Railroad expansion in the 1800s made possible the acquisition of the main ingredient found this delightful treat.

Cocoanut Cream Candy

1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons butter
1/3 cup shredded cocoanut
Put butter into granite saucepan; when melted, add sugar and milk, and stir until sugar is dissolved.  Heat to boiling point, and boil twelve minutes; remove from fire, add cocoanut and vanilla, and beat until creamy and mixture begins to sugar slightly around edge of sauce-pan.  Pour at once into a buttered pan, cool slightly, and mark in squares.  One-half cup nut meat, broken in pieces, may be used in place of cocoanut.  As adapted from The Original Boston Cooking-School Cook Book 1896, Fannie Farmer, pg 445