Scottish Coconut Ice
A classic no-bake sweetie that has stood the test of time, this traditional Coconut Ice is sweet, chewy, and oh-so-pretty in pink. Just a few simple ingredients and no faff – perfect for gifting, bake sales, or as a nostalgic treat.
There are two things I think of when I think of my own Granny: endless cups of tea & Coconut Ice. And not the pink & white condensed milk version that seems to come up whenever you search for a recipe. I’m talking about the good old-fashioned Scottish sweet shop version with just 3 simple ingredients, boiled in a pot until it “spits at you”!
Great Granny’s Coconut Ice has always been a favourite of mine, and I’d often find myself with a recycled punnet full of the stuff to take along to any school fair or bake sale as a child. Usually topped with a few hairs from Bobby the dog (not something I recommend adding to this recipe, mind you)!
So a few years back after Christmas dinner I asked Great Granny to write down the recipe of her infamous Coconut Ice. I can still remember her laughing at me, even wanting it written down, as it’s so simple, she’d always just done it from memory. She told me it without a second thought, as if it was ingrained in her memory, and I wrote it on a piece of scrap paper, which I still have to this day.
In fact, this recipe holds such a special reference to Great Granny that there was even a bake-off-style competition among our family to try and recreate the infamous coconut ice to enjoy in her memory at her funeral. It’s safe to say this was the winning one (not that I let on to having the recipe when agreeing upon a competition…) and although it may not have the Bobby hairs that Great Granny’s Coconut Ice had, it’s still in the style of her well-loved & remembered treat.
More Scottish Tray Bakes You’ll Love:
• Traditional Chocolate Tiffin
• Scottish Tablet
• Classic Caramel Slice
• Paradise Slice
• Fly Cemetery (Fruit Slice)
Coconut Ice
INGREDIENTS
- 500 g Caster Sugar (Superfine Sugar)
- 275 ml Milk
- 200 g Desiccated Coconut (Shredded Coconut)
- Few drops of pink food colouring (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Line a 20x20cm baking tin with greaseproof paper and set aside.
- In a large pan, add the milk & sugar and warm over a low heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar granules have dissolved.
- Add the coconut & a few drops of pink colouring (optional) and stir through.
- Bring the mixture to the boil and stir continuously for 10-15 minutes.
- Once the mixture becomes thick, sticky and clings to itself, it is time to remove it from the heat.
- Allow the mixture to cool a little before spooning into your pre-lined tin, pressing to the sides and corners with the back of a spoon.
- Leave to set for 2 hours, or ideally overnight. Once set, cut into individual squares or slices.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
All my recipes are developed using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and millilitres). Cup measurements are available as a conversion but these, unfortunately, won’t always be as accurate. For best results, I always recommend baking with a digital scale.
I like that comment
The tin size is actually your own preference
Very disappointed. It did not set although I cooked way beyond time indicated. Just a pan of slop
I made this and it turned out all sticky and chewy and not like coconut ice at all. What did I do wrong?
Delicious coconut ice recipe and so easy to make. Thank you!
Hello,
can you explain to a German why this sweetness is called ice?
Maybe more like “icing” than cold ice? My recipe suggests icing sugar as an alternative to caster.