Chocolate and Coconut Soda Bread

The last month or so has been pretty busy with this and that and with my cold that I can't seem to shift, I woke up this morning craving something a little sweet, I wasn't in the mood to make a cake, or muffins, so I started to look at making some cookies but I just couldn't decide so then it came to me...a sweet bread :))! I decided on a sweet soda bread, I hadn't tried it before and wasn't even sure it would work but the thought of chocolate and coconut was calling me so off to the kitchen I went and just threw all the ingredients in together and luckily the outcome was wonderful....exactly what I needed and my goodness was it tasty, I even managed to eat half of it before even had time to cool down and trust me the other half tasted just as good once it had cooled down haha...oops :/ 

So here it is, my recipe for Chocolate and Coconut Soda bread. This is like your normal soda bread, obviously because it is sweet but also the fact that it is a little softer once baked, also I used milk chocolate as that is all I had in my cupboards but feel free to use dark chocolate as I am sure that would work fantastic as well especially with the coconut.

Chocolate and Coconut Soda Bread

240g self raising flour

50g dessicated coconut

50g plain whole meal flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Pinch of salt

2 tbsp honey

80g chocolate chunks

250ml coconut buttermilk (250ml coconut milk with 1tbsp lemon juice added and set aside for 20 minutes)

Pre heat the oven to 200/190c fan

Add the flours, dessicated coconut, honey, salt, bicarb of soda and chocolate chunks into a bowl.

Add the coconut buttermilk to the dry ingredients and mix (you may need some more flour if it appears too sticky and wet, depending on your flour so add more self raising flour if needed)

Mix to form a dough and turn out into a lightly floured worktop and knead gently. Form into a round ball and pop onto a lined baking tray and score a cross on the top

Pop into the oven for 30-40 minutes until golden in colour and cooked inside... And enjoy :))

Coconut crazy :))

I told you I had gone coconut crazy...this time with a coconut bread! I had seen the recipe on smitten kitchens website so I knew I had to make it! It's a really nice sweet bread, a great alternative to banana bread

Coconut Bread

2 large eggs

295 ml milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups (315 grams) plain flour

1/4 tsp salt 

2 tsp  baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup (200 grams) caster sugar

140 grams) dessicated coconut 

85 grams butter, melted or melted and browned, if desired

Heat oven to 180/170c fan degrees. In a jug, whisk the eggs, milk and vanilla extract 

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Add sugar and coconut, and stir to mix. Make a well in the center, and pour in egg mixture, then stir until just combined. Add melted butter, and stir until just smooth — be careful not to overmix.

Butter and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan, Pour batter in pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, anywhere from 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool in the pan for five minutes, before turning out onto a cooling rack.

Cut into thick slices with a nice bit of butter or even some lovely lemon curd :))

Adapted from a recipe from smitten kitchen