coconut

Toasted Coconut Brussels.

February 2, 2012 · 99 comments

I think we’re all still pretty shocked that I actually enjoy brussels sprouts.

And! Let’s take a moment thank the heavens above that I do or else… nary a vegetable would cross my lips.

And in order to continue this… fondness… I have for the little green chunks o’ love, I gotta make sure they don’t overstay their welcome. Ever.

Because I can’t get sick of the one plant type thing I’ve got going on. !! Duh.

Now now… I realize I’m eliminating a majority of the population here with coconut AND brussels sprouts. I mean… most normal people ahbor tiny cabbages. A ton of other people think coconut should be eliminated from planet Earth. Frankly, I think they should be eliminated and leave me some alone time with my coconut. I’m possessive, needy and insecure.

For some of you (like ummmm, my husband), this is your ultimate worst nightmare. I could not combine anything more disgusting, right? Well… go sit over there in the corner and leave me be, because I’m hungry.

I pan-roasted the heck out of the brussels until caramely, added some coconut to toast, drizzled on some lite coconut milk and then ate them like there was no tomorrow. Delicious. We  (and I really just mean I) served them with those maple-glazed pork chops and pesto mac and cheese… then fell into food comas for four days. My kinda sleep.

Coconut Toasted Brussels

serves 2-4

1 pound brussels sprouts, stems removed and quartered

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

pinch of nutmeg

1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

2 tablespoons lite coconut milk

2-3 tablespoons toasted, shredded coconut

Add quartered brussels to a bowl and sprinkle with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Drizzle with coconut oil and toss to coat.

Heat a skillet oven medium-high heat and once hot, add brussels. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until toasted and charred. Reduce heat to low and stir in coconut milk. Stir in 2 tablespoons toasted coconut, then transfer to a bowl to serve. Top with remaining toasted coconut.

I’ll totally make this up to you tomorrow.

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{ 99 comments }

Gooey Chocolate Coconut Truffles.

December 20, 2011 · 124 comments

 The best thing ever happened on Friday night.

But first!

Some of you have asked how I dip my truffles since they appear all nice and smooth and stuff.

I use forks. No biggie. Pretty sure this happened by accident about 5 years ago when I ran out of spoons.

I hate doing dishes.

And yes, that would be me – the person who had a dish of brownies shatter in her oven – placing a glass bowl over a pot of boiling water. Sometimes I do stupid + desperate things.

You can see I’m not messy either. AT ALL.

Oh, and seriously? Most of my balls look like this. Not pretty. A nice, little hawt mess.

Anyhooooo… Friday night.

We were at a little holiday gathering. After a few adult beverages we were ready to eat (i.e. like ravenous) and started to load up our plates with breads and cheeses and roasted red peppers and beef and this amazing penne. You may recall that there are really only two foods that my husband seriously dislikes. The first being coconut – he just can’t take the texture. He loves the taste and can slam a handle of Malibu like he’s 22 years old, but refuses to put the actual shreds in his mouth because they make his skin crawl. And the second is ricotta cheese – which I chalk up to him having some really crummy lasagna at some point in his life where the cheese resembled grit. But what do I know? Just a guess.

My cousin Lacy and I sat on the floor with our plates on a mini table and ate like hogs while Mr. How Sweet stood against the wall, attempting to devour his own plate as another party goer commented, “uh, who are you? You have red hair and don’t look like anyone here so I’m trying to figure out why you’re at this party.”

Me too, lady. Me too.

 

A few minutes later Lacy turns to me and says, “do you think this is ricotta in the penne?” To which I respond, “I’m pretty sure it is, it’s soooo good.” And she goes with a smirk, “well your husband is standing over there scarfing it.”

And scarfing it HE WAS. His second plate of it too. I was dyyyyying inside with giddiness. I love when he thinks he hates something and then eats like five platefuls.

I don’t know where I disappeared to but when I returned, Lacy had filled him in on what he just ate and he couldn’t even take it. She was just as excited to break it to him too. Full on tantrum ensued. He refused to believe it. He insisted it was parmesan. Insisted it was feta. As the nice wife I am, I went on a mission to figure out how this penne was made and sure enough… it was penne with garlic and olive oil, topped with GIANT ICE CREAM SCOOPS FULL of ricotta. Yeah. That’s a lot of ricotta my friends. A lot of ricotta that he ate.

Since ricotta and I had easily one-upped him, I was aching to go 2 for 2. I made these truffles while he was at work (they are INSANELY easy, trust me), then strategically placed the pan in the fridge where he simply couldn’t miss them. Sure enough… he ate one.

Now the only problem is that I might be getting a divorce.

Gooey Chocolate Coconut Truffles

makes about 24 teaspoon-sized truffles

3 cups sweetened, shredded coconut

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1 1/2-2 cups milk chocolate chips, melted

In a large bowl, combined coconut and sugar and mix to combine. Add in milk and coconut oil, mix constantly until a gooey coconut filling results. I used my hands to mix too! Roll between the palm of your hands into teaspoon-sized (or a little larger) balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for 15 minutes, then remove from freeze and roll again between your palms to smooth any coconut edges. Freeze for 10-15 minutes more. While freezing, melt chocolate chips in a double boiled or microwave. Remove coconut balls from freezer and immediately dip.

