Coconut Bread

As requested by Denise (whose Birthday is today – Happy Birthday) and Linda here’s the coconut bread recipe from Thursday – so blame them if you try it and it goes pear shaped.

Since ours is gone I’m not able to provide an arty phone of a slice with a cup of tea so here’s the fresh out of the oven pic again…

because a recipe always needs a photo to compare to.  I was maybe a little too keen in getting them out of the moulds and a little got left behind…

2 eggs

300ml (10 fl oz) milk (I use semi-skimmed)

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

2½ cups plain (all purpose) flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup caster (superfine) sugar (except when the cupboard only has granulated)

150g (5 oz) shredded (desiccated) coconut

75g (2½ oz) unsalted butter, melted (unless you only have salted in)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F or Gas Mark 4).  Lightly whisk eggs, milk and vanilla together.

Sift* flour, baking powder and cinnamon into a bowl, add sugar and coconut, and stir to combine.  Make a well in the centre and gradually stir in the eg mixture until just combined.  Add melted butter and stir until the mixture is just smooth, being careful not to over-mix.

Pour into a greased and floured 21 x 10 cm (8 ½ x 4 in) loaf tin and bake in the preheated oven for one hour, or until bread is cooked when tested with a skewer.

Leave in the tin to cool for five minutes and remove to cool further on a wire rack.  Serve in thick slices, toasted, buttered and dusted with icing sugar**.  Makes 8-10 thick slices.

* Okay I admit I read this as bung in a bowl leaving any sifting equipment comfortably in the cupboard – and I wonder why my baking is hit and miss

** We tend (well, except the very first time I made it) to eat it un-toasted, un-buttered and un-dusted with icing sugar

No liability can be accepted for any adverse results – although we have eaten ours and I spoke to the hospital day unit today and at least two of the staff were in so it should be okay.  Oh and Bud got a piece too as I dropped one on the kitchen floor and I shouted him to clean it up.

 

Hairy Muffins

Following on from my first attempt in January to cut my own hair, disregarding the fringe incident at age 13ish, here’s the photographic evidence.

The before with out of control curliness and a colour that was never naturally mine…

The day after, not very clear but since in the other two I’m wearing my jim jams I just wanted to prove that I do get dressed sometimes…

And last night still sporting the cut from four weeks ago.

I would have expected it to need another trim by now but maybe it’s slowing down before it departs completely!  Typing of which I went for my blood taken this morning, but haven’t heard anything yet about the counts or cycle two staring on Friday.

I also baked today – Quinoa Muffins as per Martha Stewart.  They turned out not only edible but quite delicious.

I substituted dried cranberries for the currants as although I love Fly Pie (Chorley/Eccles Cake – which is not a cake but a pastry – don’t tell Brussels or the name will need to be changed) I’m not a big fan of currants in cake and don’t even get me started on sultanas – blah!

 

Final Countdown

Wow – I’m done and ended up just two pressies short of a Christmas – I did start them last night but it was after 23:00 – and I didn’t think I had the relevant concentration to do them justice.  I had a few things to finish today but knew they wouldn’t take that long…

Some more paper baubles (I should probably have taken a pic of the card before I cut it up – that might have been an idea – it was very nice)

A buddy from my ready made ones

A crochet cube lined and stuffed

A fleece (yes all I had to do was hem it)

For the mother in law, who tends to never use/wear presents I thought food!  So I made double my Christmas baking…

Chocolate fruit Christmas cake made into individual cakes after seeking advice from Lorna.

Coconut bread – B’s favourite

And some Apricot Crumbles which I’d never made before and mine are blackcurrant.

The best bit – all are edible – which is always a plus with my baking – it’s either really good or really, really, really bad.

And my next to last present – a Christmas table runner…

So other than one more present, which shouldn’t take long, I only have a date with our little furry family member and a set of reindeer antlers – don’t worry I’m not going to use the staple gun.  I couldn’t find the staple extractor and since Buddy sleeps on the bed I didn’t fancy waking up with an antler up my nose! 

Made – 25/29 with 5 hours 15 mins to go – so that means two get bought (e vouchers) and the other missed the Christmas post date so with the snow as well there was no urgency there)

Panic level – 0/10