Banana Toasted Coconut Bread

I am suppose to be making meatballs and dog cookies today but my eye keeps looking over at the ripe bananas I have sitting on the counter.  Dog cookies can wait until tomorrow, sorry Olive and the meatballs I will make later.

Now I don't want to make the usual banana bread I want to do something different.  I go to my baking pantry to see what I have. Perfect! I see 3 bags of coconut I might as well grab one of those and the bottle of Malibu Coconut Rum. Oh, this is sounding good already.

If you don't already have Malibu Coconut Rum on hand I suggest you pick up a (big) bottle.  Besides using it in my cooking and baking a splash of Malibu and Amaretto in Raspberry Lemonade will turn that frown upside down.

Banana Toasted Coconut Bread

1 cup toasted coconut
1 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup Malibu Coconut Rum
2 large ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup coconut (not toasted)
honey

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan.  On a baking sheet spread out coconut flakes (I used Baker's sweetened) bake 7 to 10 minutes until golden brown; stirring often.  Remove from oven and set aside. Prepare batter while coconut is cooling.

In a medium bowl add flour, baking soda and salt and give it a whisk; set aside.  In a large bowl add eggs, sugar, oil and rum and whisk together; add mashed bananas and stir together.  Add dry ingredients and stir together incorporating all the flour be sure to scape the sides.  Fold in toasted coconut.  Pour into prepared loaf pan and sprinkle with coconut.

Bake for 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Drizzle with honey as soon as it comes out of the oven. Cool for 15 minutes before removing from pan and continue to allow bread to cool.

Giveaway reminder:  There are two giveaways on my blog right now - Click on the links here to enter Cookbook Giveaway: Down South and Italian Giveaway.