Tag: coconut

Cakes & Bakes: Jam coconut slices

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Jam coconut slice with mug of tea | @hisforhome

Although there is technically a bit of baking involved here, this week’s Cakes & Bakes is more of a little suggestion for leftover pastry from making other things.

Puff pastry scraps | @hisforhome

We had a few pieces after making a batch of sausage rolls yesterday.

Jam slice uncooked | @hisforhome

Generously spread jam or preserve onto the rolled out pastry – we chose strawberry and plum. Then sprinkle with coconut and bake for about 10 minutes; that’s it!

Jam & coconut slice uncooked | @hisforhome

 It’s delicious, especially when eaten whilst still warm.

Jam & coconut slice cooked | @hisforhome

It works well with puff or shortcrust pastry – a lovely little treat with that well deserved cuppa.

Cakes & Bakes: Manchester Tart

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Home-made Manchester tart | H is for Home

I’ve been meaning to try to make a Manchester tart for ages. It’s a fairly local dish, although not all that common to find… and consists of a host of things we both love – bananas, dessicated coconut, jam and custard. A Northern dish made using exotic ingredients like bananas and coconut!

I found and slightly adapted a Marcus Wareing recipe I found online. There are lots of stages – it’s not quick to whip up, but it’s a scrumptious, filling dessert – I’ll be making it again soon!

Manchester Tart

Marcus Wareing
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Course Dessert
Cuisine British

Ingredients
  

For the base

  • 150 g unsalted butter
  • 100 g caster sugar
  • 1 free-range egg beaten
  • 175 g plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder

For the filling

  • 200 g raspberry jam I used some of the raspberry jelly I made in the summer
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • 3 tbsp rum
  • 50 g unsalted butter
  • 4 medium bananas sliced

For the custard

  • 560 ml semi-skimmed milk
  • 3 free-range egg yolks
  • 3 tbsp caster sugar
  • 4 tbsp custard powder

For the topping

  • 50 g dessicated coconut

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas mark 4
  • Lightly grease or line the base of an 18cm/7inch square cake tin with baking paper
  • Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, then fold in the flour mixed with the baking powder
  • Flatten the mixture into the tin using a small angled palette knife and bake for 12-15 minutes or until light golden
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 30 minutes
  • Spread the dessicated coconut evenly on a shallow baking tray and toast in the oven for no more than 5 minutes. Shaking once or twice to get an even colour
  • For the filling, spread the cooled base with the jam/jelly
  • Heat a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the sugar to the pan and melt to form a caramel, swirling all the time
  • Carefully add the rum (I had an unplanned flambé experience!), then whisk in the butter
  • Add the banana slices and toss gently or turn with tongs until coated & caramelised
  • Layer on top of the raspberry jam/jelly, then place in the fridge for 30 minutes
  • For the custard, put the milk in a saucepan, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat
  • In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, custard powder and an extra splash of milk together until smooth
  • Pour a little of the hot milk on to the mixture, whisk well, then add it back to the hot milk
  • Cook the custard over a low heat, stirring constantly with the whisk, until the mixture is very thick
  • Pour the custard on to the banana caramel mixture then sprinkle the toasted coconut on top
  • Refrigerate for 30-40 minutes until the tart is set
  • Slice & serve
Manchester tart ingredients
Keyword bananas, coconut, custard tart, tart

Cakes & Bakes: Oatmeal coconut cookies

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glass jar full of oatmeal coconut cookies, plate with two cookies and spotty mug of tea | H is for Home #recipe #cookies

I regularly bake cakes and loaves of bread but very rarely cookies. Maybe it’s because you can get such a wide range in the supermarket; or perhaps it’s because they can be fiddly to make. Anyway, I really fancied something different so I made a batch of these oatmeal coconut cookies.

THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! Pah to supermarket-bought from now on!

I found the recipe in old favourite cookbook, Baking – Simple Cookery Series.

glass jar full of oatmeal coconut cookies, plate with two cookies and spotty mug of tea

Oatmeal Coconut Cokies

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Servings 40

Ingredients
  

  • 225 g/8oz butter or margarine
  • 125 g/4oz soft light brown sugar
  • 125 g/4oz caster sugar
  • 1 large egg lightly beaten
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 225 g/8oz plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 125 g/4oz rolled oats
  • 75 g/3oz desiccated coconut

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4, 10 minutes before baking. Lightly grease a baking sheet
  • Cream together the butter and sugars until light & fluffy
  • Gradually stir in the egg and vanilla essence and beat until well blended
  • In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda
  • Add to the butter & sugar mixture and beat together until smooth. Fold in the rolled oats and coconut with a metal spoon or rubber spatula (I found the mix too stiff for a rubber spatula)
  • Roll heaped teaspoonfuls of the mixture into balls and place on the prepared baking sheet about 5cm/2ins apart and flatten each ball slightly with the heel of the hand
  • Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, until just golden
  • Remove from the oven and transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to completely cool
Despite being a greedy pair, we can't polish off 40 cookies in the 3 or 4 days that they remain fresh. I cooked half the batch and put the other post-flattened, pre-baked cookies in the freezer. I put them on a wire rack to freeze (they'd stick like glue to a baking sheet if used) then transferred them to a zip-lock freezer bag. To make the next batch just allow the cookies to defrost for about half an hour before baking as normal.