This is the Coconut Tart that I made for my Bahamian-inspired Sunday dinner last week. I thought I'd share in case someone else has a sweet tooth and wants a taste of the islands.

It's similar to one I found in "Many Tastes of the Bahamas" by Lady Darling, though I did change several things to make it more similar to recipes in two other cookbooks I picked up in Nassau.

Bahamian Coconut Tart

Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp. baking powder
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, well beaten

Filling:
3 cups grated coconut
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt; cut in the shortening with a pastry cutter (or use two knives) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and mix in the milk and egg until a firm dough is formed. Roll out 3/4 of the dough into a rectangular shape on a floured surface until it is 1/4-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a greased 9x13-inch pan. Roll out the remaining dough to the same thickness and cut into strips to use as lattice top; set aside for now.

In a saucepan, combine the filling ingredients and cook over medium-high heat until water dissolves, stirring frequently. Cool.

Spoon the coconut filling onto the crust and top with strips of dough to form a lattice top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Serve warm or cool.

Carmen