Memelos (Lollipops filled with coconut fudge)
At first glance this childhood favorite might not seem a good fit as a recipe for our Two Weeks of Valentine. Maybe if you give it a second glance you’ll see how it totally is.
These lollipops were kids’ favorites a couple of decades back, although they didn’t seem to be so common in my hometown I found them more often when I was living in Santo Domingo, and never missed the chance to buy a couple because it might be a while until I found another vendor and satisfy my cravings.
A few years ago I decided to add the recipe to our site, and to be honest I had to make up the recipe, as I couldn’t find anyone who knew how to make them. This is not something people make at home. In the course of my research, though, I found an interesting piece of information: these are called memelos. Or perhaps it’s a regional name. I just knew them as caramelos rellenos de dulce.
More often than not the ones I bought were filled with dulce de leche, or milk fudge, but at least once I found one filled with coconut and milk fudge, it totally blew my mind.
Preparing them turned out easier than I originally imagined, and best of all, you can get more than a dozen from the ingredients listed. So how about you wrap them in some pretty paper, tie a pretty ribbon and go spreading some sweetness and love amongst friends and co-workers?
These are like no lollipops you've ever tried before. Hard caramel cover and soft and coconutty inside. An instant favorite.
Ingredients
- Oil spray, or 1 teaspoon of oil
- 1 coconut (dry)
- 5 cups of evaporated milk
- 3 cups of sugar
- 1 cup of sugar
- 4 tablespoons of water
- 12 drops of red food coloring
- 1 cup of dark corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon of coconut flavoring (optional)
- 16 lollipop sticks, or bamboo skewers cut in half
- Food-safe plastic film
- 1 yd of thin red ribbon
Instructions
- Oil a flat surface or large cookie sheet.
- Break the coconut shell (I threw it against a concrete floor, it split in half).
- Scoop out the coconut meat from the shell, careful as there might be sharp edges on the shell.
- Using a potato peeler remove the brown skin on the outside of the meat. Using a food processor shred the coconut.
- If you have one of those fancy thingamajigs for dehydrating food, use it; since I don't have one, I used my oven. I pre-heated the oven to 200 °F (90°C), turn it off and put the grated coconut inside spread out on a baking tray.
- Once the oven cools down take the coconut out, re-heat oven and repeat until the flakes are dry and separate. You should obtain at least 3 cups. Reserve.
- Mix the milk and sugar in an iron pot and bring to a boil.
- Stir regularly to avoid sticking and burning.
- When it thickens enough that it sticks to the spoon (which may take up to an hour), remove from the fire.
- Add two cups of coconut flakes and mix well.
- Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature on a previously-oiled surface.
- Once the mixture is cool enough to handle, put a tablespoon of the mixture in the palm of your hands and form balls with it.
- Insert the candy sticks into the balls.
- Reserve.
- Mix sugar, flavoring, coloring, water and syrup in a saucepan and boil over medium heat. Insert a food thermometer at the beginning and remove saucepan from the fire when it reaches 265 °F (130°C).
- Cover the balls in the caramel.
- Shake off the excess and put them on a a silpat or oiled surface (like a cookie tray).
- If the cover is too thin you can do a second pass starting with the first lollipop.
- If the caramel starts to harden before you finish return to the fire until it melts again. Be careful not to go too far or it will burn.
- Let it cool to room temperature before eating.
Important Notes
I will be the first to tell you that making hard caramel is more difficult that it seems, hence my suggestion of using a thermometer. If you have some experience you will almost certainly be able to eyeball it, otherwise use a thermometer as you will have a hard time getting it right the first times.
You must also have to be careful, caramel gets very hot, and if you spill any on yourself you'll probably get badly burned. The same goes for the fudge. This might be a kids' favorite, but kids have no business in the kitchen while you're making them.
Having said that, I had a lot of fun making these, and so should you. And kids can help you wrap them. Little fingers come handy when you need to tie those tiny bows.
You can save yourself the trouble and buy coconut flakes if you can find them in your local stores. I found a real coconut instead, all the better, because I like the taste of fresh coconut.
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{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
ay dios mio. i haven't seen that in like 40 years.
I'm so making these!!!
I would love to know how they turn out Karina.
This reminds me of a dulce from Bani in D.R called " Casco". I remember going to D.R every summer when I was growing up and my grandma would make these all the time. Delish ! Soo glad I found this reciepe and will give it a try ! I love this site !
Thank you so much for posting this recipe. I live in New York and even though I have gone to the Bronx, I never been able to find a place where these are sold. These remind me so much of the beach in Boca Chica where vendors would sell seafood and memelos. Such great memories. Thanks for sharing I will deifinitely make this!!!!!!
