Happy New Year is in order –even though it’s the 16th –as this is my very first post of the New Year! I wanted to start of on a sweet note so today I am sharing my secret sweet bread recipe–developed and perfected during the past 10 years! I know you will love it so give it a try and let me know! This recipe was also recently featured in the Propa Eats magazine of the Popular Newspaper the Guardian in Trinidad and Tobago! Pretty cool way to start the New Year!
WHAT IS TRINIDAD SWEET BREAD?
Trinidad sweet bread is a dense, rustic bread made with fresh coconut, raisins, mixed fruit and spices. It is made in Trinidad especially during the holidays including Christmas and Easter but great for an all year long snack or breakfast. My sweet bread recipe results in a bread that’s addictive and crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. A perfect balance of texture and flavors!
In Trinidad, it’s customary to go to neighbors’ and friends’ houses around Christmas for a lime to celebrate the holidays. Along with punch a creme, sorrel, black cake, pastelles, sponge cake, there is always sweet bread, and we can all hope it’s a very good one.
I like my sweet bread loaded with the rich taste of fresh coconut, with not too much raisins or mixed fruit, but just enough so that you get a hint of those flavors. If you like an abundance of mixed fruit, you can increase up to a cup, but decrease the sugar because the mixed fruit is very sweet. If you don’t enjoy biting into the small pieces of mixed fruit, you can put it in the food processor to break up the chunks. If you are one of those who dislike the taste of mixed fruit, eliminate it altogether and replace the amount stated in the recipe with raisins.
You may also decrease the sugar if you do not like it too sweet, contrary to it’s name. Whatever changes you make, if you ensure that the dough is the right texture, you will surely achieve sweet bread success.
Trinidad Sweet Bread Recipe
Makes 25 slices (1 large loaf and 1 small loaf)
4 cups all-purpose flour (1 lb)
2 cups raw brown sugar, plus 3 tbs
4 teaspoons aluminum free baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tbs grated ginger, optional
¼ tsp Himalayan salt
3 cups finely grated coconut (14 oz) (use freshly grated or unsweetened flaked coconut)
½ cup seedless raisins (2 oz)
½ cup mixed fruit(candied fruit), optional (3 oz), or more according to your preference
½ cup (1 stick) sweet cream butter, melted
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract, or more to taste
2 eggs, beaten
Equipment needed: Bowl, measuring cups, measuring spoon, 2 (9×13) baking pans
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grease two bread pans (9×13) or one large and one small.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt.
Stir in coconut, raisins and mixed fruit(if using).
In a measuring cup, add milk, eggs, butter and whisk to combine. Add to dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
The dough should be slightly sticky.
Divide dough, form into a loaf with your hands (helps to butter your hands) and place in prepared pans. Bake until full cooked and/or a toothpick or skewer comes out clean, about 60 – 90 minutes (or longer depending on your oven).
At the end of baking, mix 2 tbs of sugar with water and brush over bread, return to oven for 5-10 minutes or until the desired color is achieved. You can make it light brown or dark brown and crunchy.
Other Popular Trini Desserts:
Coconut Bread:
Trinidad Coconut Bake(Dense Version)
Coconut Pot Bake(light oven option)
Trinidad Sweet Bread
Equipment
- Bowl, measuring cup, measuring spoon, 2 (9x5) bread pans or one large and one small
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 lb 5 oz
- 2 cups brown sugar plus 3 tbs
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 cups finely grated coconut 14 oz
- ½ cup seedless raisins
- ½ cup mixed fruit optional, or more according to preference
- ½ cup butter melted
- 3/4 cup evaporated milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or more to taste
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 tbs ginger grated, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grease two bread pans (9x5) or one large and one small bread pan
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- Stir in coconut, raisins and mixed fruit(if using).
- In a measuring cup, add milk, eggs, butter and whisk to combine. Add to dry ingredients and mix just until combined. The dough should be slightly sticky.
- Divide dough, form into a loaf with your hands and place in prepared pans. Bake until full cooked and/or a toothpick or skewer comes out clean, about 1 hour.
- At the end of baking, mix 1 tbs of sugar with water and brush over bread, return to oven for 5 minutes.
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