Coconut muffins

Judging by the melting snow on both my driveway and my roof, spring is definitely on the way. I got the first whiff of it this weekend, when I was almost tempted to break out the shoes and lighter coat.

It's not quite tropical weather just yet, though, so all the more reason to enjoy some Carribean flavour in the form of these coconut muffins. They get some nice flavour from coconut oil and flaked coconut, and you could even substitute the yogurt for some coconut milk to totally max out the taste.

But even with two kinds of coconut, these are delicious enough to tide you over to summer.

This is the first time I've ever used coconut oil, which is solid at room temperature (think good ol' Crisco for comparison). And when you're not baking with it, coconut oil does double duty as a beauty tool, and a star ingredient in this beachy hair spray.

So it requires melting before you can use it in the recipe. Do you spot my new gas stove in this picture? It's so great, even if it's a little less than clean in this shot.

Here are the muffins headed for the oven. This recipe makes 10 small-medium sized muffins. I used parchment paper liners here, which are an awesome find. Not even a crumb wasted!

And here they are finished, complete with toasted tops. I froze most of these and they were just as good from the freezer as they were fresh. Always a good and practical sign in a muffin.

 

Double Coconut Muffins
From Smitten Kitchen

Yield: 10 standard muffins

1/2 cup (110 grams) virgin coconut oil
3/4 cup (95 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (60 grams) whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 cup (230 grams) full fat Greek-style yogurt, at room temperature is best
1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature is best
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
3/4 cup (90 grams) sweetened shredded coconut, divided

Preheat oven to 375°F. Either grease 10 muffin cups with butter or coconut oil, or line them with papers.

In a small saucepan, warm your coconut oil just until it melts. It should still be on the cool side. (The egg and yogurt should also be at room temperature to avoid re-solidifying the oil.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together your flours, baking powder and salt. Stir 1/2 cup shredded coconut. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, sugar, coconut oil, yogurt and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients until just combined. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups then sprinkle the top with remaining 1/4 cup coconut, about 1 to 2 teaspoons on each.

Bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out batter-free, about 20 minutes. Transfer muffins to a rack and let cool.

Coconut cake with berries and cream

Summer birthdays can pose a bit of a problem (says the one born in November). Not a problem when it comes to celebrating of course, but when it comes to cake. Summer temperatures, or the overbearing, shirt-soaking heat we've had this summer, can wreak havoc on iced birthday cakes. So what to do? Give up and skip dessert altogether? Don't be ridiculous! The answer is an easy, tasty cake you can serve cold.

This one fits the bill nicely. It's a coconut cake full of moist coconutty goodness. It's a variation on a tres leche cake, substituting in coconut milk for the evaporated milk. The end result is delicious and unlike anything I've had before. I made it for my brother's birthday at the cottage this year (as he's a fan of coconut). It was a hit with all the toddlers, middle-agers and seniors who present at the party.

Let's get started....

Mix up your cake batter, which is essentially a sponge cake. The difference is the coconut. The original recipe calls for 1/3 cup of unsweeted coconut, which wasn't enough, in my opinion. The second time I made this cake, I used sweetened coconut, and upped the quantity to 3/4 cup.

While the cake bakes, you get your 'milks' ready.

This is how the cake looks when it comes out of the oven.

Poke several holes in the cake before you pour over your milks, so the liquid can soak in. It might take a while, but eventually it'll seep in. Yum!

And here's the finished product. You can top with more whip cream if you like, but it's not necessary. Don't skip on the berries though -- raspberries and peaches are especially nice.

Coconut cake with berries and cream
From Martha Stewart Living

• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for pans
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup flaked unsweetened coconut, toasted and finely ground
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 cups heavy cream, divided
• 1 can (13.75 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 3 cups mixed fresh berries (about 12 ounces), for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 9-by-13-inch glass baking pan. Whisk together egg whites, baking soda, and salt in a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment on medium speed, until soft peaks form, 4 to 5 minutes.
2. Add egg yolks to egg-white mixture, and whisk until completely combined. Gradually add sugar, and whisk until combined. Fold in butter and coconut with a rubber spatula.
3. Sift 1/4 cup flour onto mixture; fold to combine. Repeat with remaining flour, folding in 1/4 cup at a time. Pour batter into pan; bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, whisk together 1 cup heavy cream, the coconut milk, and condensed milk. As soon as cake is removed from oven, pour cream mixture over cake. Let cake cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cover cake with plastic wrap, and refrigerator at least 5 hours and up to 8 hours.
5. Just before serving, whisk remaining cup heavy cream until soft peaks form, and spread over cake. Serve with mixed berries.

Coconut butter

Did you spend the holidays lounging around in your pyjamas, eating lots of hot toast and drinking tea? Me too! This incredibly complex recipe kept the toast company on many a morning (and afternoon, if I'm honest). Who knew that such a thing as coconut butter existed? And better still, that it's a breeze to make? All you need is some unsweetened coconut, and about 10 minutes. Seriously! Here's how....

Start by dumping your coconut in the food processor. Easy, right?

Blend for about two minutes, and the mix starts to get a bit sticky. You'll have to scrape down the sides at this point.

Blend blend blend again. This is what it looks like at the 7 minute mark. Scrape down and blend again. Put on some Beyonce while you wait. Try to come up with names for her new baby (Lil' Z, Zeyonce, Destiny's Child child etc.) while you dance to Single Ladies.

After about 10 minutes, the mixture completely liquifies and all you need to do it pour it into a jar. (And skip the "take a blurry picture" step.)

Coconut Butter
makes 1 cup
(recipe found on Shutterbean)

-3 cups shredded unsweetened coconut

Place coconut in a food processor and process for 8-10 minutes until the coconut liquefies. Be sure to scrape down the sides at least 3 times while processing. If you want to add sweetness, put a tablespoon of honey in your mixture while processing. A pinch of salt is a nice addition too.

Coconut butter will remain semi-hard at room temperature and will easily melt on hot toast. Keep it in the fridge, and slightly heat it up before using.