#19: Coconut Bread

This would be another "Brent requested" recipe, and it is AWESOME. I was kind of skeptical, because it's a really basic recipe, but the results were great. I am currently in the kitchen post baking project, and it smells like Hawaii- all... "coconutty," kind of like suncreen that you'd LIKE to put in your mouth. Plus, on top of that, upon tasting this bread, Brent told me it takes him back to his mission... oh yeah? Mission accomplished. I suppose a compliment doesn't get much better than that.

#19: Coconut Bread (as provided by... some woman Brent knew on his mission. Oops.)

Ingredients:

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup shredded coconut
2 tsp. coconut flavored extract
1 cup chopped nuts

Glaze:
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1/4 cup butter
1 tbs. coconut flavored extract

Directions:

1. Blend eggs, sugar, oil, and extract.

2. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients together.

3. Alternatively add dry ingredients and buttermilk to egg mixture until blended together.
     - I went ahead and dumped in half the flour mixture, half the buttermilk, and then alternated the last two halves of the mixtures. Worked perfectly. This batter is surprisingly super thick though! P.S.- I'm still thoroughly grossed out by buttermilk.

4. Add coconut (and nuts if desired)
     - Yeah, so the woman Brent actually got this recipe from states that she never adds nuts to this bread. Naturally though, as soon as Brent tasted it, he asked where the nuts were. Evidently I can't please everyone, ha ha.

5. Pour into five or six well greased mini loaf pans and bake at 325 degrees for approximately 40 minutes.
      - Hmm, I managed to keep mine in for 55 minutes. Why are my times always so stinkin' off? Here's a little sneaky peek at what the pans looked like- don't mind the messy counters around them, I AM at Stephen's apartment (yuck).

6. Boil sugar, water, and butter during the last five minutes of baking. Remove from heat, add extract.
      - Yeah, this step was of really no help. It didn't give a temperature, so I put it on a low-medium for at least 15 minutes, trying to get the water to burn off and the glaze to get thicker.

7. Pour 1/4 cup of glaze over each loaf.
     - I literally grabbed a 1/4 measuring cup, popped each loaf out of their pan (they were fairly cool by this point), smothered each loaf in glaze, and then popped them back into the pans... to give as gifts! Yay!

DELICIOUS. Highly recommend these babies. Brent is telling me that they are even better if you freeze them, so experimentally, we're popping one into the freezer to see what he's talking about. Enjoy the following pictures, I'm off to play merry homemaker and give a few of these loaves out...