Coconut Flour
Coconut flour is essentially dried coconut solids ground into a very fine, flour-like powder. It is made from the coconut solids that are left over after the meat has been used to produce coconut milk.
Coconut flour is high in fiber, protein, vitamin C, and manganese. It is low in sugar, digestible carbohydrates, and calories, and has a low score on the glycemic index. Coconut flour is made from coconut meat which is free from any nuts and grains, helping people with allergies.
Coconut palms are generally found thriving in the mineral-rich volcanic soils of the tropics and naturally fertilized with sea water, which contains a complete mixture of all of the trace minerals required in the human body.
Coconuts were originally cultivated on island countries in Southeast Asia, such as the Philippines and Malaysia. Although no one knows the exact history and discovery of coconut flour, it was admired in Tahiti and other parts of Polynesia. It started as a by-product of coconut milk made from the leftover pulp. Once they drained and extracted the milk, the pulp from the meat would be dried in an oven, most likely using a traditional Tahitian oven, called an Ahima’a. Presumably, the pulp would be placed in this underground oven, and once it had dried, would then be ground into flour.
Coconut works differently from wheat flour in standard recipes because it has no gluten and it is highly absorbent. Use 15-25% in place of other flours in most standard recipes. A variety of delicious recipes can also be made using 100% coconut flour.
Sources: https://be-still-farms.com/blogs/healthy-organic-living-blog/why-coconut-flour-part-1-history, www.niulife.com.au/coconut-flour-explained/
Recipe – Salted Maple Pecan Fudge
Ingredients
1 cup creamy cashew butter
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp. fine salt
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbs. and 1 tsp. coconut flour, no substitutes
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp. vanilla flavoring
Extra pecans and salt, for sprinkling
Process
To a bowl, add the cashew butter, maple syrup, and salt, then mix well. Next, add the coconut flour, pecans, and vanilla, and mix very well. Line a small deep baking dish with cling wrap or parchment paper. Pack the fudge mixture into the dish and flatten out the top. (Dipping the spatula in water then shaking it off to smooth the fudge will prevent it from sticking to the spatula.) Sprinkle extra pecans and salt over the top and press lightly. Place the dish in the freezer for about 30 minutes, remove, lift out of the pan, and cut into pieces. Store in either the refrigerator or freezer.