When only chocolate will do, bake these moist, coconutty squares for an oh-so-satisfying
cocoa nibble
Serves 9
150g coconut oil, melted and cooled
200g soft light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract or essence
60g plain flour
45g self-raising flour
30g cocoa powder
40g desiccated coconut, plus extra
for scattering (optional)
For the topping:
100g dark chocolate
100g soft, but not liquid, coconut oil
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas 4. Using a little of the coconut oil, grease and line a 20x20cm tin.
2 Place the rest of the coconut oil, the sugar, egg and vanilla extract in a bowl and stir until combined.
3 Whisk the flours and cocoa in a separate bowl to remove any lumps, then stir in the desiccated coconut. Make a well in the centre, pour in the coconut oil mixture and stir until completely combined.
4 Spread the mixture evenly into the lined tin and bake for 25–30 mins, or until just firm. Leave to cool in the tin.
5 Meanwhile, melt the dark chocolate in the cooling oven, then beat in the soft coconut oil until it’s a thick icing.
6 When the base is cool, spread over the icing and leave to set. Cut into 9 squares and scatter extra coconut on top, if you like. This will keep for up to five days in an airtight container.
Cook’s note: Coconut oil can be used like-for-like to replace butter in recipes. Depending on what temperature you store it at, it can also be solid in the same way as butter. The more refined coconut oil doesn’t have a distinctive coconut flavour and so works well in dishes that you don’t want to taste of coconut.
This recipe from our February issue is taken from Every Last Bite by Rosie Sykes (Quadrille). Photography: Patricia Niven
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