Good morning Aunt Clara
I decided to make this recipe because I love these and when it is cold (like today) it reminds me of Cabarete.
However, the quantities seem to be off. The coconut fudge does not thicken. I uped the sugar to 3 cups and it finally thickened and put 4 cups of coconut. It is still cooliing so I don't know if it will work or not
I will let you know.
Carol, not all sugars are created equal, and it's pretty hard to account for all types. If you are using beet sugar, for example, it's possible that it is not as concentrated as cane sugar. What kind of milk are you using, and what is the fat content?
Wow thanks for the quick answer! I am using regular white cane sugar and regular evaporated milk (not fat reduced). I'm thinking that maybe one of the cans was old? The expiry date was very near. I put the mixture in the fridge to thicken it up. It didn't really work, the mixture is like glue. I have added another cup oif sugar and put it back on the stove. We'll see what happens lol. Worst case scenario, it will be good as a topping for a chocolate cake
I will try again next weekend end.
Did you add the coconut flakes and cooked them? They are to be added after the milk thickens to yogurt-like consistency.
The milk didn't thicken so after 40 minutes of cooking I added the coconut. It didn't work, but it will be a nice touch to a chocolate cake…kind of like Germand chocolate without the nuts lol. I followed the recipe to a T and even used a cast iron pot. I'm convinced that it is the milk. How long should you cook the milk before it thickens?
I am baffled, perhaps we need Nancy Drew.
I had no problem whatsoever with this part of the recipe, in fact it was rather easy.
I did not give up. They look funny and are crazy sweet, but a success none the less. Just curious, how long is is supposed to take for the milk and sugar to thicken? Thank you so much for your support and patience
Sorry for the delay in replying, I missed this.
It takes about 15 mins at medium heat. And yes, they are very sweet, at least for me they are, but they are supposed to be a once-in-a-while treat.
I was dying for these candies when I was a child! I will deffinitely do this recipe!
Tks for bringing such warm and nice recuerdos!
Kisses
sorry for interrupting but which one is better.. Jalaos or Memelos?
Hi aunt Clara! I have been fallowing and using your recipes for over 6 yrs..I love the new wedsite. I did these recipe, as I was cooking the filling I was wondering, could I use condense milk instead of carnation?. Also I wish I could download my pic too here ( I am very proud of it! )
Thank you so much!!
You probably could, but since I haven't done that I can't say for sure.
We use to call it Pilones .. I love this site
Pilones are the hard candies with no filling. It is made with the caramel used to cover this one.
Hi this recipe sounds really good i cant wait to make it. I'm in a vocational high school and my culinary arts instructor asked for some students to bring in a recipe and i think this would actually be fun and fairly easy to make. every one would love a sweet treat like this <3
I really wanted to make these for my daughter's Kindergarten class. I'm going in to talk about the DR and merengue. After 40 minutes and attempting to add more sugar, the milk/sugar recipe did not thicken. Such a disappointment. I live nowhere near a place where I can purchase Dominican Fudge or a Dominican treat to share. Please make sure this is the correct recipe. I see that someone else had this problem, too.
Rebecca, since I cannot account for what type of stove all of you have, the answer is that you needed to let it boil longer. Eventually it *has* to get thicker, there's no two ways about it.
These were my favorite when I was a kid growing up in Santiago …. they were filled with coconut ..
I'm having a MAJOR issue getting it to thicken, either it boils over or it won't thicken…I don't have 3 hours to wait for this JUST to thicken…help would be extraordinary
More time, depending on a number of things this will take quite a long time to thicken.
I have tried to cook it like it said it didn't work. I tried to do what carol did it didn't work. I don't know what to do now help!!!
I would love to try and help you, but your comment tells me nothing about what could have gone wrong. Can you tell me more than "didn't work"?
I am another one that thought I followed the recipe to a T and the filling hasn't thickened. My milk wasn't old, I double checked all my ingredients, I boiled it for over an hour, I used organic cane sugar, and now I just believe there's too much milk. I wonder if there should really be 3 cups and not 5…but then, my milk never thickened up much so not sure reducing the milk would help. Any help would be appreciated because I would like to make this again.
Thank you!
Suzanne, the trick is patience. If I tell you to raise the heat the milk will overboil, that is it has to be boiled for so long. However, I cannot account for every variation in temperature, every pot, every stove. Trust me, boil it enough and it will thicken. There is no two ways about it.
I might experiment with another choice of ingredients for those without enough time/patience. Please wait for it next week as I will have to modify this recipe, but first need some experimenting.
My sister’s favorite Dominican sweet! I’m surprising her today with some “churumbeles” (that’s how we call them). Thanks for the recipe.