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Recipe Detail Page
Coconut Bulla Cakes
Autumn 2008
These large soft cookies are traditionally spiced with freshly grated nutmeg and fresh ginger, but are on the small side compared to Jamaican bulla cakes! The icing, decorated with coconut or candied ginger is unconventional, but very good.
Makes 8
Cookies
1 cup (250 mL) demerara or dark-brown sugar
1 cup (250 mL) coconut milk, preferably high-fat rather than light
⅓ cup (75 mL) butter, melted
2 tbsp (25 mL) finely grated fresh ginger
1 tsp (5 mL) pure vanilla extract
3¼ cups (800 mL) all-purpose flour
1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder
½ tsp (2 mL) baking soda
½ tsp (2 mL) freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp (1 mL) allspice
¼ tsp (1 mL) salt
Icing
1 cup (250 mL) icing sugar
2 tbsp (25 mL) coconut milk
½ tsp (2 mL) pure vanilla extract
¼ cup (50 mL) toasted unsweetened coconut or 2 to 3 tbsp (25 to 45 mL) minced candied ginger
1. Arrange oven racks at and just above oven-centre; preheat to 375ºF (190ºC).
2. Place sugar in large mixing bowl. Vigorously shake coconut milk well before opening can. Pour a cup (250 mL) over the sugar. Stir to dissolve; then stir in butter, ginger and vanilla.
3. Stir flour with baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, allspice and salt. Stir in sugar mixture. Dough is thick and somewhat wet.
4. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or coat well with nonstick spray. Using a slightly rounded ⅓ cup (75 mL) measure, drop 4 mounds of dough well apart on each tray. Using wet hand, shape into rounds about 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter. Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until top feels firm when touched. See TIP below
5. Meanwhile, stir icing sugar with 2 tbsp (25 mL) coconut milk until smooth. If too thick, add a few more drops of coconut milk.
6. Remove hot cookies to a cooling rack. Ice while hot; immediately sprinkle with coconut or candied ginger. Cool completely before storing airtight for up to several days. Bulla freeze very well and are particularly delightful warmed in a toaster oven on the lowest toast setting.
Tip: For more moderately sized bulla, make 16 by measuring dough onto trays with a slightly heaped 2-tbsp (25-mL) coffee measure. Reduce baking time to about 13 minutes.
Makes 8
