DEBOLINA ROY
What is Bala Baiana?
Known in English as "candy from Bahia," this traditional Brazilian delicacy is called bala de vidro or glass candy, because of the shiny sheen it has. It is thought to have originated in Northeastern Brazil with influences from both Portuguese and African cuisine. This delightful candy has a soft coconut filling that is covered in a hard golden caramel shell.
Cook the coconut filling
In a saucepan on medium heat, mix together condensed milk, desiccated coconut, and butter. Keep stirring for 10 minutes until thick pudding forms and separates from the sides of the pan.
Chill and shape the balls
Put the prepared coconut mixture in a bowl and put it in the refrigerator for thirty minutes to cool. When it has cooled, shape the firm dough into tiny bite-sized balls using a half-tablespoon measure.
Prepare the caramel
In another pot, combine caster sugar, water, and lemon juice. Boil until you are left with a golden-brown syrup. You can check it by dropping the caramel into cold water.
Coat and set
With utmost care, dunk each of the coconut balls into the warm caramel coating, allowing the extra caramel to drip away completely. Put the candies on the parchment paper to cool the shiny glass coating before presentation.