Author Lori Longbotham specializes in luscious desserts, such as Luscious Creamy Desserts and Luscious Berry Desserts. In her latest book, Luscious Coconut Desserts, Longbotham makes a variety of different, decadent desserts that all feature the flavor of coconut.
Coconut offers bakers so many possibilities when it comes to recipes, largely because it comes in so many forms. The book takes advantage of fresh coconut, shredded coconut and coconut milk, creating recipes that range from cakes to pies to ice creams and more. The most interesting part of the book is that it really focuses on getting the most flavor from the coconut, not just adding a handful of coconut here and there. The recipes are all easy to follow along with and, while some do use more exotic ingredients than you might normally find in a dessert – such as curry or lemongrass – all are very accessible. Almost every recipe in the book has a photo along with it that makes each dish look even more luscious than it sounds. The most difficult thing to do is to choose what recipe to start with – a classic Coconut Cream Pie? A decadent Bittersweet Chocolate and Coconut Tart? Coconut Pistachio Baklava?
I am a big fan of coconut in all its forms, so this book immediately appealed to me and would have the same appeal to anyone else who is a fan. The recipes are hard to resist. I know that there are some people out there who are not such big fans of the tropical fruit, and I have to admit that this book will probably not be for you if you fall into this category. Even so, if you’re still looking to experiment – and maybe find some coconut recipes that do appeal to you – this book is a great place to start.
Valerina
May 3, 2010Thank you so much! As a coconut lover, it can be difficult to find recipes beyond macaroons or cupcakes. This book sounds perfect!
Heidi
May 3, 2010I actually have this book, and I can report that it has some unusual coconut recipes, but also lots of riffs on traditional things (coconut cream pie, etc) that are absolutely scrumptious looking. There’s also a wealth of tips on how to use fresh coconut, and where to get the best coconut products (flavors, milk, etc.)
Kate
May 3, 2010I just wanted to take a minute and thank you. Unbelievable that I found this! It was just by luck that I am here. I have been looking for coconut deserts.
caroline
May 4, 2010I’m always hesitant to make coconut desserts, as there are a lot of people who don’t like coconut. But last weekend I decided to throw caution to the wind and make pina colada cupcakes for a housewarming party. They were a big hit!