Bread On Tuesday: Week 9 {Coconut Bread}

...And a Book Review to Boot!

As we made our way around the world last year as part of our homeschool geography studies, we dabbled in a bit of ethnic cooking.  One of my favorite resources was the children's cookbook, Emeril's There's a Chef in My World!: Recipes That Take You Places. 

We made several of the recipes in this cookbook.  Mango Lassis and Indian Naan Bread when we studied India.  Swedish Meatballs and Swedish Cucumber Salad on our way through Scandinavia.  Pepperoni and Fresh Mozzarella Paninis and Chocolate-Hazelnut Biscotti as we spent time in Italy.  

All were fabulous.  I am not kidding.  

Now these were not your basic children's cookbook kinds of recipes.  Some of them are time-consuming.  I found some of the recipes a bit complicated.  A child who had only a passing interest in cooking could find these tedious. But a child who enjoys cooking, and has an adult to work with, will have a blast.  Every recipe that we have tried was well worth the time and effort, and the results were dee-licous!  Kids-requesting-repeats dee-licious!  

We decided that we'd keep trying recipes from this cookbook (and cooking ones we had already tried*), even though our year of world geography emphasis was over.  

Coconut Bread, is from There's a Chef in My World!, and it did not disappoint.  The loaf was full of rich coconutty flavor.  I think I'd consider it a dessert bread, almost like a coconut pound cake.  Baked in mini-loaves, Coconut Bread would make wonderful homemade Christmas gifts.   

* These are the Swedish Meatballs and Cucumber Salad that we served at Sunday's birthday dinner.

This week's bread...

(Makes 1 loaf) Ingredients: 1 tablespoon plus 1/2  cup unsalted butter 2 1/2  cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon  baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 (6-ounce) package frozen fresh coconut flakes, thawed OR 1 1/3 cups sweetened flaked coconut 1 1/4 cups coconut milk 2 large eggs 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions: Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat the oven to 35oF. Grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with 1 tablespoon of the butter.  Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Stir to combine. Using a knife, cut the remaining butter into small cubes.  Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, blend the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Add the coconut, stirring to combine. In a second large mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, eggs, and vanilla.   Using your clean hands, make a well in the flour mixture and pour the milk mixture into it, stirring just until moistened.  The batter will be lumpy. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Using the oven mitts or potholders, remove the pan from the oven.  Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Invert the bread on a wire rack to cool.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God,

that I will send a famine in the land,

not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, 

but of hearing the words of the Lord. 

Amos 8:11

Looking for a recipe from another week?

Week 1: Sweet Potato Bread

Week 2: Cheryl's Semi-Sweet Corn Bread

Week 3: Three-Cheese Bread

Week 4: Multi-Grain Bread

Week 5: Rosemary Bread
Week 6: Cheddar Biscuits

Week 7: Parmesan-Herb Focaccia 

Week 8: Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Linking up with Allyson's Finished Friday at All Our Days..