Rum Spiked White Chocolate Chip and Coconut Banana Bread

It might not look pretty but looks can be deceiving.  This was a bake I had intended to be solely for Hubby, with me not being a big fan of banana's ... or banana bread (unless it is my Granny's!) ... or rum for that matter.  But I figure that a good baker should always sample a little of what s/he bakes and I am so pleased I stuck to that philosophy this time.  Yes, I ate my fair share of this Banana Bread, although if Hubby is to be believed I ate more than my fair share.  Actually, he may be right!

The original recipe didn't have chocolate in it, frankly I believe this to be an outrageous oversight so I added some!  As this was (take note of the past tense!) intended as a bake for Hubby, I added white chocolate because he loves it so, but milk or dark chocolate would work equally as well.  Likewise, any rum in the booze cupboard could be used too, but we used a 'special' one.  A few years ago Hubby and I stumbled upon a food show at the Assembly Rooms one weekend, complete with food demo's and wine tastings.  While I was tucking into samples of hot smoked salmon, Hubby was getting a little tiddly on the beer and cider samples so by the time he found the rum stall he was a bit of an easy target ;0)

This particular bottle of rum has sat in our cupboard ever since, unopened and under valued until this recipe came along.  It adds a very subtle kick to the palate and now I wonder why I never thought to add this to a banana bread recipe before.  It was nice enough that I am almost a convert to banana bread and rum now.  Its the addition of the coconut that makes this a real flavour sensation.  As this particular recipe originally comes from America, I knew our desiccated coconut wasn't going to cut the mustard unless it was helped a wee bit.  So, to try and mimic the American style sweetened coconut this is what I did;

Homemade Sweetened Coconut
80g desiccated coconut
2 tsp icing sugar
2 tbsp boiling water

Add all the ingredients together in a small bowl and stir together.  Leave to one side anywhere from a few mins to 30 mins to allow the coconut to soak up all the water and then its ready to use.

Rum Spiked White Chocolate Chip and Coconut Banana Bread
325g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
115g unsalted butter, softened
125g light brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp dark rum
4-5 mashed over ripe banana's
80g homemade sweetened coconut
100g white chocolate chips
Icing sugar, to serve

Preheat oven to 175C.  Lightly grease a 9x5" loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  In a large bowl cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 mins.  Add in the eggs, vanilla, rum and banana's and mix until fully incorporated.

Add the flour and white chocolate chips to the banana mixture and stir until just combined.  Fold in the sweetened coconut.  Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 65-75 mins or until the loaf springs back when the surface is lightly pressed.  Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 mins and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Sprinkle with a generous dusting of icing sugar and serve sliced into healthy slabs.

Makes 1 loaf

I can't remember where I got the original recipe from, but I think I've maybe tinkered with it enough to call it nearly my own.