At least for me, The morning of Three Kings Day is supposed to smell like sweet roasted coconut, and for some reason, a fresh box of multicolor crayons. As a kid, my mom always would bring out coconut treats like besitos de coco while my little sister and I would be coloring with all the colors of the rainbow, courtesy of Balthazar, Melchior and Gaspar — One last holiday treat before going back to school the following week.

I like to bring back those childhood memories in the kitchen with a batch of freshly baked besitos. With the years, I’ve adapted my mom’s recipe slightly with other island flavors that go just as beautifully with coconut. The result is close to perfect with a warm cup of Puerto Rican café con leche. Here’s the recipe. Hope you enjoy.

Besitos de Coco

Ingredients

• 8 Ounces of shredded unsweetened coconut
• ½ Cup of coconut sugar (Use regular sugar if you want them sweeter)
• 3/4 Cup of sugar-free condensed milk
• ½ Cup of light coconut milk
• ½ Cup of all-purpose flour
• 1/3 Cup of sliced almonds
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Pinch of Salt
• Zest from 1 small orange
• 1 Tsp of organic vanilla extract

Takes 30 mins, serves 6-8.

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients (preferably with your hands) and form small cookie balls.
2. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 14 minutes. Then, turn off the oven and keep them inside for another 5 minutes.
3. Let them cool and serve with coffee.