Banana Coconut Cream Bread

Servings: 2 loaves

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 cups wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar, or to taste
• 1 cup Expeller-Pressed or Virgin Coconut Oil
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 cup Coconut Cream Concentrate
• 1 cup shredded coconut (optional)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, oil, eggs, bananas, CCC, and vanilla extract. Stir into dry mixture, mixing until just moistened. Fold in coconut and nuts, if desired. Pour into two greased and floured 8 1/2-inch x 4 1/2-inch x 2 1/2-inch loaf pans.

Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until breads test done. Cool 10 minutes in pans before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe submitted by Sandra, West Point, NE.

Recipe prepared by Sarah Shilhavy and photographed by Jeremiah Shilhavy.

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I’m not a sweets person, but this bread is incredibly addictive! Moist but firm, tart, sweet (but not too sweet), and deliciously nutty. With a glass of milk—heaven.

Coconut, Rhubarb, Walnut Bread

Servings: 2 loaves
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 3/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 eggs, (large)
• 1 1/2 cups whole sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 1/2 cups stewed rhubarb (see recipe below)
• 2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (or flakes)

Stewed Rhubarb:

• 4 cups finely chopped fresh rhubarb (look for it at your local farmer’s market spring-summer)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup raw sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9 x 5-inch baking pans.

Sift together and set aside first 6 dry ingredients. In a medium-sized bowl, beat together eggs, whole sugar, and coconut oil. Stir the rhubarb into the egg mixture. Add flour mixture and stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in the nuts and coconut. Turn into prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50–60 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out on a wire rack to cool. Wrap in foil to store (If there’s any left!).

Stewed Rhubarb

Simmer rhubarb and water in a saucepan just until rhubarb is tender. Do not cook until completely soft. Stir sugar into cooked rhubarb. Add more water only if needed to prevent sticking or burning.

Recipe and photo submitted by Lydia, Salem, VA.

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Soft Pretzels

Servings: 10 large pretzels
Preparation Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups very warm water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 22 ounces flour, about 4 1/2 cups (use about half whole wheat flour)
• 2 ounces coconut oil, melted (about 1/4 cup)
• 2 quarts water
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water, optional
• salt

Directions:

Pour water into the bowl of a standing mixer and stir in sugar and salt until dissolved. Sprinkle the yeast on top but do not stir. Allow to proof for 5–10 minutes until the yeast begins to foam.

Add the flour and coconut oil to the yeast mixture. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Turn the speed up and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, around 4 to 5 minutes.

Remove dough from the bowl. Oil the bowl with coconut oil and place ball of dough back in. Lightly grease the top of the dough ball. Cover the top of the bowl with a damp towel and let sit in a warm place for approximately 1–2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Stir the water and baking soda together and bring to a boil in a large pot.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface lightly oiled with extra coconut oil and divide into 10 equal pieces. Roll out into pretzel shapes and place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and greased with coconut oil.

Place 1 pretzel at a time into the boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove with a large, flat spatula and place back onto lined cookie sheets. Brush with optional egg wash, if desired.

Bake until dark golden brown in color, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and serve with melted butter, salt, cinnamon sugar, and other toppings/dips of choice.

Recipe courtesy of Sarah Shilhavy.

Recipe prepared by Sarah Shilhavy and photographed by Jeremiah Shilhavy.

Submit your recipe here!