "Cocada Blanca", by Colombian cookbook author, Chef Patricia McCausland-Gallo. This is a recipe dear to the heart of the children and grown ups in Colombia, Panamá, and most of the Latin American countries.
So, you wonder how I added my personal touch...right? Well, think of some crunchy blanched almonds and ground cinnamon. The result...a fantastic coconut candy, and a glorious variation from the original. Well, what are you waiting for to get the ingredients???
COCADA con ALMENDRA (White Cocadas with Almonds)
Yields: 8 large 3-inch cocadas or 16, 2-inch cocadas.
This is the best way to use coconuts. Keep these in airtight tins or
containers and serve as dessert. These cocadas keep fresh if stored
tightly in tin cans for up to a month.
Ingredients:
- 2 coconuts
- 1-3/4 cup sugar
- Oil, for preparing the pan (optional)
- 1 cup blanched almonds, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
Directions:
- Pick two large coconuts with plenty of water inside; drain, open and peel off the brown skin from the coconut meat. Shred the coconut to yield 3-3/4 cups shredded coconut meat and 2-1/2 cups coconut water.
- Mix the coconut water and sugar in a medium, heavy pot over medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes to thicken and create a light syrup.
- Add the coconut, decrease the heat to low and cook stirring constantly for 15 to 18 minutes. The heat has to be very low to prevent the cocadas from turning brown, which is actually okay otherwise, but for this recipe they should stay white!
- Mix in the chopped almonds and cinnamon, and drop spoonfuls of the size you desire in oil coated pans or over parchment covered pans. Cool completely.
Un abrazo!
M
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Tags: coconut, food blogs, cookingdiva, cooking, panama, recipes, food & drink, food, chef melissa
coconut chef melissa panama panamagourmet cooking cookingdiva- by Chef Melissa
- July 25, 2006
- 6:27 pm
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Bart Bush dice en Coconut Perfect: Cocada con Almendra
Can anyone recommend a good vegetarian cookbook authored by a REAL …
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Comments
07.25.06 at 07:34 PM |
Those sound tasty. I love coconut and almonds!
——-
07.25.06 at 08:13 PM |
I will eat anything that has coconut on it or in it.
07.26.06 at 11:28 AM |
I am there! And I am imagining it and I am tasting the coconut.
Of all the things in the world, coconut is my very favourite. Thank you for sharing this!
07.26.06 at 03:06 PM |
Mmm! Delicious! And what a wonderful picture you evoke in my head…relaxing on a beach instead of slaving (or slacking, as my case may be) at the bench. I can’t wait to try all your wonderful recipes when we’re in Hawaii and have access to everything (we do have coconuts at the stores here, but now that I’m leaving, I want to focus on the ingredients that grow here) No worries, though, I’m saving all my favorite recipes from your site for once we’re on the island!!
07.27.06 at 08:48 PM |
I’m closing my eyes and imagining!
Looks perfect!
Paz
08.02.06 at 01:22 AM |
mmm..sure look yummy! I love anything coconut!
It’s not easy to get coconuts here. so, usually I use the pre-packed type. This recipe reminds me to add almond the next time i bake coconut macaroon
08.05.06 at 11:36 AM |
Oh yum yum yum yum yum- I am nuts about coconut, and the almond add in sounds great. I am loving this recipe, I wonder what it would be like though, with pecans? Oh I am so hungry!
08.08.06 at 11:15 PM |
En Perú también preparamos las cocadas de modo similar. Son una delicia!
08.04.10 at 05:47 PM |
Can anyone recommend a good vegetarian cookbook authored by a REAL chef working in a REAL reputable restaurant please?
Over the years I have learned the only cookbooks worthy of bookshelf space are those authored by real restaurant chef; others authored by so called tv or book chef are just down right laughable - anyone can put together a few ingredients into a collection of recipes called cookbook
.
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