Wright's peach, coconut and chocolate parfait

I like to start the day with a poem. Poetry enriches the soul, excites the spirit, quietens anxieties...anyway that is what I try to instill in my children as they sit at the breakfast table fidgeting and playing with their Weetbix. One of my favourite poets is Judith Wright - her poetry is infused with an extraordinary lyrical elegance which reveals her intimate connection to humanity and the earth. She was an ardent conservationist and supporter of indigenous rights up until her death at age 85 in 2000. It is worth further delving into her bio as she is a truly marvellous artist from our history. Anyway, the poem 'South of my days' haunted me today. It contains the beautiful lines,

"Seventy years of stories he clutches round his bones.

Seventy years of summers are hived in him like old honey..."

The sweetness of honey inspired me to create this dessert when our wonderful friends Eva and John visited. It's made up of a coconut cake, tinned peaches, whipped cream and chocolate almond biscotti. The coconut cake was supposed to be baked in a Gugelhopf tin to make it look pretty, but I didn't have one of those. I baked it in a large square tin and so when I bought it to be laid on the dessert table of a large family event, probably 100 guests, only a couple took a slice. And they were my husband and my mother-in-law! It really didn't look very appealing. But it was very coconutty and it is perfect with a cup of tea...or cut up and used as a base for a parfait in a martini glass. The coconut cake recipe is from Janelle Bloom's "fast, fresh and fabulous".  She also makes a passionfruit glaze which of course, coupled with being baked in a Gugelhopf, would only augment it’s pulchritude!

Happy New Year dear readers, may it be a year filled with many honey-like moments….

Coconut cake   serves 10
2^1/3 cups desiccated coconut
1 ^2/3 cups caster sugar
2 ½ cups SR flour
2 ^2/3 cups coconut milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 170⁰.  Grease a 2 – litre Gugelhopf pan or very large square tin.

Combine coconut, sugar and flour in a large bowl.  In another large bowl, beat coconut milk eggs and vanilla.  Stir into the dry ingredients.  Spoon mixture into prepared tin, smoothing the top. 

Bake cake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.  Stand for 10 mins before turning onto a wire rake to cool.

At this point it can be iced with your favourite glaze.  Save about a quarter for the parfait.
…
To assemble parfait for 6
300ml whipped cream
Large tin of peaches in syrup
4 chocolate almond biscotti, crumbled coursely
Chocolate sauce (heat over gentle heat 200 g of milk and dark chocolate with 200ml of cream until melted)
A wedge of coconut cake

Cut up the coconut cake into 5 cm squares and place at the base of 6 martini glasses.  Pour some syrup from the peach tin over to soak.  Place about 5 peach slices over the soaked coconut cake then a huge dollop or two of whipped cream for each glass. 

Place in fridge till ready to serve.  Just before serving sprinkle over the biscotti.  With sweet abandon, pour over hot chocolate sauce.