Growing up coconut sweetbread was a treat that I looked forward to with wide open eyes. Dropped off by a myriad of ‘aunts’, it always arrived wrapped in plastic cling or aluminum foil. Soft with a thick brown crust that glistened with sugar crystals, raisins and chunks of sweet dry coconut meat were studded throughout.
Ingredients
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
1 tbs baking powder
1 cup finely grated fresh coconut (you can add up to 2 cups if you really want to intensify the coconut flavor but the bread will get more crumbly as you increase this amount)
½ cup raisins
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon mixed essence or vanilla
⅛ tsp cinnamon
½ cup coarse brown sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350oF (325oF if using a black tin)
Grease and flour a 12-inch loaf pan.
Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
Stir in coconut, sugar, raisins.
In a separate bowl, combine eggs, milk, essence and butter.
Add liquid ingredients to dry ones, mixing lightly but throughly so all ingredients are combined. (Do not knead or use your hands at any point)
Pour batter into loaf pan.
Sprinkle brown sugar onto top of batter.
Bake for 55-75 minutes (until tester comes out clean).
TIP: Rotate pan every 30 minutes to ensure even browning. If crust is brown a'er 55 minutes, but bread is not ready, lower heat by 25oF and tent top with foil.
Notes
Sweetbread is a natura!y crumbly bread because of the high amount of grated coconut. As a result it is intentiona!y cut into thick slices. The firm crust holds everything together.
Recipe by TriniGourmet.com at https://www.trinigourmet.com/coconut-sweetbread-recipe-only-6-days-left-in-my-special-patreon-famalay-offer/
