Caribbean Coconut Bread

For someone who doesn't like to cook, I sure am whipping up a lot of goodies these days, aren't I?

Truth is, I had some to-die-for coconut bread from a Rasta street vendor a few days ago and despite making forays into town every day since to find him again, I have not.  So I decided to take matters into my own hands.  It doesn't hurt that it's pretty easy* to make and coconut anything is Scott's favorite thing in the world and I wanted to make him a little treat for when he came home.  Plus, coconut bread is quintessentially Caribbean and I'm on a roll with this Caribbean cooking thing...

Here's the recipe if you want a taste of the Caribbean in your home!  This particular recipe yields a dense, DELICIOUS bread.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 6 Tbsps. soft margarine, melted
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 small coconut, peeled and grated
• 1 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven at 350°F/180°C
2. Sift dry ingredients in a bowl.
3. Combine sugar, beaten egg, coconut milk, melted margarine, vanilla, and grated coconut.
4. Scrape mixture into a greased loaf pan and shape as best you can with a spatula.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until done (when you can prick it with a toothpick and it comes out clean).

Thanks to the Caribbean Choice website for this recipe which I altered a bit to suit our tastes!

Love,

Brittany & Scott

* Except grating the coconut!!  That is NOT easy and takes a lot of time.  You will break a sweat and may or may not lose a finger in the process.  Fresh is best, but I'm sure you can buy pre-shaved coconut if time is an issue or you just don't feel up to the chore.