CocoChews - Koo Koo Ka Choo!

This is an entirely original recipe. I made it up based on my annual Deadly Caramels recipe, after smelling some coconut-scented lotion! I've tweaked it a couple of years now (I only do stuff like this at Christmas time) and I *think* I've got it. Because of the shredded coconut, they are not as chewy as the caramels, but more crumbly.

You can see instructive photos of the process here.

Line a 9x12 pan with 2 layers of Reynold's Heavy Duty aluminum foil. Trust me, don't use regular. Get the heavy stuff, and the store brand is *not* sufficient. Grease it thoroughly with coconut oil. Set aside. Do this ahead of time, you will not have the chance to do it after you start the recipe.

1 cup coconut oil
1 lb turbinado sugar (white sugar will also work)
1 cup light agave nectar* light corn syrup or mild honey
15oz cream of coconut (sweetened coconut milk, like you'd use for a pina colada)
1 tsp vanilla or coconut extract
4 cups unsweetened flaked coconut

In a large pot over medium heat, melt the coconut oil. Add the turbinado sugar and stir until mostly dissolved. Add the agave and cream of coconut. Bring to a boil. Clip the candy thermometer to the pan (not touching the bottom of the pan) and stir constantly for 15 minutes or so, until it reads between 148 and 152 degrees Farenheit. Turn off the heat, and stir in the vanilla, then the coconut. Mix thoroughly, then pour into the prepared 9x12 pan.

When it cools, lift it out of the pan using the foil, and cut into 1 inch squares. Wrap them in waxed paper squares. Bribe Invite your friends to help!

Update: Rather than a 15oz can of Coco Lopez, I got something called Coco Real that came in a 21oz bottle. Since that is about a half a cup more than the can of Coco Lopez, and I was going to have to supplement my agave nectar* with corn syrup, I just used the whole bottle and a half cup of agave nectar*. They came out just fine.

IMPORTANT FURTHER UPDATE: (2/13/10) Use honey, or maybe maple syrup, but not the agave nectar. I have since found out that agave nectar has more of the processed sort of fructose (versus the good stuff in fresh fruit) than the evil High Fructose Corn Syrup. Stay FAR FAR AWAY from it.