Mexican Cocada Pudding Food

COCADA PUDDING RECIPE FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan combine water, sugar, and cinnamon. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add coconut and simmer for 5 more minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Measure milk and whisk the cornstarch and salt into it making sure there are no lumps. Slowly pour the milk mixture into the sugar water while stirring.
• Heat the mixture to a full boil slowly. Stir constantly. Allow to boil for 1 minute.
• Remove from heat and add vanilla.
• Pour into a dish and refrigerate. The pudding will be soft set when done.

QUICK AND EASY COCONUT BARK ("COCADA")

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spray an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Mix the coconut and condensed milk in a bowl until combined. Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish, and bake until the coconut is evenly browned and crisp at the edges, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly, and cut into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

COCADAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a medium mixing bowl, stir together coconut, cornstarch, condensed milk, almond extract, and vanilla extract. Let mixture sit for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Using 2 tablespoons, drop by heaping rounded spoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheet about 1-inch apart. Watching closely, bake for 15 to 20 minutes until lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.
• Using fine meshed sieve or sifter, dust with confectioners' sugar. Store loosely covered until ready to serve.

CAPIROTADA (MEXICAN BREAD PUDDING)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine water, cinnamon, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 15 minutes. Set aside.
• Toast bread and butter each slice on one side. Arrange toast in a single layer in a large casserole dish. Sprinkle bread with raisins, nuts, and pineapple. Slice cheese and place over this mixture. Repeat layers until all bread is used, making sure enough cheese is left over for the top. Pour the cinnamon syrup mixture over everything in baking dish.
• Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for at least 15 minutes.

MEXICAN CAPIROTADA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine water, 2 cups brown sugar, and cinnamon sticks together in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and liquid has reduced into a syrup, about 15 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks from syrup using a slotted spoon.
• Spread butter onto each toasted bread slice. Make 1 layer of buttered bread in a deep casserole dish or oven-proof stockpot. Sprinkle cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves over bread layer. Sprinkle 1/4 the raisins, 1/4 the peanuts, 1/4 the remaining brown sugar, and 1/4 the Cheddar cheese over bread layer. Repeat layering with remaining ingredients. Pour cinnamon syrup over entire dish; cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes before serving.

COCADAS (BOLIVIAN COCONUT CANDIES)

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix shredded coconut, egg, condensed milk, and almond essence until everything is well mixed.
• Let rest for two or three minutes.
• Spread butter on a baking sheet to coat.
• Using two teaspoons, put small amounts of the mixture in the baking sheet.
• Bake at medium temperature (European oven: 163 Celsius degrees; American oven: 325 Fahrenheit degrees) for 25 minutes or until they are golden, dry and smooth at the same time.
• Yields 24 regular-size coconut candies.

COCADA (COCONUT CUSTARD)

Steps:

• In uncovered 2-quart saucepan simmer sugar, water and cinnamon for 10 minutes. Strain; discard cinnamon pieces. Add coconut; cook, uncovered, about 5 minutes or until syrup is nearly absorbed, stirring frequently.
• Stir in 2 1/2 cups of the milk; cook until mixture is hot. In bowl beat eggs with remaining 1/2 cup milk. Stir about 1 cup of the hot mixture into egg mixture; return to saucepan. Cook and stir until mixture thickens slightly but does not boil. Stir in vanilla.
• Pour into a 1-1/2 quart bowl or individual serving dishes; chill.
• Top with whipped cream and garnish with almonds, if desired.

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE PUDDING

Steps:

• Place cocoa powder, cornstarch, sugar, salt, heavy cream, egg yolks, milk, and chocolate in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until mixture comes to a boil and begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and strain mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium bowl; discard solids. Immediately stir in butter and vanilla until well combined. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding to prevent a skin from forming. Transfer pudding to a refrigerator until chilled, about 4 hours.

CAPIROTADA (MEXICAN BREAD PUDDING)

Steps:

• Place raisins in a small bowl and pour enough Brandy so that raisins plump up.
• In a small sauce pan, add water, cinnamon sticks, and sugar. Boil over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
• Remove cinnamon sticks and pour raisins into mix.
• Place toasted bread slices in 9 x 13 baking pan.
• Layer ingredients: cheese, pecans, bread -- etc. Repeat steps until all bread is used. (Save some pecans for last topping).
• Pour cinnamon mix over bread pudding and sprinkle pecans on top.
• Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

CAPIDOTADA (MEXICAN BREAD PUDDING)

