Happy Mother’s Day!  This weekend, I traveled back home to hang out with my mom on her big day, so naturally I had to bake something for her.  And, as you should all know by now, that means it had to be something coconut.  First I was looking at coconut coffee cake, thinking it would be good for a Mother’s Day brunch, but I wasn’t really sold on anything I found.  Then, I stumbled upon this coconut quick bread from Smitten Kitchen and knew it was meant to be: quick, easy, and it would take away minimal time from Mother’s Day morning.

So this one is dedicated to all the moms out there, but especially my own. Love you, Mom!

First, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl.

You may notice my location change again: this weekend I got a preview of condo life on the oceanfront, which is where I’ll be spending my summer.  So my baking view is this:

Anyways, next you’ll need to stir together the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon.  I used a fork.

Add the coconut and sugar and stir together.  Don’t forget to pack the coconut while you’re measuring!  I think I used half of a 5 2/3 cup bag in 1 1/2 cups…

Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the egg mixture.  Stir until just combined.

Melt the butter over low heat.  If you’re feeling particularly daring, you can brown it, but I was afraid I’d mess up/didn’t want to take the time.

Add the butter to the batter and stir to combine.  Pour batter into a greased (or sprayed) 9×5 inch loaf pan.

Bake at 350°F for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Pro Tip: Allow to cool completely before cutting.  Otherwise you end up with a plate of crumbs because you were too excited (we may have made that mistake).

I know that was a less than detailed post, but I’m tired after driving 5 hours back to my apartment.  Plus, it’s Mother’s Day – you should be spending time with your mom, not reading my blog!

Enjoy!

Coconut Bread

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups coconut, packed
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1. Whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla in a small bowl.
2. Combine flour, baking powder and cinnamon in a large bowl.
3. Add sugar and coconut, stir to combine.
4. Create a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the egg mixture.  Stir until just combined.
5. Stir in melted butter.
6. Bake in a 9×5 inch loaf pan for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before cutting and serving.