“Have you used all the condensed milk?” my dad asked. Uh no, my husband sheepishly admitted. “That was a lot,” Bo Gia (Old Daddy in Vietnamese) responded.
A few months ago, a sweet supermarket deal led Bo Gia to gifted us 10 cans of caramel flavored sweetened condensed milk. I used up one can working through a recipe for amazing Thai pork satay but a lot still sit in the garage. There's only so much Vietnamese coffee a girl can drink. Given that, I’ve been on the hunt for more recipes that use sweetened condensed milk.
Paging through Kristen Miglore’s Food52 Genius Desserts, a compilation cookbook of brilliant recipes that circle the globe, I found a three-ingredient coconut fudge recipe by Meera Sodha, a cookbook author based in London. The little cardamom-scented balls of chewy goodness are called topra pak (a.k.a. kopra pak).
The coconutty fudge reminded me of the cashew cardamom fudge recipe that I developed for my book, Asian Tofu. That South Asian recipe used soy paneer (tofu) and sweetened condensed milk as a shortcut to the traditional cooking time needed to reduce milk and sugar to a deliciously thick, doughy texture; the tofu adds some nutrition too.
Sodha's recipe is based on a Gujarati sweetmeat, Miglore writes. (Gujarat is a state in western India.) It’s a fantastic quick treat that uses an entire can of condensed milk. I was sold.
What kind of sweetened condensed milk to use?
Go full fat and look for no filler ingredients. Sweetened condensed milk is simply milk and sugar that’s been cooked down for a long time. In Viet circles, the "Old Man" (Ong Tho, Longevity brand) is the go-to brand. I’ve found that Borden's Eagle Brand is just as good and sold at regular supermarkets and Asian markets. I’ve tried organic sweetened condensed milk and they do not taste as good as the regular kind. It’s your choice.
Eagle Brand's caramel flavored sweetened condensed milk (sold in Canada as dulce de leche sweetened condensed milk) gave the fudge a lovely color and dimension. Try it if you see it! If you want a vegan version, use sweetened condensed coconut milk, which I’ve spotted at health food markets.
Cardamom Comparisons and Substitutes
Spice lends fragrance and flavor to this fudge. I have pre-ground cardamom but it was seemed flat and tired. Given that, I started with the pods. The small amount of freshly ground cardamom made the kitchen smell wonderful. Buy the green pods at a South Asian market or look in the bulk section of a health food store because it’s likely to be fresher than in the jars at supermarkets. Store it in the freezer. I’ve had mine for years in my deep freezer, kept in a double layer of zip-top bags.
Don’t like cardamom’s menthol qualities? Use ground coriander or maybe combine ground cinnamon in a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio with mace, nutmeg, clove or black pepper. You can easily play and adjust the spices.
To ground a small quantity of spice, I use a mortar and pestle. My favorite one (above) has an opening that's roughly 4 inches wide and it's about the same in actual depth. Buy a wide one and ingredients can go flying as you prep.
Coconut Tweaks
Dried coconut is easily found in the bulk section of markets like Sprouts, Whole Foods and the like. You need less than 8 ounces for a batch of this three-ingredient coconut fudge. For the final fuzzy coating, I toasted some of the coconut to amplify its rich flavor and match the caramel flavored sweetened condensed milk. Dried coconut can be dry and characterless as a garnish. Toasting dried coconut brings up its tropical nuttiness. I tried both for variety and so should you!
You could also try finely ground pistachios as a coating too. For an extra special finish, Sodha sometimes dips the fudge balls in chocolate. The result is an Indian version of a Mounds candy bar.
(Note that I use very small ⅛-size baking sheet pans in my kitchen.They’re super handy for little cooking tasks and prep. Whether you use the pans or not, line them with parchment so the fudge mixture is easy to clean up.
The great thing about this genius, three-ingredient coconut fudge recipe is that it’s easy and nimble. You have latitude to experiment.
Related posts:
- 8 Asian Ways to Use Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Thai Pork Satay with Coconut and Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe
Three-Ingredient Coconut Fudge
Ingredients
- 1 (14-ounce/396can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 ½ cups (200unsweetened shredded dried coconut
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom preferably freshly ground from the seeds of 6 to 8 pods
Instructions
- Pour the condensed milk into a small saucepan (preferably nonstick) and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently so the milk won’t stick to the bottom. (If it toasts a little, that’s okay, but don’t let it scorch.) When the milk comes to a simmer, turn the heat to low. In batches, stir in 2 cups (160g) of the coconut, then stir in the cardamom. Continue to cook, stirring continuously until the mixture starts to look like a thick though, about 4 minutes. (Stir and some of the mixture should come off easily from the bottom and sides of the pan.)
- To test for doneness, scoop out a small piece with a spoon and let it cool for a minute or so, then use your hands to roll it into a ball. If the ball holds its shape, remove the pan from the heat. (Taste the fudge mixture, and if you want extra spice, stir in a pinch; the spice flavor will get a tiny bit stronger after the fudge cools.) When satisfied, scrape the fudge onto a parchment paper-lined small baking sheet or brownie-size pan. Spread the mixture out evenly and set aside until cool enough to continue rolling, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, put the remaining ½ cup (40g) dried coconut in shallow dish. (If you like, first toast the coconut in a dry skillet over medium heat until lightly browned.) When the fudge is cool enough to handle, use a knife to cut the fudge into a grid of 24 to 30 pieces. Working in batches, use your hands to roll up the pieces into balls, dropping them into the coconut and turning to coat. Arrange the fudge pieces on a plate or in a shallow container. Serve at room temperature. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
kathleen moore says
This is surprisingly delicious
I did use sweetened coconut to roll on the outside.
Andrea Nguyen says
Yay! So happy you enjoy this little sweet.