UPDATE: I’ve added a new, better picture for the milk cream and the video recipe for it at the end of the post. The recipe is still the same great recipe.
As promised in last weeks post, this week as well, I’m sharing 2 lovely treats. One is a little time consuming, the other far quicker. Both of these can be found on the traditional Goan Christmas sweets platter. These are none other than Milk Cream and Coconut Toffee. I simply love them both very much. I remember when I was a kid, my Nana (may she rest in peace), would be solely responsible for whipping up the coconut toffee and to this day I remember, she would tinker about the kitchen for about 15-20 minutes at the most and voila, the coconut toffee was ready. We then simply had to wait for it to cool. I’ve always been a big coconut toffee lover (Bounty being one of my favourite candy bars) but since my Nana passed away, we never made this any more. I wonder why. This year that is about to change.
Now the Milk Cream was a completely different story. You see, neither my Nana or my Mum knew how to make milk cream, but my Aunt used to make some of the best milk cream I’ve ever had to this date. She guarded her recipe with her life. Eventually, I managed to persuade her to share the recipe with me and she obliged. So I came home and decided that I was going to make Milk Cream that Christmas. And make it I did. Little did I know how fickle sugar was. The recipe seemed fairly simple and I figured like the rest of the traditional sweets, it wasn’t done till your arm fell off from all the stirring. How wrong I was. I ended up with nothing close to the perfect Milk Cream that my aunt used to make but with some milk cream crumbs, some really delicious crumbs. I figured that while this couldn’t be shared with friends and visitors, there was no reason why we at home couldn’t enjoy it. So once my crumbs cooled off, I bottled it and we enjoyed this strange version of the Milk Cream for quite a while. When I called my aunt later and told her about it, she told me that my only error was I had overcooked it and thats why the mix had crystallized. She asked me to have a go at it again, but being the teenager I was, once was quite enough. I wasn’t as persistent back in the day. I figured I would just enjoy the generous portion she usually gave us, since she knew it was my favourite.
Years later, with some much needed guidance, I attempted making this again and this time it worked out. I’ve never looked back since. I hope you try this out when time permits you won’t be sorry. It’s a lovely little bite that simply melts in your mouth.
Last week we started with the more time consuming treat first. This week, I’m starting with the quicker one.
Coconut Toffee
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
2 cups desiccated coconut (unsweetened)
A pinch of ground cardamom seeds
A couple of drops of food colour of your choice
Clarified butter for greasing the plate
Place the sugar and water in a heavy bottomed saucepan and place on a medium flame. Cook till it reaches 235ºF on a candy thermometer.
Grease a steel / aluminium plate or cookie sheet using ghee / clarified butter.
When the sugar solution reaches the desired temperate, add the coconut, cardamom powder and food colour. Mix well and take it off the fire.
Pour the mix onto the greased pan and flatten out evenly.
Let it cool for a while and then cut into squares.
Enjoy your coconut toffee!!!
Moving onto the milk cream. It is a time consuming recipe and you will be tempted to turn up the gas. Please don’t. You get a lighter coloured end result if it is cooked on a slow flame. Do not leave it unattended.
Milk Cream
1 litre milk
400g sugar
100g cashew nuts, ground to a powder
Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed vessel and continue cooking till is reduces to half the quantity on a very slow flame, stirring occasionally and ensuring that the milk that’s on the sides of the vessel is stirred into the rest of the milk and not allowed to brown there.
Add sugar and keep on stirring.
When thickened, add the cashew nut powder. Keep stirring over a very slow flame till it starts leaving the vessel.
Two days ago i tried out milk Cream recipe as 1 ltr full fat milk, 100g cashewnuts pwdr 100g icing suger and a TSP of vanilla. I tried out the recipe as per the instructions and it turned out good. Will it last for a few days? Today i see the ingredients are different
Hi Ramona, It so nice to hear that your recipe turned out well. My recipe has been the same as the one you see on the website for about 10 years now. No change to it. I find that shelf life of Milk cream depends on the weather conditions. For a few days, it should be fine.
Yum! Those coconut toffees sound so good. I love anything with cardamom. That's really sweet that you made an old family recipe. I love when food traditions are passed down to the next generation. I know that in my family there are always family dishes that I can't wait to eat at the holidays.
Yum yum…I love coconut toffee and would like to try making it at home, but if I don't have a candy thermometer, so is there some kind of indication so that I know exactly when the temperature is right?
You know my grandmother used to make it without a thermometer, but I was too young to figure out how she checked for doneness. But I will look around and will let you know if I come across anything that'll help.
Hi trisha….so I followed your recipe and it took me approx 3 hra to get it dobe…. worth it when I tasted…. 1.5 hr for milk to thicken another hour to thicken with sugar and another hour with caju…..mmmm worth it!
I've never made it in a non-stick vessel, so no idea about that. but a few other reasons for it turning off white is 1) it is cooked on high heat and 2) color of the cashew nuts.
Hi Trisha,
After surfing the net for kuswar recipes, I tried out your :
1) Kulkuls
2) Milk Cream
3) Almond no cook Marzipan
All these turned out extremely delicious.
Milk Cream was a bit tedious, what with all the continuouis stirring on the low fire. However, puthe family members on the job of pressing it into moulds.
For Kulkuls I used exact 150 ml fresh thick coconut milk and 3 tbsp powdered sugar. I guess that made the dough very soft however it was quite pliable. I could make the kulkuls easily.
