Do you remember those crisp old time Coconut Biscuits that we used to get regularly? They were large, round, flat and nicely brown. I remember buying them at the tuck shop at school. One biscuit was all you needed for satisfaction. Well, the other day, a couple of friends and I were reminiscing about school days and the treats we would buy, and everyone spoke lovingly and longingly about the Coconut Biscuits. We searched online for recipes, but nothing came close to resembling what we were talking about.
Over the holidays, on Boxing Night to be exact, some Guyanese friends came over to visit bearing edible gifts. Guess what was in one of the containers? Homemade Coconut Biscuits! My friend Michelle had heard me talking about Coconut Biscuits and wanted to surprise me. Boy did she surprise me. When Michelle and her husband left, I excitedly opened the package and took out one of the biscuits, they were shaped differently, she cut them into large squares, some longer than others but that did not matter to me. They were going one place and I do not think the stomach would discern and reject the biscuits because they were not round! I could not believe it. They were exactly the taste and texture of the Coconut Biscuits from my primary school days that I was looking for. The biscuits were firm and crunchy, each bite with that crunch was a delight. You could taste the flavour of coconut and the hint of spice, and the biscuits were not overly sweet, they had just the right amount that kept you going back for more without feeling guilty. The best part for me was the mouth feel and the experience of the crunch with each bite. Those biscuits. What a taste of home.
I asked Michelle for the recipe because I wanted to share it with you and true to form – as is the case with most great cooks and bakers – her recipe was based on sight and touch. There were no exacting measurements. I offered to go to her place to watch her make the biscuits, but she was shy, and I do not like making people uncomfortable, so I did not push. She told me that she would write down the ingredients and tell me what to do. Last week she sent her recipe. We had a little back and forth for clarification on a couple of things and in the end it all worked out.
(Photo by Cynthia Nelson)
I have to admit that I was a little nervous making the biscuits, especially after I saw how moist the mixture was and wondering if the amount of flour instructed to add was really going to bring the dough together. It did. The other part that I was somewhat unsure of was the baking time; Michelle simply said, it does not take long, stay in the kitchen (laugh). I averaged 15 minutes but at the 15-minute mark the top of the biscuits were still a little soft so I called her to find out if I could remove them and if they would harden/crisp up, set as they cool (as is the case with several baked goods). The response was to let it bake a little longer. I sighed. How much is a little longer I wondered to myself? In the end, the ‘little longer’ for me turned out to be 3 minutes.
The biscuits came out perfectly and tasted just as good as the ones I was gifted on Boxing Night.
The recipe I am sharing with you today is exactly what my friend gave to me; I have only changed up the wording to give more explanation and measured the ingredients. Try it and let me know what you think.
Coconut Biscuits
Yield: 26 – 28 (3 ½-inch biscuits)
INGREDIENTS
- 1 large coconut, grated (2 ¾ cups)
- ½ pound West Indian brown sugar (1 cup plus 1 tablespoon)
- 3 oz vegetable shortening, room temperature
- 1 oz margarine, room temperature (I used butter; 2 tablespoons)
- 1 lb all-purpose flour (3 ½ cups)
- Essence for flavouring (I used 2 teaspoons almond essence; vanilla or mixed can work)
- A sprinkling of ground cinnamon (I used 1 level teaspoon)
DIRECTIONS
1. Mix together the coconut, sugar, shortening and butter and continue to mix as if creaming butter and sugar until the mixture is creamy and fluffy – this takes 15 minutes if mixing by hand, if using a mixer, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the essence and cinnamon to the creamed coconut, sugar mixture and blend to fully incorporate.
3. Add the flour a little at a time to form a dough; I added about a cup at a time. Ensure that the flour in fully incorporated before adding the next set. The dough should come together and be like pastry dough.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and 2 line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
5. Generously flour a work surface and rolling pin.
6. Divide the dough in half and shape into a flat| circle, sprinkle a little flour on the surface of the dough, and working with one piece at a time, roll the dough flat just shy of ¼-inch thickness. Cut into shapes with a knife or cookie cutter. Transfer to a baking sheet. Gather scraps, form into a ball and continue to roll and cut. Repeat with other half of dough.
7. Bake for 18 minutes, switching pans on shelf halfway through baking.
8. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. The biscuits when baked will be pale in colour.
9. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for a week.
NOTES
- It does not matter if the butter you use is salted or unsalted
- You can opt to roll the biscuit dough between two sheets of parchment paper
- I used 2 x 13 by 18-inch baking sheets; the biscuits do not spread as they bake so you can put them about 1-inch apart.
- The biscuits, obviously, if cut into smaller sizes will yield more.
Cynthia
cynthia@tasteslikehome.org
www.tasteslikehome.org