Coconut Bread

This is one of my all time favorite breads. I got the recipe on my friends Anne and Staci's blog (Good eats with anne and staci) but my friend Andrea gave me the glaze recipe that puts it over the top. It is pure coconut heaven. A sweet, dense bread with coconut throughout and then a yummy coconut glaze on top. I am also super excited because in my Lion House Cookook (where i'm assuming this originated) they have a recipe for Coconut Brunch Cake which is basically this bread with nuts in a bundt pan. (I'm sure if you don't like nuts you could just leave them out.)You can bet it will be showing up on my breakfast table very soon. I will include both recipes.



Coconut Bread



4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

2t. coconut flavoring

3 cups flour

1/2t. soda, powder, salt

1 c. buttermilk

1 cup coconut



Mix all together. Bake in two large, greased bread pans. Bake at 325* for 1 hour. Top with glaze.



Glaze



1 cup sugar

1/2 c. water

1 tbsp. butter

1 tsp. coconut extract



Bring to a boil. Add coconut extract. Pour over bread in pans. Let sit 4 hours.



Coconut Brunch Cake



Same ingredients as above except add:



1 cup chopped walnuts (I think pecans would be delicious also)



Add the nuts after the coconut.



Generously grease and flour a 10 in. bundt pan. Pour batter into pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.



Glaze



1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

3 tbsp. butter or margarine

*see note at bottom*



In the meantime, in saucepan mix sugar, water and butter. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. When cake is done, pour hot syrup over top of cake. Allow to stand for 4 hours, then remove from pan.



*The Lion House glaze does not include the coconut extract but I think it would be delicious to add 1 tsp. coconut extract*