Cooking with coconut

Coconut is everywhere — as flour, sugar, yoghurt, oil, milk, cream, drinks, long thread, desiccated — and attracting heaps of publicity for its supposed nutrient content and flavour.

Coconut flour is lower in carbohydrate than regular wheat flour and it’s packed with fibre. This absorbs moisture readily and used on its own results in biscuits more like cardboard than cookies. So it’s best combined with other flours in bakes. This gluten-free flour is prepared from the coconut pulp left over from making coconut milk. It is also a favourite in paleo diets — hence its present-day popularity.

Coconut sugar (or coconut palm sugar) is made from the sap of coconut palm blossoms that is boiled then dehydrated. It contains the same number of kilojoules as cane sugar (about 63 per teaspoon) but less fructose. The caramel-coloured crystals are finer than regular brown sugar and have a delightful butterscotch flavour. It’s great for bakes not requiring any creaming with butter, plus sprinkled on porridge and as a sweetener for coffee or fruit such as tamarillos.

For those people with a lactose intolerance who love yoghurt then Raglan Coconut Yoghurt is new and delicious. Initially made by Raglan couple Seb Walter and Latesha Randall for their own enjoyment, this probiotic yoghurt is now available in jars from many supermarkets and delis. I’ve given my spiced marinated chicken extra pizzazz using this coconut yoghurt. It’s also fabulous in desserts, smoothies and bakes.

Coconut oil — which is solid at room temperature — contains an abundance of medium chain fatty acids similar to those in breast milk. Easily digested, it boosts one's metabolism to help use up fat rather than store it. However, it is still high in calories and should — like all fat and oils — be used in moderation. It’s a baking oil and provides great flavour in stir-fries.

Coconut cream and milk are prepared by adding water to raw grated coconut then pressing. There are light versions of the milk available that still provide good flavour but with fewer calories. Coconut cream contains about 1255 kilojoules per 100g, coconut milk 960 and light coconut milk about 440.

Tropical coconut sugar loaf

The tropical fruit can be coarsely chopped in a food processor.

1 cup each: coconut sugar, hot water
75g butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch each: ground nutmeg, salt
150g each: glacé/dried papaya, mango, pineapple, chopped
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1½ cups plain flour
1 teaspoon each: baking powder, vanilla essence

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Lightly grease a heavy-gauge, 24cm x 13cm loaf pan and line the base with baking paper.
2. Place the coconut sugar, hot water, butter, spices and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the tropical fruits. Cool to lukewarm.
3. Stir in the eggs and the sifted flour and baking powder. Add the vanilla. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
4. Cool on a wire rack. Wrap in foil and store for a couple of days before slicing.

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Coconut yoghurt chicken

I used Raglan Coconut Yoghurt and Waiheke Island Herb Spread. Serves 4

Chicken
½ cup coconut yoghurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
¼ teaspoon each: ground cumin, garam masala, ground turmeric, salt
Finely grated rind and juice 1 lemon
2 large skinned and boned chicken breasts, halved lengthwise
1-2 tablespoons canola oil for frying

Herb sauce
½ cup coconut yoghurt
3 tablespoons finely chopped mixed fresh herbs or herb paste
Water to thin

1. Combine the coconut yoghurt, olive oil, garlic, spices, salt, lemon rind and juice to make a marinade.
2. Place the chicken in a plastic bag and add the marinade. Move the chicken around so it is evenly coated. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Return the chicken to room temperature.
4. Heat the canola oil in a non-stick frying pan. Remove the chicken from the marinade. Pan-fry on all sides, until golden. Place in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes or until cooked.
5. Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the sauce. Serve drizzled over the chicken.

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Coconut flour cookies

These gluten-free cookies are best stored in the fridge or freezer and enjoyed with a cup of tea or coffee. Makes about 20

½ cup each: coconut flour, gluten-free flour
4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
¼ cup coconut sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Finely grated rind 1 lemon
2-3 tablespoons chopped candied lemon peel

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Combine the flours, coconut oil, coconut sugar, salt, eggs and lemon rind in a food processor and mix well.
3. Take 2 teaspoons of the mixture and roll into a ball. Place on the baking tray. Flatten with a fork. Top with the candied peel.
4. Bake for about 15 minute until starting to brown around the edges. Cool on a wire rack then store in an airtight container in the fridge.

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Cinnamon coconut cake

A coconut sauce tops this dessert.

Cake
100g butter, melted
1 cup caster sugar
¾ cup plain flour
1½ cups each: shredded coconut, coconut milk
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Coconut sauce
125g coconut sugar or dark cane sugar
¼ cup water
½ cup coconut milk

1. Preheat the oven to 160C. Lightly oil a 24cm springform cake pan and line with baking paper.
2. Combine all the cake ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for about 50 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes then turn onto a rack to cool.
3. To make the sauce, combine the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Serve small slices of the cake with fresh fruit and drizzle with the sauce.

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