As a pastry chef living on the island of Hawaii, I have a proprietary fondness for rich, sweet coconut. I’m still charmed by the Beware of Falling Coconuts signs that dot the beaches here, and my own backyard plays host to a lovely, fruitbearing coconut tree. But when it comes to baking with this favorite flavor of mine, I usually don’t bother with a fresh coconut. And I’m not alone. Even in Hawaii, most cooks shy away from using fresh. Why? Though fresh coconut is delicious, it’s literally a hard nut to crack. I’ve seen experienced huskers free a kernel in seconds, but amateurs like me can spend thirty minutes hacking away with a hammer only to end up staring hopelessly at a mess of dirty, fiber-covered, virtually unusable meat.

For those who want to try their hand at it, be my guest. For the rest of us who would rather cook with coconut than wrestle with it, there are many excellent coconut products available—dried coconut, coconut milk, even coconut extract—that provide authentic flavor without need of a hammer, a screwdriver, persistence, and practice.

Try health-food stores for shredded coconut

干燥（也称为干燥）椰子是包装椰子的最熟悉的形式。您可以在超市中找到干椰子，但是您通常找不到各种尺寸，而且通常会变甜。我倾向于避免吃甜椰子，主要是因为它的味道比椰子含量更多，但这也是因为我发现它具有稍微化学的味道（大多数品牌使用防腐剂和亚硫酸盐来保持椰子湿润和白色）。除了风味的差异外，甜椰子的水分含量较高，因此当食谱要求不加糖时，它不能总是被替换。它会像装饰品一样捏住，但不要试图在杏仁饼食谱中代替甜椰子。您将永远无法获得适当的结果：清脆干燥的外部，与潮湿，味道浓郁的内饰形成鲜明对比。

I usually head to the health-food store when I need desiccated coconut. That’s where you’ll find those wonderful large flakes—the size that often turns up in granola. This is what to buy when you want to make a statement. I use the wide flakes in my favorite biscotti, where they stand out noticeably, and to festoon the coconut buttercream icing on my chocolate layer cake. I use the small grated coconut for my macaroons and to give brownie and cookie recipes an exotic kick and crunch.

由于其高脂肪含量，即使储存时间过长，甚至干燥的椰子也会变得腐烂。在购买之前，请务必闻到椰子的气味。将其存放在一个凉爽干燥的地方（它将持续约一个月，或在密封的容器中在冰柜中持续大约一年），然后在使用之前再次品尝。

烤面包切碎的椰子可以使其风味完善。轻轻烘烤时，原始和干燥的椰子呈现出美丽的金色和更深的味道。要烤椰子，请将其均匀地铺在烤盘上，然后将其放入350°F烤箱中。仔细观察，搅拌一两次以均匀。就像椰子开始变成浅棕色一样，将其拉出。

椰奶提供丰富的味道，没有质地

A big part of coconut’s appeal for me is its chewy texture. But I know people who, while they like the flavor of coconut, object to how it feels in their mouth. For them, smooth, creamy coconut desserts are the answer. I use coconut milk to flavor custards, ice cream, and sorbet. I use it in icings and to flavor pastry cream.

Coconut milk is not the liquid found within the coconut: it’s made from combining coconut meat with hot water (or dairy milk or cream) and straining and squeezing out as much liquid as possible. You can make your own, but canned coconut milk is convenient and is found in most supermarkets, as well as in Asian or Latin American groceries. The Thai products are my favorite: smooth and homogenous. Mendoca’s coconut milk from Hawaii is the most like homemade, slightly coarse and separated.

Canned coconut milk will last indefinitely unopened, but once opened is highly susceptible to spoilage. Refrigerate opened coconut milk and freeze what you don’t use in a day or two; it will last two months in the freezer. Coconut milk may be substituted in part for liquids in baking, but be aware that it can curdle without a thickener, and it will turn a very unappealing shade of gray if cooked in a cast-iron pot.

不要将椰子奶油与椰子奶油混淆。椰奶含有饱和脂肪，可以分开，在顶部形成一层厚的奶油。这种乳霜通常被搅拌回罐中，以使其具有光滑，均匀的液体。但是，如果您想要更强烈的风味，请脱脂并仅使用奶油。椰子霜一词可能会令人困惑。它也是合法的较厚的液体，该液体由将椰子肉与较少的液体混合在一起，当食谱需要椰子奶油时，可以使用该产品。但是，不要将椰子奶油与一种称为椰子奶油的产品混淆（可可洛佩兹是一个受欢迎的品牌）。椰子奶油是一种用椰子奶油和大量糖制成的加工产品。它与椰奶或椰子奶油无法互换，最好用于搅拌器饮料。

Other ways to add coconut flavor include syrups and extracts.椰子糖浆经常被调酒师使用并在酒类商店中使用，非常适合简单的糖浆来润湿海绵蛋糕层。我喜欢在自制的焦糖酱中添加一点，然后将其倒在澳洲坚果冰淇淋上。

Even coconut extract has a place in layering flavors in pastry work. It’s delicious in French buttercreams or when used in place of vanilla extract in white or yellow cake layers. A friend of mine finishes limeade with a few drops of coconut extract for an instant taste of Tahiti. Just remember to use it sparingly: it can leave a chemical aftertaste if used too heavily.

椰子搭配不仅仅是热带口味

热带口味是椰子的显而易见的匹配：芒果，木瓜和草莓亮着丰富的椰子蛋奶，而椰子冰淇淋或冰棍非常适合烤菠萝或香蕉油条。正如任何丘陵的粉丝都会告诉您的那样，椰子和巧克力，尤其是苦甜巧克力，都是完美的。椰子还回应了姜和豆蔻的温暖以及核桃，澳洲坚果和杏仁的烤面包。

即使我整天都在制作椰子甜点时，我仍然会渴望辣的泰式咖喱，加热椰子奶或一些酥脆的椰子壳炸薯条。但是这些食谱属于另一个关于椰子的故事 - 咸味的食谱，这也是一个好故事。