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 2 quart casserole dish.
• Combine the water, cinnamon sticks, and sugar in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the cinnamon turns the water dark brown, about 15 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks and reserve the water.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Fry the slices of French bread in oil until light brown, turning if necessary, about 1 minute per side. Remove toasted bread from the oil and place on paper towels to drain.
• Arrange half of the toasted bread in a single layer in the greased casserole dish. Sprinkle bread with half of the raisins, pecans, and onion. Arrange a layer of Cheddar cheese on top. Repeat with another layer of bread, raisins, pecans, onions, and cheese.
• Slowly pour the reserved cinnamon water over the casserole, allowing the bread to absorb as much of the liquid as possible. Do not allow the dish to overflow.
• Cover dish with aluminum foil and place in the center of the preheated oven. Bake until lightly browned and puffed, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

OLD-FASHIONED COCOA PUDDING

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cocoa, flour and salt. Gradually whisk in water and egg yolks. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened., Remove from the heat; stir in butter and vanilla until blended. Pour into individual dishes. Refrigerate until set. Garnish with whipped topping and chocolate curls.

CAPIROTADA (MEXICAN BREAD PUDDING)

Steps:

• Add the apple, onion, piloncillo, cinnamon, cloves, salt and 1 whole peeled banana to a medium pot. Depending on what type of bread you are using, add 6 cups water (if using bolillos or birotes) or 7 cups (if using a dense baguette) to the pot. Cover and bring to a boil, then turn to medium-low to simmer for 15 minutes, until the piloncillo has dissolved and the liquid becomes fragrant. Turn off the heat and let steep for 5 minutes.
• Pour the liquid through a strainer or colander, reserving the liquid and discarding the solids. Thinly slice the remaining 2 bananas and set aside.
• Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with the butter, and line the bottom of the dish with a half of the bread cubes. (You'll need enough to cover the bottom of the dish in one layer.) Layer on half the sliced bananas, raisins, almonds and cheese. Ladle half of the liquid over the first layer until completely coated.
• Add another layer with the remaining bread, banana, raisins, almonds and cheese, then use the remaining liquid to coat the top layer. Gently press down on the bread to make sure it fully absorbs the liquid.
• Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and allow the capirotada to sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour so the bread fully absorbs most of the liquid.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Add the capirotada, still covered with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the top layer lightly browns.
• Remove from the oven and let the capirotada rest for 20 minutes before serving so it fully sets. Serve with more almond slices.

POSTRE DE COCADA

Steps:

• Hull and peel the coconut, reserving and straining the liquid.
• Grate the meat (it should be medium-fine).
• Measure the coconut liquid and add enough tap water to bring the total quantity to 1 cup.
• Place the grated coconut in a medium-size, heavy saucepan, stir in the liquid and sugar and set over medium heat.
• Cook, stirring frequently, until the coconut becomes transparent (it will look almost candied) and the liquid has reduced to a glaze, 20 to 30 minutes longer, to evaporate its liquid, then remove from the fire.
• Beat the yolks with the milk or cream, stir in several tablespoons of the hot coconut, then carefully stir the warm yolk mixture into the coconut remaining in the pan.
• Return to medium-low heat and stir constantly until lightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Scrape the cocada into an ovenproof serving dish.
• Spread the almonds onto baking sheet and toast in a 325 oven until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
• Shortly before serving, heat the broiler.
• Dot the cocada with butter, run under the heat and let brown for a minute or so.
• Watch carefully: The sugar in the cocada will caramelized very quickly.
• Strew with the toasted almond slices and the dessert is ready to serve.
• Rick's Notes: After the egg-yolk mixture goes into the hot coconut, make sure the heat under your pan isn't too high, or the yolks can curdle.
• In no case should the coconut mixture come near a boil.

COCADA AMARELA --YELLOW COCONUT PUDDING

Steps:

• Open the coconut, cut it in easy to handle pieces and grate about half of it (about 2 cups worth).
• Combine the sugar, water and cloves in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Once it boils, stop stirring and allow to continue boiling until it reaches the temperature of 230 degrees on a candy thermometer. This may take quite a while.
• Reduce the heat to low. With a slotted spoon remove and discard the cloves. Add the grated coconut, a little bit at a time, and mix well. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. The coconut should become translucent. Remove from heat.
• Beat the egg yolks until they thicken slightly, for about 1 minute. Stir in about 1/2 cup of the syrup and mix. Pour this mixture into the saucepan with the remaining syrup and stir together thoroughly.
• Cook over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, stiring frequently, until the pudding thickens enough to pull away from the bottom and sides of the pan. Spoon the pudding into individual serving plates. Let cool, sprinkle with ground cinnamon and serve.

COCADA (BRAZILIAN COCONUT SWEET)

Steps:

• Combine condensed milk, sugar, coconut, and vanilla extract in a large saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and becomes a little darker. If you find that the cocada is cooking too quickly, reduce heat to low and continue stirring.
• Once the mixture has thickened enough and feels heavy on the spoon, remove from heat and place spoonfuls on a piece of parchment paper.
• Let cool for about 30 minutes (cocada will harden a bit) and transfer to a sealed container.