Bill Granger’s Coconut Bread

Ingredients

2 units eggs large

1 1/4 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon table salt see Note

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon Bill calls for 2 but I preferred 1, so that it didn’t dominate

1 cup granulated sugar

5 ounces sweetened flaked coconut

6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted or melted and browned, if desired

vegetable oil or nonstick cooking spray for baking pan

Equipment

oven

small bowl

medium bowl

sifter

9×5-inch loaf pan

cooling rack

toothpick

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla. 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 wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. Add butter, and stir until just smooth — be careful not to overmix. Butter and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan, or coat it with a nonstick spray. Spread 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 pan five minutes, before turning out onto a cooling rack. Serve in thick slices, toasted, with butter and confectioners’ sugar or salted honey brown butter spread.