Recipe: Queijadinha (aka sticky, sweet, yummy, coconutty, thingies!)

I'm starting to notice that gluten-free recipes can have some pretty bizarre ingredient combinations! But that being said, I've found another DELICIOUS - although slightly weird - gluten free snack that the kids will love... I promise! (I'm not gluten intolerant myself, but I have lots of friends who are which is why you'll see the occasional gluten free recipe/idea popping up on Mama Sabi)

So what are Quejadinhas? It's a popular Brazilian kids lunchbox snack and it's pronounced kay-jah-dee-ña and is essentially a sweet, sticky, chewy, coconut macaroon.
 

Ingredients

1 cup dried shredded coconut (or freshly grated if you can find a fresh coconut in the middle of this soggy Melbourne winter!)

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

2 tbsps finely grated Parmesan cheese (I know, but trust me!)

1 tbsp sugar (optional, I found the condensed milk sweet enough)

2 egg yolks

Method

- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F)

- Grab a muffin tin, or two mini muffin tins, and line the holes with paper cases. (you must do this or you can pretty much kiss your tins goodbye!) 

- Mix all the ingredients together to make a wet mix.

- Spoon mixture into the paper cases and bake for around 30 minutes for normal size muffins or closer to 15 minutes for mini muffin tins - the tops should be golden either way.

Note

- You can't taste the cheese in these, it just helps cut through the sweetness of the condensed milk.

- Don't be tempted to eat them hot, these taste best once cooled to room temperature.

- Remember these are a lunchbox TREAT!

- They should stay fresh for 2-3 days inside an airtight container.