Friday, November 13, 2009

Monthly Mingle - Coconut Sweet Bread

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For some reason I always think of brunch as a Sunday meal. Sunday is the one day of the week that I might get to sleep late. This late start to the day rules out breakfast because, by the time I arise, it's near enough to lunch to want something a bit more substantial. For this month's monthly mingle, hosted by Meeta K , I bring to the table a bread that is popular throughout the Caribbean. It's great for breakfast, brunch, tea or as snack anytime. There are as many versions of Coconut Sweetbread as there are islands in the Caribbean sea. Some are, as light as air commercial bakery versions, while others are doorstop heavy. I tend to prefer a heavier old-fashioned homemade coconut sweet bread but not as dense as a brick, thank you. This recipe is just like Granny used to make. It has substance to it without being too heavy. Enjoy.

Coconut Sweetbread Recipe

4 1/2 cups flour
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherry
1/2 cup mixed peel
1/2 cup sultana or raisins
3 cups coconut, grated (not dried or sweetened)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, grated
2 eggs, well-beaten
1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 teaspoons almond essence
1/2 lb butter or margarine (melted)
yields 2 loaves

Directions


Mix and sift flour, baking powder and salt four times. Add sugar and fruit and blend evenly. Add coconut, cinnamon and grated nutmeg. Stir well. In another bowl combine the whipped eggs, milk, essence and cooled melted butter. Mix well. Make a well in the flour mixture. Pour the egg mixture into the well and stir with a spoon. Batter will be heavy and mixture will be fairly stiff. DO NOT KNEAD or bread will be tough. Mix entirely by spoon, assisted by a knife. Pile into 2 non-stick or greased loaf tins. Bake at 325 degrees for 50 - 60 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. When done, glaze with mixture of 1 tablespoon sugar and one tablespoon water. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and Return to the oven for 3 -4 mins

18 comments:

  1. oooh, gorgeous sweet bread! I am partial to crumbly, dark with a hint of molasses type myself :-)

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  2. This sounds like a moist delicious bread. Quite the treat with coconut and cherries. Love the color too.

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  3. I love this! last year I had made a coconut sweet bread (but used spiced rum in it) using a caribbean recipe. we loved it. Love the dotted red jewelled look.

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  4. What a fantastic bread! Exotic, moist and so pleasing!

    Thanks for passing by...

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  5. This definitely looks perfect for a brunch! It sounds absolutely delicious!

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  6. That looks yummy! I've heard of sweet bread before but never looked into a recipe. It sounds like something I'll be making in the near future.

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  7. oh this looks great! i too always think brunch is a sunday thing! all other days do not seem as appropriate! thanks for the entry!

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  8. This cake looks delicious! I look forward to seeing your rum soaked Christmas cake too once it's done ;o)

    I have just made a three tier wedding fruit cake too (to be posted Mon after wedding) so I am going to be over fruit cake before Christmas arrives and I start eating my own!

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  9. Mmm -- what a lovely dessert bread. I'm wondering about how it would toast. I love things like this in the morning with my coffee
    ;)

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  10. Great minds think alike. I was going to make this on Sunday for this weeks blog post as well as it is leading up to the holidays. I like the sound of yours. It looks way lighter than the one in Barbados. As you say the recipes are all different and we eat it slightly dry and the bread is more dense. Anyways the picture is very appealing and I am glad you hightlighted this sweetbread to the blogsphere and you mentioned that the coconut is not the dried sweetened one as it is first reflex for many ppl to get this when they hear a coconut recipe.A point to note is that some ppl may get the frozen fresh one and that can be more dense when measuring. When you freshly grate a coconut it is lighter and it takes up more space in the measuring cup.

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  11. One of the first recipes I found after I moved to Florida was one for coconut bread. It was divine and I still make it for my daugher. She loves it toasted.
    I love your seasonal additions- the spices and fruit. Will be sure to try this soon!

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  12. Wow, this looks really a fantastic monthly mingle entry!! this bread looks awesome!

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  13. oh my goodness - gorgeous sweet bread! i love the coconut and almond combo!

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  14. i can definitely tell why this is a popular loaf--it has all kinds of tasty add-ins AND it's lovely to behold! thanks for sharing!

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  15. OMG, these look soooo yummy looking good! So irresistible. I'm saving it up and will try it soon. Thanks for sharing. Cheers. Btw, Happy Thanksgiving to you & your family. Have fun! Cheers.

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  16. I love the sound of this bread, it sounds like sunshine and awesomeness. I love coconut,

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  17. Hahaha, "doorstop heavy" that is so true, I had a few of those, drenched in heavy rich flavours:)

    But this looks delicious- I will have to try it!! Although I'll swop the essence with real almonds, since I'm not a big fan of essence (Synthetic essence consisting basically of a solution of synthetic components)
    Love
    Moma

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  18. Tried it and it was a wonderful bread. It was my first time making sweet bread and now I feel like a pro! Easy to make. Tried another online recipe but got pretty bad results. This one is a keeper, will pass it on to my Bajan friends and family. Thanks!!

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