Chocolate Coconut Banoffee Pie

Ingredients:

397g can caramel
100g dark chocolate
4 bananas
a little cocoa powder , for dusting

For the coconut cream
400ml can coconut milk
4 large egg yolks
4 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp Malibu
300ml pot double cream

For the base
200g pack creamed coconut , roughly chopped
400g bourbon biscuits
 How to Make It:
STEP 1
To make the base, gently melt the creamed coconut in a pan, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, whizz the biscuits in a food processor (if you don’t have one, bash to the finest crumbs you can). Mix with the melted coconut and a pinch of salt. Press over the base and up the sides of a 22cm round loose-bottomed fluted tin. Chill.

STEP 2
To make the coconut cream, bring the coconut milk to almost a simmer. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks, caster sugar and flours. Pour the hot coconut milk over while whisking continuously. Tip back into the pan and gently heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, smooth and glossy. (At first it will be lumpy, but keep beating and it will become smooth.) Simmer for 2 mins, then take off the heat and stir in the Malibu. Cool with a sheet of cling film laid directly on the surface so a skin doesn’t form.

STEP 3
Scrape the caramel into a pan with the chocolate, broken into chunks, and gently melt together. Peel and slice the bananas, then arrange the slices over the base of the pie. Pour over the chocolate caramel and chill again to set – 1 hr at least, or up to 24 hrs.

STEP 4
When the coconut cream has gone cold, scrape into a bowl with the double cream and beat until just thick enough to hold a peak. Gently spoon into a plastic food bag (easy to transport) and chill until ready to serve.

STEP 5
To serve, snip off the end of the cream bag and pipe all over the pie. Dust with a little cocoa to finish, and eat with any extra coconut cream mixture served in a bowl.

Coconut Cookies

Ingredients:

200g unsalted butter, softened
75g caster sugar
75g light brown soft sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 large egg
275g plain flour
125g desiccated coconut, toasted and cooled
100g dark chocolate
 How to Make It:
STEP 1
Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Beat the butter in a large bowl using an electric whisk or in a stand mixer until very soft. Beat in both sugars and the vanilla until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg until just combined. Sift in the flour and a pinch of salt and stir to combine. Fold in 100g of the toasted coconut.

STEP 2
Roll the dough into 14-16 balls (about 45g each) and arrange on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment, well spaced apart. Flatten each slightly using the palm of your hand and bake for 12-15 mins until golden brown and slightly firm to the touch. Leave to cool on the sheet briefly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

STEP 3
Break the chocolate into pieces and tip into a heatproof bowl, then melt in 20-second bursts in the microwave. Or set the bowl over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the bowl doesn’t touch the water, stirring until smooth. Dip one half of each cookie into the melted chocolate, then lay on a sheet of baking parchment and sprinkle with the remaining toasted coconut. Leave to set for about 30 mins.

Matzo Granola with Coconut, Cashew & Cranberry

Ingredients:

5 sheets matzo (any type: wholemeal, rye, spelt, gluten-free)
150g cashews, coarsely chopped
150g blanched or regular almonds, coarsely chopped
6 tbsp sunflower oil
80ml maple syrup
½ tsp ground cinnamon
75g coconut flakes
100g dried cranberries
 How to Make It:
STEP 1
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Crumble the matzo into bite-sized pieces in a large bowl and mix with the chopped nuts.

STEP 2
Mix the sunflower oil, maple syrup, cinnamon and ½ tsp salt in a separate bowl, then pour this over the mixed dry ingredients. Mix well to coat and tip onto the baking sheet.

STEP 3
Bake for 10-15 mins, turning a couple of times so the granola browns evenly. After 10 mins, mix in the coconut flakes to cook for the final 5 mins. Keep an eye on it as it can quickly turn too dark. When it is golden-brown, remove from the oven and leave to cool on the baking sheet. It will crisp up as it cools. Stir in the cranberries, then transfer to a clean container when completely cool.

STEP 4
Serve with milk or Greek yogurt and chopped fruit. If you can stop snacking on it, there should be enough to get you through Passover.

Toasted Coconut Rice

Ingredients:

750g Thai fragrant rice
100ml coconut milk
2 lime leaves , torn
100g desiccated coconut , toasted, in a dry pan until golden
 How to Make It:
STEP 1
Boil the kettle. Wash the rice 3 times in cold water, draining each time to remove the starch, then tip into a large saucepan with a well-fitting lid. Add the coconut milk, lime leaves and 1 tsp salt, then stir.

STEP 2
Pour over enough boiling water to just cover the rice. Cover, bring to the boil and cook for 5 mins. Turn off the heat and leave the rice to steam with the lid on for 20 mins. Run a fork through the rice to fluff it up, then scatter over the toasted coconut just before serving.

Coconut Cream Cake

Ingredients:

For the cake
juice of 1 lemon
50g desiccated coconut
200ml carton coconut cream
85g fine or medium polenta
2 level tsp baking powder
140g butter at room temperature
140g golden caster sugar
finely grated zest of ½ lemon
140g plain flour

Topping
2 tbsp toasted desiccated coconut
140g icing sugar , sieved
 How to Make It:
STEP 1
Heat the oven to 180C/gas 4/fan oven 160C. Line an 18cm round cake tin with baking parchment. Cream together the butter and sugar until soft. Add 150ml/1⁄4pint of the coconut cream and the remaining cake ingredients and beat lightly to make a soft and slightly wet mixture.

STEP 2
Spoon the ingredients into the tin and bake for 50-55 minutes, until the top of the cake is golden and a skewer inserted comes clean. Remove from the oven allow to cool in the cake tin.

STEP 3
When cold, remove the cake from the tin, peel away the paper and put the cake on a plate. Put the icing sugar into a bowl and add enough of the reserved coconut cream to mix to a thick but flowing consistency. Spread the icing over the cake, allowing it to dribble down the sides, then sprinkle the toasted coconut around the top edge.
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