D is for Dinner: Coconut sweet bread
All in a Day's weekly food segment looks for tasty eats to enjoy during Parang festivities
A celebration of Trinidad and Tobago's popular Parang music is happening this Sunday at city hall, and with that in mind, All in a Day was looking for some tasty treats to accompany the festivities.
So as part of the radio program's D is for Dinner segment, we asked Resa Solomon-St. Lewis with local caterer Baccanalle to provide a recipe for coconut sweet bread.
Coconut Sweet bread*
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour.
- 1 tbsp. baking powder.
- 1 cup brown sugar.
- ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg.
- ¼ tsp. ground allspice.
- 2.5 cups fresh or frozen grated unsweetened coconut.¹
- 1-2 cups raisins/candied fruit/dried fruit (chopped), etc. (your choice).
- ½ cup unsalted butter (melted).
- ¾ cup milk.
- 1 egg.
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract.
- 1 tsp. mixed essence or almond extract or more vanilla extract.
Parang events
Join 3's Company on Nov. 24 at 1:30 p.m. at Jean Pigott Place in Ottawa City Hall to start the Parang season in the region. Attendees will be treated to the sounds of DJ David SuperSound, live local entertainment, Toronto's No.1 Parang Band Los Pajaros and traditional 'Trini Style' refreshments.
For further information contact
or visit Mugena's at 911A Richmond Rd. to purchase tickets.
On Nov. 30 there is a second, unrelated Parang event at the Ukrainian Hall featuring The Baron, Los Amigos and local DJs.
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 F and line two loaf pans with parchment paper.
- Sift dry ingredients in a large bowl, then add coconuts and dried fruit, and combine.
- In a separate bowl combine the melted butter, milk, egg, vanilla and extracts.
- Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and combine well.
- Split the batter between the loaf pans.
- Bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean (not sticky), which could take 45-55 minutes.
- Cool in pans for about 15 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack.
- Brush tops with a simple sugar syrup if desired.
1 If you do not have fresh or frozen coconut, soak dried unsweetened coconut in water for half an hour to “reconstitute,” drain well and use as a substitute.
* Based on the recipe for “Sweetbread” from Ganeshram, R. (2010). Sweet Hands: Island Cooking from Trinidad & Tobago. New York: Hippocrene Book.