Toasted coconut and a coconut milk glaze top this moist, coconut-filled healthy breakfast bread from the book Sprouted Kitchen. Great for dessert, too!

breakfast / snacks & dips / sprouted kitchen

I’ve been reading Sara & Hugh’s blog Sprouted Kitchen for about as long as I’ve been reading 101 Cookbooks. Which is food blog code for: a long time. I’ve had their book pre-ordered for months, but was excited (flattered, really) when Sara sent me one.

Now, everyone reading my blog is, I’m sure, already familiar with Sprouted Kitchen. I probably don’t need to go on about how gorgeous Hugh’s photography is. Or about how many “I wish I thought of that” moments I’ve had over Sara’s inspiring and creative recipe ideas (Shiitake Taco’s anyone?). So I’ll just get to why I like the book…

We are a lot alike… First off, Sara suggests readers should buy and plant a lemon tree. (I’ve been talking about planting a lemon tree for about 2 years now – time to get on it). In another section she talks about being offended when Hugh once referred to her style of cooking as “bowl foods” (because “that’s not a style for heaven’s sake”)…  which is just the sort of thing Jack would say, and exactly the way I would react.

But what we really have in common is breakfast. I like eggs with piles of greens, and Jack would be one for sweet foods in the morning.

I made these coconut loaves yesterday afternoon, which doubled as dessert last night, and tripled as breakfast this morning. Coconut is one of my favorite things, especially coconut oil, because it’s a great sub-in for butter. This loaf is sweet but not too sweet, just the way I like it. You can’t really tell in the photo, but I threw some chopped mango in one, and (well pictured), some chocolate chips in the other.

Read below for the recipe, or get the book — more of their beautiful recipes include edamame & scallion dumplings (which I made & loved), soba bowls with tea-poached salmon, and a gorgeous tuscan kale salad that’s on my to-make list.

(& a big congrats to Sara & Hugh…)

Coconut Loaf

  PrintPrep time 15 minsCook time 50 minsTotal time 1 hour 5 mins Author: Jeanine DonofrioServes: 1 loaf or 2 mini loavesIngredients

• ¼ cup extra-virgin coconut oil, melted, plus more for the pan
• 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
• ¾ cup turbinado sugar
• ¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour (I used white spelt flour)
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (I used whole spelt flour)
• ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I used cinnamon)
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup organic powdered sugar, or more as needed
• 2 cups fresh blackberries, for serving on the side (I mixed a handful of chopped mango in one, chocolate chips in the other)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease an 8½ inch loaf pan or 2 mini loaf pans with a bit of coconut oil.

Spread the shredded coconut on a rimmed backing sheet and toast in the oven until just golden brown, about 4 minutes. Watch it carefully, it can burn quickly. Set aside ½ cup for topping the loaf.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1½ cups of the toasted coconut and the turbinado sugar. Sift in the flours, nutmeg (or cinnamon as I did), baking powder, baking soda, and salt and stir to combine. In another bowl, whisk the eggs together, then whisk in 1 cup of the coconut milk, coconut oil, and the vanilla. Gently stir the wet mixture in to the dry ingredients until just combined. Pour the mixture into the loaf pan(s) and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. 45-50 minutes for a full sized loaf pan, about 25-30 minutes for the mini pans. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.

While the loaf is cooling, combine ¼ of the remaining coconut milk and the powdered sugar in a bowl and whisk until there are no clumps. Add more sugar or more coconut milk, to taste, depending on the consistency you prefer. (You won’t use the entire can of coconut milk). Pour the glaze over the cooled cake and sprinkle the remaining toasted coconut on top.

Serve with blackberries on the side, or seasonal fruit of your choice.

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This recipe is reproduced with permission. The Sprouted Kitchen, a tastier take on whole foods is published by Ten Speed Press. 

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