What to do with coconut oil?
This past weekend I picked up a jar of extra virgin coconut oil at my local natural foods store. I read in Super Natural Cooking that it can be used as a replacement for butter, but there were no recipes to go on. Since it is extra virgin, I assume it should not be used for cooking, and only minimally heated in order to maintain the maximum amount of aroma and flavor. So before I just start randomly using it in place of butter, I thought I'd find out if anyone has a killer use for the stuff.
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3 Comments:
Nicholas, I feel so bad that no one replied. I haven't a clue, but I'd bet it would taste great in place of vegetable oil in cake recipes?
Once you've tried it, let us know. Isn't that one of the "to be avoided" saturated fats?
Just found an interesting site: http://www.coconutoil.com/ whitch refutes that idea.
PerkyMac at 12:07AM on 12/04/07
Yes, you can use coconut oil for baking. It's great in brownies, blondies and cookies. When you substitute any oil for butter, you can use less and still get a great result. For example, if you have a recipe that calls for 1 cup of butter, you would use 3/4 cup of oil.
Coconut oil has gotten a bad rap. But there is lots of research that points out the health benefits of coconut oil and flour. In any case, it really enhances the flavor of chocolate, especially in a brownie. Which is where I would start baking with your coconut oil.
Hope that helps!
dailybrownie at 1:56AM on 12/04/07
Thanks, I'll try it in baking. I think I'll just experiment a little too, since I have a whole jar. I imagine it would make a nice pie crust, as well as other kinds of pasties. I also thought I might try it in a scone.
Nicholas H at 9:56PM on 12/04/07