🌎 The World Cookbook

For the fa'apapa (makes 2 small loaves):
2 cups all-purpose flour
⅓ cup sugar
1⅓ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
½ (14 oz.) can coconut milk (see note 1)
A knob of butter
For the coconut caramel sauce:
1 cup sugar
¼ cup water
1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk

fa'apapa: Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease two pieces of baking parchment (about 12-inch square) with some butter or margarine. If using silicone parchment, this isn’t necessary. Add all the ingredients to a large bowl, and mix together with your hands, until you have a stiff dough. Divide the dough into equal portions, and shape each piece into a rectangular-shaped loaf. Flatten each loaf until it's around 1 inch thick, and place onto the center of the parchment. Wrap the loaves up, making a pleat at the top of the parchment to allow for expansion, and place directly onto a shelf in the center of the oven. Bake for around 30 minutes, until the fa'apapa is golden brown. Remove from the oven, and set aside for an hour or so to cool. Coconut Caramel Sauce: While the fa’apapa is baking, place the sugar and the water into a heavy-based pan over a low heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, reduce the heat, and leave for 30 minutes or so, until you have a light-brown caramel (see note 2). Carefully pour the coconut milk into the caramel, and stir well, making sure it's properly incorporated. Turn off the heat, and set aside to cool. Fa'ausi: Once the fa'apapa has cooled down to room temperature, cut it up into 1" cubes, and place into a container which is large enough to be able to easily move the bread around. Pour the cooled coconut caramel over the fa'apapa cubes, and gently mix, making sure that each piece is coated with sauce. Set aside for an hour for the bread to soak up the sauce.