When I started at chef school, we made coconut yoghurt by wielding a cleaver to cut open young Thai coconuts. We were taught to bring the cleaver down heavily whilst keeping our cleaver-free hand firmly behind our backs. Those coconuts bounced everywhere and the temptation to steady them from bouncing around was strong, but we did as we were told and all walked away from Chef School with our digits intact.    

After a week of this somewhat alarming coconut carnage, they said ‘great, you’ve learned how to do that, we will get the frozen stuff out now.’

Buying frozen coconut meat seemed as likely as gathering unicorn tears in the forest of dean, so I was astonished to find it in a supermarket in Gloucester. A little bit stringier than I’d enjoyed in L.A., but nevertheless, there is was.  

Coconut yoghurt wasn’t even a thing back then. Happily, the plant-based world has moved on and readymade coconut yoghurt is more widely available. I suggest you use readymade coconut yoghurt for this dessert, unless you feel confident with a cleaver.

 This is delicious as a treat, but could also be served for breakfast. After all, it’s just fruit and yoghurt.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups or a 400g tub coconut yogurt (KOKO or Coconut Collaborative is good)

2 tablespoons agave or rice malt syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lime juice or lemon juice
a handful of fresh strawberries and blueberries

2 squares raw chocolate or 1 teaspoon chopped cacao nibs

METHOD

Line a baking tray with baking parchment.  Half the strawberries and ensure all your berries are in bite size pieces. Cut the chocolate into very small pieces.

In a bowl, combine the coconut yoghurt, sweetener, vanilla extract and citrus juice. Spread the yoghurt mix over the baking parchment so it is about ½ inch thick. Scatter with the prepared berries and chocolate pieces (or chopped cacao nibs.)

Place the tray in the freezer overnight until the coconut yoghurt bark is frozen solid.

Break into shards and store in a sealed container in the freezer until required.  This will keep for about a month in the freezer.