Try this Honeydukes Pink Coconut Ice recipe, or contribute your own.
Most home cooks fail at making coconut ice by adding liquid ingredients too quickly, which dissolves the structure of the icing sugar before the coconut can absorb the moisture. Achieving a firm yet tender set relies on the high sugar concentration of sweetened condensed milk binding rapidly with dry desiccated coconut. Cream of tartar acts as an acid buffer, preventing the sucrose from crystallizing into hard granules during the cooling phase. Vanilla essence provides aromatic compounds that cut through the intense sweetness of the dairy.
When adjusting batch sizes, maintain the precise ratio of one part condensed milk to roughly two parts dry coconut by weight to ensure proper adhesion between the pink and white layers. Use a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment rather than hand whisking, because the dense mixture will quickly seize standard hand beaters. Press the first layer firmly into a lined 8-inch square pan using moistened fingertips to remove air pockets before adding the contrasting layer. Chill the pan in the refrigerator for at least three hours to allow the fats in the coconut and condensed milk to solidify completely before slicing with a long, sharp blade.