A Coconut Primer

I was thinking about poor brother dear and the unfortunate incident of the coconut milk, and we strive to educate around here, so here's a little information and an easy recipe for the uninformed coconut lover.

Coconut milk:
This is available in liquid form (in cans or aseptic containers), frozen, and as a powder. Varieties: Light (or "lite") coconut milk has less fat and about a quarter of the calories of the regular version, but doesn't taste nearly as rich. Find it in the Asian foods section of your supermarket.--foodsubs.com

The Chaokoh brand won the Cook's Illustrated taste test.


Cream of Coconut:
Don't confuse this with coconut cream, which is used in Asian dishes. Cream of coconut is thick and very sweet, and commonly used in mixed drinks. Find it with the drink mixers in your supermarket or in liquor stores; available in liquid and powdered forms. Substitutes: sweetened condensed milk with coconut extract to taste.--foodsubs.com (I could kind of eat this stuff straight out of the can.)

I'm about to advocate using a cake mix. See, I'm not as snobby as you think. Of course, you'll get more points in heaven if you make your cake from scratch. Just depends on what you're into.

Kim’s Killer Coconut Cake

ingredients

1 white cake mix
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 15 oz. can cream of coconut (such as Coco López, NOT coconut milk)
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut, plus additional for garnish
Whipped Cream

preparation

Mix the cake mix and bake in a 9x13" pan according to the directions on the box. While cake is baking, mix sweetened condensed milk, cream of coconut, and 1 cup coconut in a small bowl. After the cake has finished baking, poke the entire cake with a straw or the handle of a wooden spoon. After the cake has cooled, pour the milk mixture over the cake. Spread the whipped cream over the cake and sprinkle additional coconut on top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

I like to add a couple of tablespoons of Amaretto to the cake batter before baking. I also add a tablespoon of coconut rum to the whipped cream. You can add other flavorings or liqueurs to the milk mixture, too. Lots of room for creativity. My former co-worker Kim gave me this recipe, hence the name. She is one of my best foodie friends. I've made this cake a few times and everyone always wants the recipe.