Spiced coconut tarts

Recently I was discussing the foods I miss from my youth and a coconut tart my dad made sprung to mind. I remember him grating fresh coconuts by hand. On one of those old-fashioned steel plates that were painful just to look at. They were made with a sweet, bread-like dough and the filling was basically just grated coconut, sweetened and fragrant. Warm and fresh and yummy to eat. I figured why not try and recreate it? But with a little twist of my own, by way of spices and rum. Heck, I am an island girl at heart!

Crust

2 cups flour
1/2 cup almond meal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 butter
1 egg
¼ cup milk

Filling

3 cups grated coconut
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons nutmeg

2 teaspoons allspice
pinch of salt
2 tablespoon dark rum

Preheat oven to 175 Celsius. Make the filling. Bring coconut, sugar, water, vanilla, nutmeg, allspice, salt and cinnamon to a boil over moderate heat. Simmer on low heat till mixture thickens and reduces. Add the rum. Let cool.

Combine flour, meal, baking powder, salt and sugar in a mixer. Cut the chilled butter into knobs and add to the dry ingredients in pulses. Add the egg and milk and and mix until a sticky dough forms. Knead the dough and divide into individual portions about the size of a golf ball. Roll out the balls and add a spoonful of filling. Fold shut and seal the sides with a fork. Brush with beaten egg or milk and sprinkle with grated coconut and sugar. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks. Serve warm.