Image is for illustrative purposes only.
This is a rich, baked coconut filling — desiccated coconut bound with a warm syrup of glucose, caster sugar, butter and whole egg. Raw it is thick and spoonable, and once baked it sets into a soft, chewy, golden layer that holds its shape when cut.
It is the filling to reach for when you want coconut slices, coconut tarts or a coconut-topped cake layer. The glucose keeps it moist and stops it drying out or going crumbly, so it stays tender for days, and the flavour is sweet, buttery and strongly coconut without being cloying. Spread it over a shortcrust base, bake, and cut into bars or fingers once cold.
Ingredients
The weights in the recipe table below will yield the following 'weight per unit' and 'number of units'. If you would like to change the recipe to cater to a different 'weight per unit' and/or 'number of units',
you can use the Recipe Calculator Tool below the ingredients table.
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Weight Per Unit: 1625
Number of Units: 1
Unit Size: 30 x 25 cm slab tray
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WEIGHT
(grams)
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ALTERNATIVE METRIC
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INGREDIENT
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IMAGE
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CONDITION
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A
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300 |
6 Whole Eggs
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Whole Egg
Eggs are one of the most common ingredients in a typical cake. Egg yolks and whole eggs store significant amounts of protein and choline, and are widely used in baking. Usually an eggs role in a cake is to add moisture and richness, act as a raising agent as well as a glue to bind the ingredients together.
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room temperature |
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B
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340 |
12 ounces
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Glucose Syrup
Glucose syrup, also known as confectioner's glucose, is a syrup made from the hydrolysis of starch. Glucose is a sugar. Maize (corn) is commonly used as the source of the starch in the US, in which case the syrup is called "corn syrup", but glucose syrup is also made from potatoes and wheat, and less often from barley, rice and cassava.
Glucose syrup containing over 90% glucose is used in industrial fermentation, but syrups used in confectionery contain varying amounts of glucose, maltose and higher oligosaccharides, depending on the grade, and can typically contain 10% to 43% glucose. Glucose syrup is used in foods to sweeten, soften texture and add volume. By converting some of the glucose in corn syrup into fructose (using an enzymatic process), a sweeter product, high fructose corn syrup can be produced.
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C
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360 |
12.7 ounces
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Sugar
Sugar is the generalized name for sweet, short-chain, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. They are carbohydrates, composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. There are various types of sugar derived from different sources. Simple sugars are called monosaccharides and include glucose (also known as dextrose), fructose and galactose. The table or granulated sugar most customarily used as food is sucrose, a disaccharide. (In the body, sucrose hydrolyses into fructose and glucose.) Other disaccharides include maltose and lactose. Longer chains of sugars are called oligosaccharides. Chemically-different substances may also have a sweet taste, but are not classified as sugars. Some are used as lower-calorie food substitutes for sugar described as artificial sweeteners.
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D
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75 |
2.6 ounces
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Butter
Butter is a solid dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk, to separate the butterfat from the buttermilk. It is generally used as a spread on plain or toasted bread products and a condiment on cooked vegetables, as well as in cooking, such as baking, sauce making, and pan frying. Butter consists of butterfat, milk proteins and water.
unsalted
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diced |
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E
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15 |
0.5 ounce
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Vanilla Essence
Vanilla Extract is made with 100% pure vanilla beans. With a sweet, syrupy consistency, this Vanilla is ideal for use in icings, drinks and whipped cream as well as classic baking recipes. Vanilla Essence is commercially manufactured by chemicals and is more of a watery consistency as opposed to vanilla extract which is thicker and a lot fuller and richer in flavour. You can replace one with the other but use 50% more of essence. For example, for 1 teaspoon of extract, use 1.5 teaspoons of essence.
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F
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35 |
1.2 fluid_ounces
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Water
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G
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500 |
17.6 ounces
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Desiccated Coconut
Desiccated coconut is coconut flesh that has been dried and finely shredded. It is much drier than fresh or moist shredded coconut, so it absorbs moisture from a batter or meringue and gives a fine, slightly sandy texture.
fine
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1625
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Recipe Calculator Tool
Using this tool, you can alter this recipe for your own requirements. Use the two fields below to generate new weights for the ingredients above.
STEP 1. Enter your Custom Weight Per Unit
The 'Custom Weight Per Unit' is already loaded with the weight per unit for this recipe but can be changed if required. If all you wish to do is change the number of units (or servings), just leave the current weight per unit.
STEP 2. Enter your Custom Number of Units
This is the number of units (or servings) you want this recipe to yield.
STEP 3. Click Calculate
The new weights for your adjusted recipe will be displayed in the table above.
Method
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STEP
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ACTION
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DETAIL
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CONDITION
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1 |
Pre-heat |
Pre-heat the oven to 170°C (340°F) and line a 30 x 25 cm slab tray with baking paper, or have a pre-baked shortcrust base ready in the tray. |
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2 |
Heat |
Place B, C, D and F (glucose syrup, caster sugar, butter and water) in a saucepan and warm over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted. |
Clear syrup, no sugar grains felt on the bottom of the pan |
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3 |
Cool |
Take the syrup off the heat and let it cool until it is just warm to the touch, then stir in E (vanilla essence). |
Warm, not hot, so the egg will not scramble |
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4 |
Mix |
Whisk A (whole eggs) lightly in a bowl, then pour the warm syrup over them while whisking. |
Smooth and evenly combined |
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5 |
Fold |
Add G (desiccated coconut) and mix through until every strand is coated. |
Thick, moist and spoonable, with no dry coconut left |
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6 |
Rest |
Leave the mixture to stand for 15 to 20 minutes so the coconut drinks up the syrup. |
Mixture thickens slightly |
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7 |
Fill |
Spread the filling evenly into the prepared tray or over the base and level the surface with a palette knife. |
Even thickness right to the corners |
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8 |
Bake |
Bake at 170°C (340°F) for about 25 to 30 minutes. |
Golden on top and set with a slight spring when pressed in the centre |
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9 |
Cool |
Cool completely in the tray before cutting into slices or fingers with a sharp knife. |
Firm and chewy, cuts cleanly when cold |
Important Notes
This quantity makes about 1,625 g of filling, enough to cover one 30 x 25 cm slab tray in a layer roughly 1.5 cm thick, or to fill about 20 to 24 small tartlet shells. The glucose syrup is what keeps the filling soft and chewy — do not replace it all with sugar or the baked filling will dry out and crumble. Unbaked, the mixture can be kept covered in the fridge for up to three days; bring it back to room temperature and stir before spreading. Once baked and cooled, keep the slices in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days, or freeze them well wrapped for up to a month.
Tools & Arrangements
Saucepan, whisk, mixing bowl, spatula, palette knife, 30 x 25 cm slab tray, baking paper, digital scales, sharp knife.
