Coconut Crumpet's 'To Die For' Meyer Lemon Coconut Loaf

Coconut Crumpet's 'To Die For' Meyer Lemon Coconut Loaf

As I was searching the internet for baking inspiration, I came across the To Die For Lemon Loaf. The description made me drool: "organic coconut, organic millet, coconut milk and the juice of fresh organic lemons", totally a loaf made in heaven for Coconut Crumpet! Hunting down a slice on my next trip Downtown was immediately put on my to-do list, but I can't wait that long and had to formulate one for myself.

This recipe was created by me, based on a bajillion different lemon loaf recipes I researched. Many lemon loaf recipes call for a mere 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Nononono, that's not enough lemon-ness for me! In my recipe, I added a heaping third cup of lemon juice; that should do the 'lemon' part of its name justice. Also, being Coconut Crumpet, it's important that the coconut flavour shines through too. Coconut oil adds a fabulous aroma, but doesn't contribute much to the tastebuds' experience. Shredded coconut also doesn't add flavour, but gives texture and fragrance (if it's been toasted!) The coconut flavour comes mainly from the rich and thick coconut milk. Not the kind that you get in tetra boxes that substitutes cow's milk in your cereal bowl every morning. The kind that comes in a can. It's much too heavy in calories to drink, but it works wonders to enrich cooking. I recommend you use one similar to Rooster Brand's Gold Label Coconut Milk. 

This recipe is definitely Rachel-ified since it's low in sugar and only made with a small amount of healthy fats. Don't worry, it won't sabotage your diet. I'm very thankful that this loaf actually worked; the loaf came out tall and cooked in the time I predicted. Besides the fact I overdid it with maybe more than 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds and my splash of vanilla was slightly too much, the flavour and texture of the resulting loaf is wonderful! Not too sweet, prominent meyer lemon taste, a bit of a crunch from the toasted coconut shreds and poppy seeds, richness from the coconut milk, and even moistness throughout the loaf...mmm~ It was the perfect way to use up the last three meyer lemons sitting my fridge. 

I thoroughly enjoyed my taste test of this loaf during school today. Once I get a hold of a real slice of To Die For Lemon Loaf, I shall make necessary adjustments to make this even better. So...without further ado, I proudly present to you (that rhymed!), Coconut Crumpet's interpretation of the To Die For Lemon Loaf! 

Coconut Crumpet's 'To Die For' Meyer Lemon Coconut Loaf

By Coconut Crumpet and inspired by Erin Ireland's To Die For Lemon Loaf

Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
• A pinch of salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• Zest of 2 meyer lemons
• 5 tbsp coconut oil, at room temperature
• 1 egg
• ½ tsp vanilla
• ½ cup coconut milk
• ⅓ cup meyer lemon juice
• 1 ½ tbsp poppy seeds
• ¼ cup unsweetened medium shredded coconut, toasted
• Large flaked shredded coconut

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
3. In a custard cup, gently toss lemon zest in sugar to draw the oils from the peel out.
4. In a separate mixing bowl, cream together coconut oil and sugar until combined. Add egg and vanilla and mix until well combined.
5. Add coconut milk,lemon juice, and poppy seeds to wet mixture and stir until well combined.
6. Add wet mixture to dry mixture and fold until halfway combined. Add toasted coconut and continue to fold until just combined. 
7. Pour into prepared pan and top with large flaked coconut.
8. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until toothpick check comes out with moist crumbs. Broil on high heat for about 3 minutes at the end to achieve a golden brown top crust. 

 Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡

Meyer Lemon Custard Tart

Meyer Lemon Custard Tart

It looks like the Hong Kong egg tart's magnified relative. The more tangy one.

This is what I do with a long weekend and 2 bags of meyer lemons. Continuing on with my meyer lemon extravaganza, today's meyer lemon recipe had it's pros and cons. The appearance was pretty and I love the vibrant colours of the tart. The flavour of meyer lemons, not just any plain ol' lemon, was dominant and refreshing. The crust was flaky, yes, but far too oily when it came out of the oven. After refrigeration, I found the crust to be a bit too hard to cut through. Not sure if all crusts are like that... Also, my family found that the bottom was ever so slightly soggy. Is that avoidable? Sigh, I still have a lot to learn with pie crust making. 

As you can see, I'm a terrible pie crust maker, and this pie crust was just as successful (or not successful) as all my previous attempts. The crust shrunk a lot after being blind baked, so I had to half the custard recipe to ensure it didn't overfill. So I suppose it looks more like a round lemon bar than a creamy tart. If you're a master pie crust-maker, then double the filling recipe to have a thicker layer of custard. The custard is worth a try as I enjoyed it more than I expected myself to!

Meyer Lemon Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

Salad with Meyer Lemon Balsamic Vinaigrette

The smell of meyer lemons are intoxicating. I can't help but stick my nose by these lemons every time I pass them at the supermarket. They're the 'sweet and tart' descendant of normal lemons. If you want to make the best out of lemon recipes, meyer lemons are the way to go.

Meyer Lemons

To start off my rainy long weekend, I brought home two bags of meyer lemons. Springtime is the season for these babies, so I feel so festive using them in recipes now. They are super cheap, only $1 for both bags! But that was because they were old stock and were getting squishy and soft. Not going to stop Coconut Crumpet from experimenting with their flavours! I've been itching to cook with meyer lemons for the longest time, due to my obsession with their smell. 

The fastest way to deal with these over-ripe lemons was to start juicing them! There is a large box of mixed greens sitting my fridge still waiting to be cleared, so salad it is! This dressing is similar to my basic honey balsamic vinaigrette, but fresher, lighter, and tangy-er. Even more suitable for the warm season ahead. I can't wait for summer~