Crispy Sweet Coconut Squares

This weather just has me sipping sweet Chai and nibbling on these moorish little squares of coconut-ey heaven! This is a childhood dessert that is so quick, it’s perfect for a little tea party get together or as I do, alone time – with a hot cuppa and all to yourself!

Ingredients
Method

5 slices of fresh crusty white bread, crusts removed and cut into half and half again to give small squares.

½ cup of cane sugar or a light brown sugar

1 1/2 cups of water

1/2 tsp saffron strands

4 green cardamon pods, crushed to release the seeds

1 cup of unsweetened dessicated coconut

1 cup milk

Sunflower oil for deep frying

2 tbs icing sugar

Place the coconut in a large plate.

Place the sugar and water in pan and heat gently until the sugar has completely melted. Set aside.

Combine the saffron strands and the cardamon seeds with the milk.

Heat the sunflower oil till you drop a bread cube in and it sizzles up to the surface. (Not to smoking point as this will burn your bread)

Very briefly dip each square of bread, in the milk, taking care not to soak them for any longer than 10 seconds otherwise they will be too soggy.

Gently fry the bread pieces till a deep maple brown and until they are quite crispy. Place on a hand towel to drain off the excess oil.

Now, working quickly with a pair of wide tongs, dip the fried bread into the sugar syrup and soak for no longer than 10 seconds or so and place directly into the plate with the desiccated coconut. Repeat with all the pieces.