Coconut Bread with Honey Brown Butter Spread

Maybe I am just "jonesing" over a beach escape for spring break, but as soon as I saw Deb post a coconut bread this week, I knew I had to make it for my "Smitten Kitchen" week.

This coconut bread recipe comes from bills, a restaurant in Darlinghurst, near Sydney's central business district.  There are three bills in Australia, and the UK and Japan also have bill's restaurants.  Bill Granger, the creator of bills, doesn't like how a capital "B" looks, so that is why the restaurant is known as "bills."  Bill is known as the egg master of Sydney, and the coconut bread is one of the most popular items at the restaurant.

It is easier than pie to make---just whisk the ingredients and bake it in a loaf tin.   I was a little short on coconut, so I substituted coconut oil for the butter so that I would not lose any coconut flavor.  The bread has a great texture, thanks to the shredded coconut and the subtle cinnamon flavor.  It's moist, but not too sweet.

You could top it with a little bit of confectioners' sugar or butter.  Deb suggested honey brown butter.  Yes, please!  The honey added natural sweetness.  Because the butter was browned, it had a nuttier flavor, which complemented the bread well.

This bread can be sliced, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and frozen.  How good is that for a lazy week end brekky?  This would also make a great bread for a French toast or even a tropical style bread pudding.

Happy week end!

NYC Friday will be back next week! 

Coconut Bread
Yields 1 loaf

Ingredients:
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups milk (does not matter whether you use skim or whole)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (315 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup granulated sugar
5 oz. sweetened flaked coconut
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted or melted and browned if desired*

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Prepare a 9x5 loaf pan by either coating it with butter or a nonstick spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift the flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon so that the ingredients are evenly combined.  Next, add the sugar and coconut, and stir to mix.  Make a well in the center, and pour the egg mixture into the well.  Stir until the ingredients are just combined.  Then, add the butter and stir until smooth.  Do not overmix.

Add the batter to the prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  After the bread is finished, allow it to cool in the pan for about ten minutes, and then invert the pan onto a cooling rack.

Serve in thick slices with powdered sugar or honey brown butter spread.

*Because I only used 4 oz. of coconut instead of 5 oz., I substituted coconut oil for the butter to make up for any coconut flavor that would be lost by not using 5 oz. of coconut.

Honey Brown Butter Spread

Ingredients:
1 stick (4 oz.) butter, divided
2 tbsp. honey
Sea salt, to taste

Directions:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt half of the butter.  After the butter melts, reduce the heat to medium low.  The butter will then foam, and then turn a clear golden.  After a few minutes, the butter will begin to turn brown and smell nutty.  Keep stirring frequently, and be sure to scrap up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.

Remove the melted brown butter from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.  While it cools, leave the other half of the butter out so that it can soften slightly.  Whip the softened butter with a hand mixer until fluffy.  Drizzle in the room temperature browned butter, honey, and any desired salt.  Continue whipping until combined.

Chill the butter in the fridge until it reaches a spreadable consistency.

Source: Coconut Bread adapted from Smitten Kitchen and the Wednesday Chef, originally from the New York Times; Honey Brown Butter Spread adapted from Smitten Kitchen