beijinho de coco recipe

Beijinho de Coco ("coconut little kiss) is a Brazilian dessert - a friend and I made them this weekend. I am not a fan of coconut but I can eat a pound of these things, no doubt. They're easy, pretty & addictive.


Ingredients

• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tablespoon butter, plus more for pan
• 1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• sweetened flaked coconut or crystallized sugar for decorating
• whole cloves for decorating

Directions

1. Bring milk and butter to a simmer in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the milk has reduced to half and thickened, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the 1/4 cup coconut, and allow to cool a bit before pouring into a buttered bowl. Chill in the refrigerator until cold, about 2 hours.
2. With buttered or oiled hands, form milk mixture into tablespoon-sized balls, and roll in coconut flakes or sugar. Stick a clove into each beijinho as decoration.