Coconut Bread

This weekend has been all about amazing food! (More on that later) Unfortunately. much of it was so delicious that I didnt have time to snap some photos.  Oh, well, I'll just have to make it again! This recipe I actually adapted from the website Honest Cooking.  Of course the original recipe is not vegan, and uses white flour, so I decided to make my own version which just so happens to be the mouthwatering type of delicious!

Ingredients
1 C. grated unsweetened dried coconut
2 C. Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 C. Raw Agave Nectar
1/4 C. Palm Sugar (granulated)
1/4 C. Honey
1 T. Baking Powder
1/4 C. unrefined Coconut Oil
1 C. Coconut Milk (I use the milk in a can which can separate. I used 3/4 C. of  Solids, and 1/4 C. of the liquid)
1 1/2 t. Ener G Egg Replacer + 2 T warm water
2 t. Vanilla Extract

1. Preheat Oven to 350 F. Put the coconut oil in a metal bowl and place in the oven while it preheats.

2. Toast the Coconut. To do this I simply spread the coconut out on a piece of tin foil and placed it in the oven while it was preheating. Once the perimeter of my coconut started to brown I stirred it with a spoon so it all toasted evenly. About half of the coconut should be lightly browned and it should smell wonderful.

3. In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, coconut, baking powder, and palm sugar.

4. Once the coconut oil is melted remove it from the oven, add the coconut milk, agave, honey, water and egg replacer and stir.  I put the metal bowl over an oven burner on low heat to help melt the coconut milk solids.  Make sure to get out all the lumps by stirring well.

5. Allow wet ingredients to cool slightly.  Just before adding them to the dry ingredients, add the vanilla to the dry ingredients.  Mix wet and dry ingredients until just blended.  Over mixing will cause the bread to be dry and stiff.

6. Pour mixture into a greased loaf pan (no need to flour).  I used cold- pressed olive oil, spreading it around with my hand.  Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (The agave will make it brown quickly but it may not be done inside!)

7.  Allow to cool until the bottom and sides of the loaf pan are just warm to the touch. (10-15 minutes) I use a knife around the outside to loosen up the bread before tipping it out onto a clean kitchen towel. It is very important to allow the bread to cool otherwise it will break apart when you try to remove it from the pan.

This bread is so delicious we often eat it plain, but it is wonderful with earth balance butter.  It is also blissfully delicious when accompanied with a hot cup of good jasmine tea.

Fresh out of the oven!