coconut ice - coincidentally the italian flag

It was a Friday afternoon, and I remembered I promised Magster that I'd bake her something from last year. Unfortunately exams and homework was in the way and never had the chance to do so.

I have free periods on a Friday afternoon which means I can go home during lunch. I didn't feel like baking, so I decided to make her coconut ice instead.

See the Italian flag? Hint: Look back right.

Coconut ice is like a 2 coloured layer confection consisting of desiccated coconut, icing sugar and condense milk as it's core ingredients. I didn't want to make the traditional 2 coloured layer coconut ice, so I made a 3 layered one! Coincidentally I only had pink and green food colouring, so the Italian flag it was (only the real Italian flag is red on the side and not pink).

I reduced the sugar by half as I thought it was too sweet if I added the whole amount in. Note that condense milk contains sugar as well. Also didn't want my friends to overdose on sugar and go hypo in class and I felt that it was sweet but not over whelming sweet. Feel free to adjust to your taste buds.

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coconut ice
adapted from quick and easy coconut ice

ingredients:
makes 20 x 20 cm cake tin

• 1 cup icing sugar
  (originally 2 cups)
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 395 mL can condense milk
• 4 cups desiccated coconut
• few drops of food colouring (optional)

method:

1. Put icing sugar, cream of tartar, vanilla essence in a mixing bowl. Add in condense milk and stir to combine. Add in the coconut and stir to form a ball.

2. Divide the mixture into 3 parts and knead in food colouring to your own liking. Knead until colour is evenly spread.

3. Line a 20 x 20 cm cake tin with baking paper and press one coloured mixture at the bottom until even. Repeat for the remaining colours.

4. Wrap and refrigerate until firm and cut into desired size.

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Lizzie said the coconut ice looked like mini water melons.

What do you think? Italian flag or watermelons?