Mango, Ginger, Lime & Coconut bread

Recipe:

Adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours By Dorie Greenspan, pg. 45

Fresh Mango Ginger Lime Coconut Bread:

• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup flavourless oil, such as canola or safflower oil (I used Canola)
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cup light brown – (1 cup seems fine unless you have a sweet tooth! )
  
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups fresh mango, cubed
  
• 3/4 cup golden raisins – (I only put 1/2 cup because I didn’t want them overpowering mango)
  
• grated zest of 1/2 a lime
• 1/2 cup, more or less, fine dessicated coconut – (no flakes!) –optional
  

Getting Ready:

Centre a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350° .

Butter an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan, dust the inside with flour and tap out the excess.

Put the pan on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular baking sheets stacked one on top of the other.

Whisk the eggs and oil together.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.

Rub the brown sugar between your palms into the bowl, breaking up any lumps, then stir it in.

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry, switch to sturdy rubber spatula or wooden spoon and mix until blended. The batter will be very thick (really more like a dough than a batter (She’s not kidding!)) and not easily mixed, but persevere, it will soon come together.

Stir in the mango, raisins and zest.

Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake the bread for 1 ½ hours, or until it is golden brown and a thin knife inserted into the centre comes out clean. (If the bread looks as if it’s getting too brown as it bakes, cover it loosely with a foil tent.) Transfer the pan to a rack and cool 5 minutes before running a knife around the sides of the pan and unmold. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up on the rack.

Sieve some of the icing sugar on top and serve!

• This bread tastes even better the next day. A night to allow the flavors of the fruit and spices to infuse gives the bread more aroma and body.

Storing: Wrapped in plastic wrap or stored in a air-tight container the bread will keep for 4-5 days at room temperature (and taste better each day!).