Many years ago when I was growing up. Sundays meant rice and peas which meant grating and squeezing coconuts to get the milk which would be used to make the rice and peas. The byproduct would be the grated 'coconut trash'. Being upstanding Caribbean people we could not allow it to go to waste.
My father would often turn that into a glorious dessert which I have been dreaming of lately.
I would be remiss in telling this tale if I didn't mention that I was no good at either cracking open or grating coconuts as I would either stab myself trying to remove the meat or leave my skin behind in the grated meat. Needless to say, I was soon relieved of this honorable duty and have been a failure in the art of true rice and peas since then. I get my coconut milk from a can or reconstituted from powder. I should say in my defense the finished product still tastes great!
Anyway, as I'd been thinking fondly of my father's dessert, I thought it a sign when I came across fresh coconuts in a store. So I bought two and resolved to successfully get them out of the shell and to do it before the coconut spoiled (who knew they could go bad in the shell).
Well,I'm pleased to say I was successful in my endeavors and am submitting the proof of both my breaking of the shell and removal of the meat without blood or flesh.
Well, obviously the next step was to make the dessert I so fondly remembered so I called my dad and he was happy to instruct me via video.
The dessert is called Toto in Jamaica and is really a kind of coconut cake. It is absolutely delicious and not too sweet. It came out very well if I do say so myself.
The recipe calls for:
1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded coconut,
1 cup flour,
1 cup dark brown sugar,
1/4 tsp nutmeg,
1 tbsp baking powder,
1/2 tsp cinnamon,
2tsp vanilla,
pinch of salt,
1 tsp rosewater
Mix together with 1 cup plus more water until you get a texture that is just on the runny side of a batter.
Taste and adjust spices, add a teaspoon or two of browning or molasses to darken batter if you can't find really dark brown sugar like me.
Bake at 350 for one hour, allow to cool if you can wait and then enjoy!
I'm submitting again the proof for your viewing pleasure and to tempt you into trying this wonderful recipe yourself.
P.S. Don't be ashamed to buy shredded coconut from the store. It will taste just as good.
Ok. Here goes.
