Coconut toast with ricotta and honey

We've mixed both shredded and flaked coconut in this loaf for a textural tease. Just toast, spread with ricotta and honey — and someone to bring it to you in bed — and you've got the makings of the best Saturday morning.

Coconut toast with ricotta and honey. Credit: China Squirrel

• serves

  6

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  1:15 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2½ cups (225 g) plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt
• 200 g (1 cup) caster sugar
• 50 g (¾ cup) shredded coconut
• 60 g (¾ cup) coconut flakes
• 2 eggs
• 300 ml milk
• 3 tsp freshly grated orange rind
• 125 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 350 g fresh soft ricotta cheese
• honey or honeycomb, for serving

Instructions

Preheat oven to 175ºC. Grease and line a 22 cm x 14 cm loaf tin with baking paper.

Sift flour, baking powder and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl. Add salt, sugar and shredded and flaked coconut and mix well with a wooden spoon.

In a separate bowl, combine eggs, milk and orange rind with a fork. Add to flour mixture, mixing to combine.

Fold melted butter through until just combined.

Spoon into prepared tin and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes before removing from tin. Allow to cool on a wire rack at room temperature.

Thickly slice coconut bread, then toast 2 slices per serve. Top with ricotta cheese and honey (see Note). Coconut bread can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Note

• If you're in a homemade state of mind, try Silvia Colloca's recipe for ricotta.

Photography, styling and food preparation by China Squirrel.

This recipe is from Don't Call Me Brunch, our better-than-cafe weekend breakfast racket. Bunker in with us. 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.