Besitos de Coco: Coconut Kisses from Puerto Rico

I'm pretty sure that a cookie in Puerto Rico known as "Besitos de coco" translates as "awesomely ginormous coconut macaroons baked in cupcake tins". I should, of course, note that this is without the aid of a dictionary or translation, it is just what comes from my heart.

Fine. If you want to get all technical, it means "coconut kisses". But these are not a peck on the cheek. They're a big fat kiss, from someone you love, and not your aunt or Grandma. A kiss with a little squeeze. 

Technically, you can make these any size, from fairly small to very large. That's why I left off a count on the recipe, because if you want modest portions you'll get many; if you want jumbo confections, you'll get 12 or so.

Besitos de coco

Adapted from Sandra's Kitchen

• 5 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk 

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 325. Line a cupcake tin with liners.
2. In a large bowl, combine the coconut, flour, and salt. Mix to incorporate.
3. Now, stir in the condensed milk and vanilla. Stir until totally combined (the mixture like a slightly more liquid consistency than rice krispie treats). 
4. Place a heaping tablespoon of the coconut into each cup, or get fancy and load it into a piping bag with a jumbo star tip like they do in Rincon. 
5. Bake for 40 minutes, or until browned and toasty on top. Let cool in the pans completely before removing. These freeze beautifully, or will keep at room temperature in a sealed container for several days. 

Do you like coconut in your sweets?