Thank you Trisha. Just came across your UTube, and going to try your Pork Vindaloo today. Will report back on it!
All sounds delicious, and will be following you.
Take care and stay safe,
Blessings,
i tried the recipe wit half ingredients, but when it started to leave the sides i removed it in a plate.
but i cudnt mold it was very sticky, i also tried dusting it with icing sugar and knead but still cudnt help.. shuld i cook it again.
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I have never had either of these..they sound so good!
Thanks Laurie!!! They're traditional Goan Christmas sweets!
Those both sound great, but one question, what kind of milk do you use? Whole milk or 2% or what, it sounds amazing.
Two days ago i tried out milk Cream recipe as 1 ltr full fat milk, 100g cashewnuts pwdr 100g icing suger and a TSP of vanilla. I tried out the recipe as per the instructions and it turned out good. Will it last for a few days? Today i see the ingredients are different
Hi Ramona, It so nice to hear that your recipe turned out well. My recipe has been the same as the one you see on the website for about 10 years now. No change to it. I find that shelf life of Milk cream depends on the weather conditions. For a few days, it should be fine.
I want recipe of easter egg chocolate and mazipan
Hi Jessica,
I have a put up a detailed video on Marzipan and easter eggs – how to make and decorate it. You can find it here – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8gfUugA7V9d4jRjLmTM9ckOGeVIt0FyX
Thanks Sue, for this recipe I use whole milk!
My hsuband would love the coconut ones, I would go with the second ones. Both of them look delicious!
Thanks for the reply and commenting on my blog to let me know:) It sounds like a fun thing to do with kids so they can make shapes.
Thanks Katerina … Sue I hope u guys have fun with it!!!
Both these sound so good; bookmarking the page! Just wondering, what do you mean by cashew nut powder, would ground cashews do? Thank you 🙂
What is the shelf life of milk Cream?
It is ground cashew nuts, thanks for bringing it to my attention Eleanor, I'll change it to make it easier to understand!
Hi… Tried the receipe everyone truly loved it… Would like to how to store the milk cream n marzipan…
Yum! Those coconut toffees sound so good. I love anything with cardamom.
That's really sweet that you made an old family recipe. I love when food traditions are passed down to the next generation.
I know that in my family there are always family dishes that I can't wait to eat at the holidays.
Thank you Samantha!!!
What a neat recipe!
Thanks Lisa!
Oh my heck! Both recipes look heavenly!!!
Thanks Erin!!!
Yum yum…I love coconut toffee and would like to try making it at home, but if I don't have a candy thermometer, so is there some kind of indication so that I know exactly when the temperature is right?
You know my grandmother used to make it without a thermometer, but I was too young to figure out how she checked for doneness. But I will look around and will let you know if I come across anything that'll help.
Thanks for your detailed receipe.
Hi trisha….so I followed your recipe and it took me approx 3 hra to get it dobe…. worth it when I tasted…. 1.5 hr for milk to thicken another hour to thicken with sugar and another hour with caju…..mmmm worth it!
I'm really glad you liked it. Just a tip, if you use a wider vessel, it will get done in lesser time. I hope this helps.
Dear Grace,
Thank you so much. I will try the Coconut toffee!
I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Does a
non stick vessel make the milk cream light toffee colour?
I've never made it in a non-stick vessel, so no idea about that. but a few other reasons for it turning off white is 1) it is cooked on high heat and 2) color of the cashew nuts.
Can I use less quantity of sugar?
How is it that you have got really white looking milk cream while mine turns a little off-white??
Hi Shyla, if it is cooked on higher heat, it tends to develop a little color. I hope that helps.
Hi Trisha,
Do you have the recipe for neureos. Can you please email me.
thanks
Annie
Hi Trisha,
After surfing the net for kuswar recipes, I tried out your :
1) Kulkuls
2) Milk Cream
3) Almond no cook Marzipan
All these turned out extremely delicious.
Milk Cream was a bit tedious, what with all the continuouis stirring on the low fire. However, puthe family members on the job of pressing it into moulds.
For Kulkuls I used exact 150 ml fresh thick coconut milk and 3 tbsp powdered sugar. I guess that made the dough very soft however it was quite pliable. I could make the kulkuls easily.
Thank you for the detailed recipes and tips.
Merry Christmas
Warm regards,
Anita PInto
I’m so glad you liked the recipes Anita. Yes, getting family involved makes these kind of recipes a whole lot easier.
Thank you Trisha. Just came across your UTube, and going to try your Pork Vindaloo today. Will report back on it!
All sounds delicious, and will be following you.
Take care and stay safe,
Blessings,
Hi Pamela, Thank you. I hope you enjoyed it.
Hello, I want to try Coconut sweet bt I don’t have the meter to check cooking temperature. So can u plz help how long have to cook sugar syrup.
For the coconut toffee, could I use fresh coconut instead of decicated coconut?
Hi Julia, I’ve personally never tried it with fresh coconut.
Can I make milk cream with 500 ml fresh milk and 395 gms condensed milk. Then how much sugar will I have to use and cashew nuts
i tried the recipe wit half ingredients, but when it started to leave the sides i removed it in a plate.
but i cudnt mold it was very sticky, i also tried dusting it with icing sugar and knead but still cudnt help.. shuld i cook it again.
Hi Trisha
This is third recepie I am trying from Ur website.
I got a little stuck with sticky dough I have added icing sugar as well but it’s still sticky. Can you help me