Last Updated on January 11, 2020 by Chef Mireille
Cherry Coconut Sweet Bread is a cherry twist to a Caribbean classic recipe.
It’s cherry season. Cherries are everywhere. Every grocer is selling cherries at cheap prices. From the time I was a child, one of the best things about summer was waiting for the cherries. All of a sudden, every week in the house there were cherries to snack on. My obsession with cherries did not end as a child. As an adult, I still waited for the summer cherries. Even after I was working in an office, I would often go the vendors on the street corner’s to buy a bag of cherries and sometimes that was all I had for lunch. Sadly, several years ago, I started noticing that I developed a slight allergy to cherries. I can still eat them, but in small quantities. I have to limit myself to about 15 cherries at a time. One great way to still enjoy those summer cherries is including the fresh cherries into baked goods.
I decided to put a cherry twist to a classic Caribbean recipe. Caribbean Sweet Bread is one of the most common foods eaten throughout the Caribbean islands, although there are slight variations from island to island. It is often eaten with soft butter at tea time. However, it is also standard fare to have sweet bread for breakfast, especially during the holidays. Even though this is a sweet treat and not necessarily the best way to start the day, it is often had for breakfast with cheese. I think the cheese is supposed to add some extra protein so people don’t feel so bad as having this sweet for breakfast.
Regardless, I haven’t met a kid yet who didn’t like cherries and I am sure they would love this version of sweet bread during the summertime. Yet another way to enjoy fresh summer cherries.
Spiced Sugars and Salts
In the last 5 years or so, shops that sell flavored sugars and salts have been popping up everywhere. The range of flavors is mind boggling – everything from Sweet Onion Sugar to Scorpion Salt (made with the Trinidad Scorpion pepper).
When I was in Savannah last summer, I visited two of these shops – The Salt Table and The Spice & Tea Exchange, where I picked up some of these flavored condiments. The Salt Table has the entire ground floor devoted to just flavored salt. Who would have guessed there could be so many flavors right!
For the topping in this sweet bread, I used one of the flavored sugars I picked up at the Spice & Tea Exchange – it is a Mango Habanero Sugar which added a slight kick to this sweet bread. However, you can easily just use plain sugar as well.
I have been seeing these Sugar & Salt places everywhere from here in NYC to Savannah to Philadelphia. Look for one in your city and it’s an easy way for adding some extra flavor in your foods.
This is the perfect breakfast or tea time treat with some cheese.
This is the perfect treat for all cherry lovers!
Cherry Coconut Sweet Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ cup softened butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 tablespoon cherry wine
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 2 cups dessicated coconut
- 2 ¼ cups pitted cherries
- Topping Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon mango habanero sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 F. Spray two loaf pans with non stick spray.
- In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add egg, almond essence and cherry wine. Beat until thoroughly incorporated.
- Add the flour mix in two batches, beating well after each addition.
- Add coconut and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
- Add cherries and mix until just combined.
- Divide batter into the 2 loaf pans.
- Bake for 1 hour.
- In a small bowl, mix the topping ingredients.
- Brush this on top of the breads.
- Put back in the oven for another 2 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing from the pans.
- Leave to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
For the wine in this recipe, I used Manishewitz, which is a Kosher wine. Kosher wine is sweeter than traditional wine.
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Sending this to Srivalli’s Kid’s Delight event, guest hosted by Sowmya themed on Baked Treats.
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love your travel stories and it would be awesome to visit a place with an entire floor on flavoured salt!!
The sweet bread looks so yummy! Cherries and coconut look like a delightful combination…bookmarking this!
thanks – I am sure you will love it
Only recently I am seeing some spiced sugar and salt in y city, but they are pretty basic. The flavours you mention sound exotic and they must add distinct flavour to dishes. The sweet bread with cherries look amazing Mir. Love to taste a slice..
here it is the rage – in food circles – all of a sudden everywhere I look I see them popping up!
Cherries aren’t really that common in Norway, we have sweet cherries which isn’t that great for baking or making jams of unfortunately. I really want regular cherries in my garden! This bread sounds fantastic.
these cherries are sweet but maybe what you are calling sweet cherries is another variety. we LOVE our cherries in the summer season over here!
I totally hear you on the cherry obsession. Every year I get so excited for fresh cherries. This looks like a great recipe for this time of year!
yes one of the main reasons to love summer is the abundance of fresh cherries
Never tried cherry and coconut together in a bread, now am so tempted to make this combo. Unfortunately cherries are no season now, Bookmarking to try once cherries shows their head in farmer’s markets. Lovely bread there.
now is the time when cherries are in abundance in the markets over here – I guess the season is different over there
Am allergy to cherries?! Oh no, but at least you can have a few so you can eat this recipe, love it!
i know I was so upset when I discovered I had the allergy 🙁
This is something you could have for an afternoon treat with coffee/tea, as a dessert….or my favourite way would be for breakfast. I might even toast it!! Great combination of flavours…and homemade bread of any kind is so delicious.
yes this sweet bread can be so versatile depending on what you pair it with
Cherry lovers? Here! Present! I am craving for cherries just by looking at the pictures. So delicious. Thanks for this recipe!
thank you and I am sure the cherry lover in you will love this
I am also loving all the cherries this season and what a great way to use them. I’m going to make this for my girls and have an afternoon tea party with them.
what a great idea – I’m sure they will love it
The only bad thing about Cherries is the fact that the season is so short! The bread looks amazing! I love the added flavored sugar on top, really shows that you put a lot of though into it!
thanks – yes I love all the flavored sugars that are now available
I love having something sweet like this for breakfast, especially after the gym : ) Looks fairly easy to make on a weekend morning too. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
if having after the gym, thats great – then no guilt involved
Oh no! I’m so sorry about your cherry allergies but glad you’re still able to enjoy it although you need to limit yourself. And this sweet bread – it’s perfect to celebrate cherry season and for breakfast or tea time.
yes – I was also so upset when i developed the allergy – Thank God I can still enjoy them albeit in limited amount
Yummy this sweet bread looks like a slice of heaven, love that is moist and the addition of the cherries is a tasty decision. Now I just need a slice =)
yes you will love this soft and fruity bread
Fresh cherries are just the best! Love this.
thanks – I am sure you will enjoy it
I also love cherries and am lucky enough to live in a cherry growing area here in Northern Italy. When the cherries are ripe I eat them off the trees whilst walking my dogs!! This bread sounds so good. Going to bookmark this recipe for when cherries are in season here again!
lucky you – I have never picked fresh cherries off of the tree – Those must taste even more wonderful!
I totally understand the cherry obsession – I’ve always loved them too! I used to swallow the pits when I was a kid because I was lazy – lol. My mom noticed and promptly told me to STOP doing that. This bread sounds like a delicious way to use up some of these summer cherries!
I still do that with grapes 🙂 but cherry pits are so big! Regardless, I am sure you will love this bread!
That is such a flavorful bread, Mir. I love cherries too and cannot imagine allergies to it. I have also seen so many flavored salt and sugar varieties that it is mind boggling.
I also find it amazing all the flavored salts and sugars that are available now!
awesome, bread has come out so well. feeling like having it with my tea or coffee. You cut them with proper shape.
yes its the perfect accompaniment to coffee or tea