Fresh Coconut Curls Food

COCONUT CAKE WITH MERINGUE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-by-9-by-2-inch cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper. Butter parchment and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Place shredded coconut in bowl of a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Stir chopped coconut into flour mixture until combined; set aside.
• Beat together butter and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down side of bowl as needed. Add whole eggs, egg whites, and vanilla; beat until fluffy and combined. With mixer on low, add flour mixture, alternating with coconut milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, mixing well after each addition.
• Divide batter evenly between prepared pans; smooth with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until cakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes.
• Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 30 minutes. Invert cakes onto rack; peel off parchment paper. Reinvert cakes and let them cool completely, top sides up, then wrap individually in plastic wrap. Transfer to freezer for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cake layers to make them level. Place one layer on a cake plate; spread top with 1 1/2 cups meringue. Top with remaining layer, cut side up. Using offset spatula, spread remaining frosting over entire cake, swirling to cover in a decorative fashion. Sprinkle entire cake with coconut curls, bending and curling as desired. Cake can be kept refrigerated, covered with a cake dome, up to 3 days.

FRESH COCONUT CURLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Test each of the three eyes at stem end of coconut to see which is softest. Then use an ice pick (or a screwdriver) and a hammer to pierce two of the eyes. Strain milk through a fine sieve into a bowl; reserve for another use, or discard.
• Place coconut on a rimmed baking sheet; bake 30 minutes, or until coconut shell begins to crack. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
• Wrap coconut in a clean kitchen towel. Holding coconut with one hand, hit with hammer in the same place several times to crack outer shell and split coconut into several large pieces.
• Separate coconut flesh from shell, and use a vegetable peeler to remove dark outer skin. Rinse coconut in cold water, then use vegetable peeler to take off long, thick strips from outer (cut) edges. Use immediately, or store, layered between damp paper towels in an airtight container, in refrigerator up to 6 hours.

COCONUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-by-9-by-2-inch cake pans; line bottom with parchment paper. Butter parchment and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Place shredded coconut in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Stir chopped coconut into flour mixture until combined; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed. Add whole eggs, egg whites, and vanilla; beat until fluffy and combined. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture, alternating with the coconut milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, mixing well after each addition.
• Divide batter evenly between prepared pans; smooth with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until cakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes.
• Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Invert cakes onto rack; peel off parchment paper. Reinvert cakes and let them cool completely, top sides up.
• Using a serrated knife, trim tops of the cake layers to make level. Place one layer on a cake plate, and spread top with 1 1/2 cups frosting. Top with remaining layer, cut side down. Using an offset spatula, spread remaining frosting over entire cake, swirling to cover in a decorative fashion. Sprinkle entire cake with coconut curls, bending and curling as desired. Cake can be kept refrigerated, covered with a cake dome, for up to 3 days.

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.