COCONUT SWEETS (BARFI)

2 cups scraped coconut
2 ½ cups sugar
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon butter or ghee
½ teaspoon vanilla essence
½ teaspoon food colouring (pink or green)
Take a thick -bottomed vessel and heat the sugar and ¼ cup water on high heat. When the sugar melts, add the cocoanut, vanilla essence, ghee or butter and the milk. Cook on medium or low heat till the mixture thickens and leaves the sides of the vessel. Drop a teaspoon of the mixture in a cup of water and if it forms a ball when rolled between the fingers, the right consistency is reached. Grease a flat plate well and pour the mixture on to it. Cool and cut into shapes.