Fresh Coconut Recipes

TO CRACK AND SHAVE FRESH COCONUT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Pierce softest eye of coconut with a metal skewer or small screwdriver and drain liquid into a bowl to sample (if it tastes sweet, the coconut is fresh; if it tastes oily, the coconut is rancid and should be discarded). Bake coconut in oven 15 minutes.
• Break shell with a hammer or back of a heavy cleaver, then remove flesh with point of a strong knife, levering it out carefully. Remove brown skin with a sharp knife or vegetable peeler.
• Shave edges of coconut meat pieces with a vegetable peeler until you have about 3 1/2 cups shavings.

FRESH COCONUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks, while gradually adding 1/2 cup of the sugar. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks until thick. Cream the butter with the vanilla and beat in the remaining 1 cup sugar. Stir the egg yolks into the butter mixture and cream well. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together 3 times. Add enough milk to the reserved coconut milk to make 1 cup liquid. Alternate adding coconut liquid and flour mixture to the butter mixture. Blend in 1/4 cup of the coconut grating and beat well. Fold in the egg whites. Pour into two 9-inch or three 8-inch layer pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Frost the cake layers, assemble, and sprinkle with the remaining coconut grating.
• Combine the sugar, milk, butter, and vanilla. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken. Mix in the coconut. Frosts one 8- or 9-inch layered cake.

FRESH ROASTED COCONUT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Test each of the three eyes at the stem end of the coconut to find the softest eye. Use an ice pick and a hammer to pierce the eye, then drain the juice into a glass through a fine sieve, and reserve for another use.
• Tap the coconut with a hammer until a palm-size piece of the shell breaks off. Continue tapping around the broken edge of the shell until it begins to break apart. Place the broken shells on a baking sheet. Bake the shells for about 10 minutes to loosen the coconut flesh from the shell.
• Remove the coconut shells from the oven, and allow them to cool to the touch. Pry out the meat with an oyster knife. With a potato peeler, remove any remaining brown skin from meat. Grate the coconut meat, or slice it with a mandoline.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place grated or sliced coconut on a baking sheet and transfer to oven. Bake until lightly toasted. Let cool before using.

MACAROONS MADE WITH FRESH COCONUT

Steps:

• Mix the freshly grated coconut, sugar, flour and salt together.
• Mix egg whites with vanilla - no need to beat, and add.
• Drop heaped teaspoons of mix onto non stick pan.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 22 - 24 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Makes 9 - 12 macaroons.

TO CRACK AND PEEL FRESH COCONUT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Pierce softest eye of coconut with a metal skewer or small screwdriver and drain liquid into a bowl to sample. If it tastes sweet, the coconut is fresh; if it tastes oily, the coconut is rancid and should be discarded.
• Bake coconut in oven 15 minutes.
• Break shell with a hammer or back of a heavy cleaver, then remove flesh with point of a strong knife, levering it out carefully. Remove brown skin with a sharp knife or vegetable peeler.

FRESH SHREDDED COCONUT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F
• Use a metal skewer or ice pick to pierce two of the soft spots at the top, where the "eyes" are.
• Drain the liquid and save to use in other recipes.
• Place the coconut on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let it cool until it can be handled (about 5 minutes).
• If it is not already cracked open, place the coconut on a hard surface and tap with a hammer until the shell breaks.
• Remove the white flesh with a spoon or table knife. Peel off the thin, brown inner skin with a vegetable peeler.
• Grate the coconut pieces on the fine side of a manual grater or cut into coarse pieces and grind in a food processor.
• Use the grated coconut to make coconut milk, as a garnish for fruit salad or ice cream, or in other recipes.
• Keep refrigerated.