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Haitian konparèt
Konparèt: Jérémie's coconut and ginger spice bread
HaitianJérémie, at the far western tip of Haiti, is the home of konparèt, dense round loaves of spiced bread made with grated coconut, fresh ginger, nutmeg and vanilla, baked until firm and golden. They are a Grand'Anse travelling food, carried home from the coast in baskets and eaten with coffee or hot cocoa in the afternoon. They are meant to be firm and close-crumbed, not fluffy, so the mistake is adding extra liquid to make the dough soft. Use freshly grated coconut if you can, as it gives the moistest crumb. Chef's tip: grate the ginger on the fine side of the grater and squeeze its juice into the dough too; that heat is the signature of a good konparèt.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 16 oz plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 5 ½ oz grated coconutfresh or desiccated
- 5 ½ oz brown sugar
- 2 tbsp fresh gingerfinely grated
- 2 ⅞ oz buttermelted
- ¾ cup evaporated milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lime zest
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and line two baking trays.
Step 2: Mix 16 oz plain flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp ground nutmeg, 1 tsp ground cinnamon and ½ tsp salt in a large bowl, then stir in 5 ½ oz grated coconut and 5 ½ oz brown sugar.
Step 3: Stir 2 tbsp fresh ginger, 2 ⅞ oz butter, ¾ cup evaporated milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp lime zest together, pour into the bowl and mix into a firm, slightly sticky dough. Knead briefly until it holds together.
5 minStep 4: Divide into 12 pieces, roll into balls and flatten each into a thick 8 cm round on the trays. Prick the tops with a fork.
Step 5: Bake for 30–35 minutes, swapping the trays halfway, until golden brown, firm when pressed and hollow-sounding underneath.
35 minStep 6: Cool on a rack. They keep for 4 days in a tin and taste better on day two.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 45 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does haitian konparèt take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of baking powder?
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar per 1 tsp.
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