Image is for illustrative purposes only.
Coconut crackling is one of the simplest garnishes in the whole repertoire: just two ingredients, a florentine mix and desiccated coconut, melted together, spread thin and baked until golden. As it cools it sets into a brittle caramel sheet full of toasted coconut that snaps cleanly under the knife.
It tastes of toasted coconut and butterscotch and it stays crisp, so it is perfect for pressing around the sides of a cake, standing in shards on top of a mousse, or breaking into rubble and scattering over cream and ganache. Because it is baked flat you can cut it into neat triangles, batons or discs while it is still warm and soft.
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.
Note: The Recipe Calculator Tool is available to subscribers.
Weight Per Unit: 500
Number of Units: 1
Unit Size: flat baking tray, about 30 x 40 cm, of thin crackling
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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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250 |
8.8 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 or medium shred
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B
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250 |
8.8 ounces
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Florentine Mix
Florentine mix is a ready-made caramel base used by pastry kitchens for Florentine biscuits and nut brittles, usually a blend of sugar, glucose, butter, cream and pectin. It melts to a thick caramel that sets hard and crisp once baked and cooled. A homemade version can be made by boiling together equal parts sugar, glucose, butter and cream with a little pectin.
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500
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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 180°C (355°F) and line a flat baking tray with baking paper or a silicone mat. |
Tray flat and level so the crackling bakes to an even thickness |
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2 |
Melt |
Put B (florentine mix) into a saucepan and warm it over low to medium heat, stirring all the time. |
Melted, smooth and just coming to a gentle boil |
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3 |
Mix |
Take the pan off the heat and stir in A (desiccated coconut). |
Every strand of coconut coated, no dry patches |
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4 |
Spread |
Tip the mixture onto the lined tray and spread it out thinly and evenly with a palette knife or the back of a spoon. |
A thin, even layer; thick spots will stay soft and chewy |
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5 |
Bake |
Bake at 180°C (355°F) for about 10 to 12 minutes, turning the tray once so it colours evenly. |
Golden brown and bubbling right across the tray |
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6 |
Cut |
Let the sheet settle for a minute or two, then, while it is still warm and pliable, cut it into triangles, batons or discs with a knife or cutter. If you only want shards, leave it whole. |
Warm enough to cut without shattering; if it hardens, return it to the oven for a minute |
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Cool |
Leave the tray on a rack until completely cold, then lift the crackling off the paper and break or lift away the pieces. |
Hard, crisp and snapping cleanly |
Important Notes
This quarter batch makes about 500 g of crackling, enough to cover one large flat baking tray thinly. Spread it as thin as you can: thin crackling is crisp and snaps, thick crackling stays chewy. Cut any shapes while the sheet is still warm, as it becomes brittle once cold. Store the finished pieces in an airtight container in a dry place, layered between baking paper, and keep them away from the fridge and from anything moist — humidity is what turns crackling soft and sticky. Do not press it onto a cream-covered cake until serving time, for the same reason.
Tools & Arrangements
Saucepan, heatproof spatula or wooden spoon, flat baking tray, baking paper or silicone baking mat, palette knife, sharp knife or cutters, cooling rack, airtight container.
