A firm family favourite, coconut bread was of course made by my late grandmother back in Barbados, but the recipe below is based on one given to my mother by a Barbadian family friend many years ago. By the time we went to live in Barbados, my mother had already perfected her version. Of course it’s not really bread, rather a stiff cake not unlike an exotic scone mixture or rock cake and is popular in a number of Caribbean islands.
Like most recipes of this kind there are many versions, with some better than others and each very much a matter of taste. Some can be very dense and dry, to such an extent that an extreme version in Barbados is called a lead pipe – no doubt in reference to what it feels like in your belly after consuming one!
I personally prefer to be able to enjoy coconut bread without needing a chisel and teeth of steel - mind you I suppose dunking it in coffee might work. Coconut bread in all its different guises is fairly easy to get hold of in the local supermarkets, shops and bakeries, and often in rum shops too, though you may have to sample a few until you find one you prefer.
Coconut bread goes down just as well at breakfast time as it does afternoon tea and any good Caribbean hotel doing its own baking is bound to have it on offer, along with the ever popular banana bread. It’s not difficult to make at home either, although it can be a little messy towards the end. I have adapted the original ‘family’ recipe but admit to not sticking to it exactly. I tend to see how much grated coconut I get first and then tweak as I go along. Certainly trying dried cranberries instead of sultanas has worked out well, and I now prefer them. You can forgo the fruit of course, or simply halve the mixture before adding the liquid and have the best of both worlds.
Ingredients
- 6oz freshly grated or desiccated coconut
- Coconut water (from the nut used) or regular milk to bind mixture
- 1lb flour = 8oz plain + 8oz self-raising
- 8oz Stork margarine (similar baking brand or butter)
- 8oz Demerara sugar
- Demerara sugar for decoration
- 2 large eggs beaten
- Pinch salt
- Approx 1teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- Dried fruit optional: sultanas, cranberries or chopped apricot – use a handful or more as required.
Method
1. Rub-in dry ingredients with margarine to form crumble mixture, then add vanilla essence, sugar and choice of dry fruit - add more nutmeg if desired.
2. Add eggs and a little of the coconut water or milk and bind carefully until a thick, sticky dough is formed.
3. Divide dough onto a floured surface and form into loaf/round and pop into greased bread/cake tins – dough should only half fill the tin, leaving enough room for it to expand. Mark tops with criss-cross pattern using knife, brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
4. Bake in a medium oven (300f/gas 4/180c) for 40-45 minutes (up to 1hr depending on size of loaf) until golden brown and firm to touch.
5. Allow to cool slightly before removing from tins to continue cooling on a wire rack. Can be frozen once completely cooled.
Notes: Best made with fresh coconut and one nut will give around 10oz once grated, so add sufficient desiccated to make up 12oz and double rest of the ingredients or adapt recipe to suit. To crack open your coconut, first look at the end with the three ‘eyes’ and find the soft one, then use a metal skewer or knife to pierce a hole through and then drain out the liquid. Strain if necessary and set aside to use as above. Place nut on a secure and solid surface (you can wrap it in a tea towel so it does not slip) and break open using a hammer or sturdy meat mallet. You should then be able to remove the white coconut meat with a small knife, before setting out to grate the white flesh using a medium to large size grater – again a matter of choice; or you can blitz it in a blender/food processor.
