Bittersweet Chocolate Coconut Bread

I have always been a tea drinker. I remember happily drinking tea with my brothers and cousins at the dining room table of my grandmother's house. The tea, thick with milk and sugar, was more of a dessert than a beverage, but I felt so grown up drinking it. Now I drink it black. Oh my sweet tooth hasn't gone away, I just prefer not to drink my sweets-I much prefer to eat them.

Bittersweet chocolate to me is the best kind of chocolate; it has a chocolate sweetness that is...well..not too sweet. This bread, a tea bread if you will, is just that-not too sweet. The texture is definitely bread-like as opposed to cake-like and I love to nibble on it in the evening with a cup of green tea.

You can usually find bittersweet chocolate in the baking section of the supermarket. I like the bar form and will usually crack it with the back end of a knife while it's still wrapped in the package-I like the non-uniformity of the pieces as opposed to using chips, but if you prefer you can substitute chips. Try to find the bittersweet chocolate, but if all else fails semi-sweet chocolate will work just fine.

Bittersweet Chocolate Coconut Bread

1 egg

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon coconut extract

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup sweetened coconut

1 (3 ounce) bar Bittersweet (not unsweetened) chocolate, crushed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a small bowl whisk together the egg, milk, coconut extract and vegetable oil. In a large mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder; stir in 3/4 cup of the coconut and the chocolate.

Using a wooden spoon, gradually stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.