COCONUT AND LYCHEE MUFFINS

Amarante

Wed, May 25 2016, 3:31 pm

I love lichees. Probably my Proustian memory of Chinese food in Brooklyn where dessert was lichees and pineapple.

If you can't find caster sugar, take regular sugar and put in blender until it's fine but not as fine as confectioners sugar.

You can make your own self rising flour. If you don't know how, let me know and I will post the formula.

Dessicated coconut is slightly drier than regular coconut. If you can't find, it's easy to make as you just take regular flaked coconut and toast briefly. I've posted directions at bottom.

Notes are from cookbook

COCONUT AND LYCHEE MUFFINS

Source: Gok's Wok

OK, this may not strictly be a pudding, but these muffins are just too delicious to leave out. Lychees have a lightly perfumed flavour that is like nothing else on the planet, and, when twinned with the familiar flavour of coconut, will make you forget about boring old blueberry muffins forever. I’ve made them with oil instead of butter, which makes them healthier too.

MAKES 8 LARGE MUFFINS

250g self-raising flour
150g caster sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
90g desiccated coconut, plus a little extra, toasted, for decoration
170ml semi-skimmed milk
50ml sunflower oil
1 egg
150g tinned lychees

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. Line an 8-cup muffin tin with muffin cases.

Tip the flour into a bowl and add the sugar, baking powder, pepper and coconut and stir to combine.

Pour the milk and oil into a jug, crack in the egg and whisk with a fork.

Drain the lychees through a sieve, but make sure you reserve the liquid. Place the lychees in a small food processor and blitz until smooth.

Pour the pureed lychees and the milk mixture into the dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to bring everything together to a smooth, thick batter.

Divide the mixture between the muffin cases. Cook in the oven for 25 minutes, until golden on top and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Place the tray on a wire rack and leave to cool for about 10 minutes.

Using a skewer, make about 10 small holes in the top of each muffin. Slowly pour about 2 tablespoons of the reserved lychee juice over each muffin, waiting a little between each spoonful for the sponge to drink in the sweet juice. Scatter over the toasted coconut.

Let the muffins cool fully in the tin before serving. They will keep for a couple of days in an airtight container in the fridge”.

Dessicated Coconut

Heat the oven to 250°F. Place the baking sheet with coconut inside the oven, and bake over low heat for about 5-10 minutes. The duration required for dehydration depends on moisture content, and the size of grated shreds. During dehydration process, you need to pay attention and check the status frequently. Once it has dried completely, it will be brittle to touch instead of creamy. That is when you remove it from the oven.