Nuts About Coconut

What could be more Caribbean than coconut? No surprise then that we use freshly grated coconut in a number of different recipes at Crumbs Homemade.

I buy my coconuts fresh from the market in Bridgetown every Saturday morning so that I have ample grated coconut available for my weekly baking binges. It is not difficult to crack a hard, brown coconut to get at the white flesh inside. You just hit it with a hard implement a few times until it starts to crack and then gently pry it open. Most coconuts have water inside them which you can collect and use in recipes calling for coconut water. Once you have the coconut cracked open, the white flesh inside can then be pulled off the brown outer shell and grated with a box grater. Most coconuts yield over 2 cups of grated coconut which is plenty for most cakes or breads that include that ingredient.

I prefer not to use dessicated coconut when I bake as I find it too dry, and the unsweetened variety is not readily available in Barbados. But fresh coconuts are available on the island all year around. Freshly grated coconut is moist, naturally sweet and really delicious, adding loads of flavour and the right amount of moistness to cakes, tea breads, and cookies.

I started the New Year making Coconut Raisin Drops which are small, round cakes about 3" in diameter filled with freshly grated coconut and loaded with raisins. They come out soft, chewy and moist, and are a delight to eat at tea time or at breakfast. They also make a great healthy snack, as they are made with whole wheat flour and a minimal amount of raw cane sugar.

In Barbados, Coconut Bread is very popular, also known as "Sweet Bread" because it is sweet and baked with a sugary coating. "Rock Cakes" are also really popular - they are small, plain round cakes that are very dry and hard, and traditionally eaten with a sweet fizzy drink to help wash them down. Taking aspects of both popular items, we developed these Coconut Raisin Drops which are less sweet and wonderfully chewy. These small cakes are already a big hit with Crumbs Homemade customers!