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Bajan coconut turnovers
Turnovers: soft sweet bread folded around spiced red coconut
BajanGlass cases in Bridgetown bakeries hold rows of turnovers, soft golden half-moons of sweet yeasted dough with a sticky filling of grated coconut, brown sugar, almond essence and spice peeking out at the edges, often tinted red. Bajans eat them mid-morning with a mug of cocoa or a cold sweet drink. The mistake is overfilling, which bursts the seams in the oven; leave a clear border to seal. Chef's tip: cook the coconut filling until almost dry and cool it fully before using, as warm wet filling makes the dough soggy.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the dough
- 16 oz strong white bread flour
- 2 ⅛ oz sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup whole milklukewarm
- 2 ⅛ oz buttermelted
- 1 eggbeaten
For the filling
- 9 oz fresh coconutfinely grated (or 150 g desiccated soaked in 100 ml hot water)
- 5 ½ oz soft brown sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmegfreshly grated
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 2 drops red food colouring (optional)
To finish
- 1 eggbeaten with 1 tbsp milk
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 16 oz strong white bread flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast, 2 ⅛ oz sugar and ½ tsp salt in a large bowl. Add 1 cup whole milk, 2 ⅛ oz butter and 1 egg and mix to a soft dough.
Step 2: Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic and the dough springs back when poked. Cover and leave somewhere warm for 1 hour, until doubled in size.
10 minStep 3: Meanwhile, put 9 oz fresh coconut, 5 ½ oz soft brown sugar, ¼ cup water, 1 tsp ground cinnamon and ½ tsp nutmeg in a pan and cook over a medium-low heat, stirring, for 12–15 minutes until sticky and almost dry. Stir in 1 tsp almond extract and 2 drops red food colouring if using, then cool completely.
15 minStep 4: Knock back the dough and divide into 10 pieces. Roll each into a 13 cm round.
Step 5: Put a heaped tablespoon of filling on one half of each round, leaving a 1.5 cm border. Brush the edge with water, fold over and press firmly with a fork to seal.
15 minStep 6: Set on lined baking trays, cover and rise for 30 minutes until puffy. Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan).
Step 7: Brush with 1 egg and bake for 18–22 minutes until deep golden and hollow-sounding underneath. Cool on a rack before eating, as the filling is very hot.
20 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bajan coconut turnovers take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 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 strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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