CHOCOLATE COCONUT BREAD
This bread is a commonly eaten for breakfast or as a snack with tea. It's an every-day bread, comparable to banana bread in its consistency and sweetness. Sometimes I like to make it more "dessert-like" by adding about 1/2 cup of chopped dark chocolate pieces to the recipe. Collection Etienne's Chucuri is a good choice because it is made from Trinitario beans (which originated in Trinidad) grown in Colombia.
Ingredients
3 cups [452g] all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup [200g] sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 cups [180g] finely grated fresh coconut
1/3 cup [40g] raisins (optional)
1/2 cup [126g] evaporated milk
1/2 cup [113g] fresh coconut water
1 cup [227g] unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon mixed essence or vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
6 ounces [170g] Guittard 66% Single-Origin Peru Bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Directions
Sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 350°F and grease and flour two 9-inch loaf pans.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and stir in the coconut and raisins.
In a separate bowl, combine the egg, milk, coconut water, mixed essence or vanilla, butter, and coconut extract.
Add the liquid ingredients to the flour mixture, mixing lightly but thoroughly so all the ingredients are well combined. Mix in chocolate pieces.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pans, filling two-thirds full.
Sprinkle the top of the batter with sugar and bake for about 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
