Boozy Coconut White Hot Chocolate + Spiked Banana Bread #CaptainsTable

Round two of the #CaptainsTable challenge is underway, and the theme this time round is simply "the holidays".  My mind wandered in so many directions with this one.  I have a little list of ideas that I just add to each time something comes to mind, and it wound up being a page and a half long before I decided it was time to just make something.  As I looked outside at the six inches of snow blanketing everything in sight, my ultimate decision turned to warmth.

So...warmth.  Bundling up against the bitter wind that can make you lose your breath.  Thawing out after a day of snowball fights, snow forts, and sledding.  Wrapped in a blanket in front of a crackling fire while a storm rages outside of your cozy walls.  Wrapping presents while singing along with the endless stream of Christmas songs being played on the radio.  That kind of warmth.

For me, that means a mug of steaming hot chocolate and something warm and freshly baked from the oven.  I was in the mood for white hot chocolate, and I couldn't imagine how anything could tie it and rum together like coconut would.  What a combination!  It warms you from your frozen toes to your Rudolph-nose.

And since banana bread holds a special place in my heart (it was the first thing that I learned to bake as a little girl, with a recipe passed down from my great grandma, to my grandma, to my mom, to me), I thought I'd shake up tradition a bit.  I kept with the idea of coconut and rum, but I was also in the mood for nuts.  Toasty hazelnuts to be precise.  Initially I added a smattering of butterscotch chips, but they wound up being an extremely sweet addition.

Now, sweet is not a bad thing.  But since I already had my sweet hot chocolate, the banana bread would have been perfect without that extra bit.  Either way, it's a fun twist on a old favorite.  As someone who grew up in the midwest, with all four seasons, nothing says "the holidays" to me like warm comfort food and drink.

Boozy Coconut White Hot Chocolate

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Cook Time: 5-10 minutes

Keywords: simmer beverage coconut milk milk rum white chocolate Christmas New Year American winter

Ingredients (serves 4 (large cups))

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 (13-14 ounce) can lite coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 8 ounces good white chocolate, chopped (or chips)
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• pinch of sea salt
• 4-6 ounces Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum

to finish:

• 1 cup lightly sweetened whipped cream
• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted

Instructions

Place cold milk and heavy cream into a large sauce pot; whisk in the cornstarch until it is dissolved. Add the coconut milk and bring to a gentle boil over medium-low heat, stirring from time to time. Let bubble for about 4 minutes to thicken up a bit.

Add the white chocolate in little by little, whisking as you go along, until it is entirely melted. Remove from heat and whisk in coconut extract and a pinch of sea salt.

Pour 1-1.5 ounces of rum into the bottom of 4 glasses. Ladle white hot chocolate into the mugs. Divide the whipped cream evenly over the tops of the glasses, then sprinkle with the toasted coconut. Enjoy immediately.

Rum-Spiked Banana Bread w/ Hazelnuts & Coconut

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Keywords: bake bread breakfast dessert soy-free vegetarian bananas coconut nuts rum Christmas American

Ingredients (1 loaf)

• 4 ounces (1 stick / 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 ripe bananas (~8 ounces), mostly brown with a few yellow splotches
• 1 cup (135 grams / 4.75 ounces) whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup (135 grams / 4.75 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 tablespoons Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum
• 1 tablespoon buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon pure almond emulsion (or extract)
• 1 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted
• 1/2 cup butterscotch chips, optional*

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325° F. Spray a loaf pan (approx 8x4-inches) with pan spray, then line lengthwise with a long strip of parchment paper, for easing removal of the bread later.

Using a hand mixer, or a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until the mixture is creamy and light yellow in color. Break the bananas in, and beat until combined. Add both flours, baking powder and baking soda, and salt; beat until just combined. Add in rum, buttermilk, and extract and once again, beat until just combined.

Use a rubber spatula to stir in the toasted hazelnuts, coconut, and butterscotch chips, if using.

Scoop everything into the prepared pan. Slide into preheated oven and bake for approximately 50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before grabbing the parchment overhang and lifting the whole thing out of the pan. Continue to cool on rack.

Once cool, this bread will keep tightly wrapped at room temperature for 3-4 days.

note:

*The addition of butterscotch chips makes this bread pretty sweet. If your sweet tooth isn't calling, omit them. I think that I actually prefer it without them on a normal day.

This post is being entered into the Captains Table Challenge, sponsored by Captain Morgan brand.  15 bloggers, including myself, will be creating food and drink recipes that feature Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum and/or Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum from now through February.  Each recipe entry that we submit will be judged by Chef Hugh Acheson, and we will have the chance to win some cool prizes.

But even cooler is that throughout the challenge, any time ANYBODY shares the #CaptainsTable hashtag on social media, Captain Morgan will donate $1 to the charity WhyHunger.  You can also drop by and visit Captain Morgan brand via their social channels, and share recipes and posts that you enjoy using the #CaptainsTable hashtag, in turn, raising more money for WhyHunger!  Find Captain Morgan here: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Please join us in raising spirits this holiday season!  To see all of my entries into this challenge, please visit my announcement post HERE often, as this is where I will post updates as they become available.

This post is sponsored by Captain Morgan brand.  I was not compensated, but I did receive product and ingredient reimbursement.  All opinions are my own.