Last week, I purchased a bag of Trader Joe's coconut flour. It seems these days, everyone is trying to cash in on the (coconut) money train- from water to oil, fresh meat to chips- coconut has found its way onto the our market shelves. So now, Trader Joe's carries coconut flour. I was really excited to try this out this product because it seems like a natural fit in baked goods.
My first experiment was replacing whole wheat flour in my Banana Cowboy Cookies. Since there was already coconut oil and shredded coconut in the dough, there was little risk in using this flour. The cookies turned out great, the texture was spot on like the original- cakey, tender and moist.
My next experiment was replacing the all-purpose flour in a batch of Oatmeal Scotchies. I thought the coconut would pair nicely with the butterscotch chips and walnuts. The end result was a cookie similar to the original. The big difference- the cookies don't spread when baked. And unlike the original, these cookies are much better after they have rested on the cooling rack. I tried eating one right out of the oven and it just fell apart in my hands after one bite.
As far as baked goods go, this flour seems like a good alternative to all-purpose flour. I've been reading that since it has a high fiber content, additional moisture may be required in recipes if you you substitute 1:1. I didn't have that experience in my limited testing. I plan on experimenting with it more. I'm especially curious how it would fare in a fried chicken coating or waffle batter.
Stay tuned!
