Baked Doce de Grao – Gluten Free Coconut Blondie Recipe

I got the idea of testing this recipe after my success with my cheat version of coconut macaroons. Doce de grao (check recipe)  is a staple sweet made for weddings, Christmas, church feast and litany’s in Goa. This sweet requires a great labor of love. Depending on the quantity it can take an hour, two or more of constant stirring before it is ready to eat. Since it is laborious to make, I only put in the effort to make it during Christmas. Every time I go to Goa I would try to carry it back with me but since fresh grated coconut is used to make this sweet and having it packed would make the coconut go bad in a 27 hour flight. Always feeling disappointed, I truly was so excited to give this recipe a try and hoping it would work. I was so happy when my first batch came out just perfect. I can now make it often and it is gluten-free.

If you are a Goan who has eaten doce de grao then this recipe makes for a softer version of the doce. Doce is a semi-soft dessert but you can also make it harder by adding more sugar. I love my mum’s version which was the semi-soft but it would go bad if not properly stored. Since I usually use less sugar in my deserts I only used 1/3 cup as the sweetened flakes of coconut would add more sweetness. The only alteration to the original recipe is the addition of eggs to bind the doce de grao batter/ coconut blondie(brownie). But it does not alter the taste in any ways. The flavor that is prominent is the chana and cardamom used.

Serving Size: 9″ Brownie pan

Ingredients:

2 cans or 3 cups of cooked garbanzos beans/ Chana dal

1/3-1/2 cup of sugar

2 eggs

3/4 cup of sweetened flakes coconut

1/2 tsp of ground cardamom powder.

3 tbsp of oil/ghee

Directions:

Heat oven to 350F

In a food processor add all the above ingredients and pulse a couple of times till all is well combined and smooth.

Pour into a well-greased / well lined brownie pan and bake for 25-30 minutes till a toothpick comes out clear.

Cool and enjoy with a nice cup of hot tea.