Refrigerate until ready to serve – at least 15 minutes.

Moral of the store: make these tonight. They are so gooey and chewy I could die!

{ 124 comments }

Mocha Coconut Fudge.

December 7, 2011 · 191 comments

Ugh. I’m really sorry to have to do this to you. Really.

Because I’m sure you have plans tonight and all, that include like, watching six episodes of Friends, eating a dinner of crackers, cheese and wine and then not doing laundry and not cleaning the bathroom.

Especially if you are my clone.

But you must cancel those plans.

Because now you’re going to make fudge.

Truuuuuuust me on this one. I don’t love fudge either. I know. I mean, it’s delicious and all, and I love a few (thousand) bites, but it’s rarely what I choose to make in a dire moment of emotional baking and rarely what I choose to eat in the often hours of emotional eating.

Know what I’m saying? Stacy’s pita chips and m&m’s covering a peanut butter spoon work wonders there.

Fudge is simply soooo chocolatey and rich that when all you want to do is chew, chew, chew, it isn’t the best drug of choice.

But that’s neither here nor there.

THIS fudge needs to be made.

That’s really all I can tell you at the moment as I’m still somewhat sidelined on the couch with my BFF Kleenex and my old friend, Pinot Noir. Well, that and uh, what the heck is going on with Liam and Annie on 90210? Wow. Is that Vinny? And seriously, how WEIRD was it that my boyfriend Michael Buble was on TV last night?! Cahrazy. And can they just make Neil Patrick Harris the new Regis now? Cutie patootie he is. And I’d like to live inside the Home Alone movies. Still.

But anyway.

For basically my entire existence, Mother Lovett insisted on making this two-toned butterscotch/chocolate fudge, even though every year we begged her to make a two-toned peanut butter/chocolate fudge. And every year we watched that two-toned butterscotch/chocolate fudge turn to lumps of coal on her cookie plates because no.one.liked.it. And she never made the peanut butter fudge. Stubborn much?

She froze it anyway. She packed it in with the thumbprints of stone and froze it for years. She brought it out mid-July where is sat and still wouldn’t melt in 90-degree temps. FYI: rocks don’t melt.

For some reason, butterscotch has never been on my radar. Totally weird, I know, with the whole “butter” thing and all. I’m sure some day down the line I’ll develop an obsession with it, create approximately five or six recipes with a butterscotch focus to bombard you with, never to mention it again. It’s just how I roll.

And I’m pretty sure I’m too old to say that. Gag me.

Mocha coconut it is!

Only my MOST FAVORITE COMBINATION EVER.

I don’t do homemade gifts, but if I did, I 100% absolutely for sure would want to give this to someone. But I’d probably eat it all first. I guess I could just gift it to myself? Oh wait. Already did that.

Mocha Coconut Fudge

[adapted from mother lovett's 3-minute fudge]

makes one 8×8 pan

12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

12 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped

1 can (15oz) sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 tablespoons espresso powder (or instant coffee)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1/2 cup flaked coconut, toasted

Spray an 8×8 pan with non-stick spray.

Add semisweet chocolate to a double boiler, and melt completely. One melted, add in half of the sweetened condensed milk, the vanilla, the coffee powder and 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil. Stir with a spatula until combined and fairly smooth, then spread evenly in the bottom of the pan. Mixture will be thick. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Add white chocolate to a double boiler and melt completely. Add in remaining condensed milk, coconut oil and coconut extract, stirring until combined. Remove fudge from freezer and add white chocolate on top, spreading evenly to coat. Top with toasted coconut, then chill in the refrigerator for 60-90 minutes.

When ready to cut, fill a large cup with hot water. Dip a sharp knife into the water, then blot on a towel. Use knife to cut fudge into your desired size of squares.

Note: the melting can also be done in the microwave. I suggest melting the chocolate first on medium power in 30 second increments, stirring after each time. Once melted, add in remaining ingredients and stir until smooth. You can also use this Lindt Coconut White Chocolate for the coconut layer.

Oh fudge.

{ 191 comments }

Almond Joy Scones.

Almond Joy Scones [adapted from these scones {in which post I use waaaay too many italics}] makes 16 scones 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour 2/3 cup almond meal 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup cold butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into small pieces 1 cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon coconut extract raw turbinado sugar for sprinkling 3 ounces of chocolate, melted Preheat oven to 425. In large bowl combine flour, almond meal, sugar, coconut, baking soda, powder, and salt.. Cut in butter until it forms coarse crumbs with the flour mixture – I actually use my hands to combine and mash the butter in. Stir in buttermilk, coconut extract and vanilla extract. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently. Divide dough in half and pat into 7-inch round circles.. Cut into 6 or 8 wedges, or use a round biscuit cutter. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse sugar Bake at 425 for 12-14 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool, then drizzle with melted chocolate.

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Mocha Coconut Frappuccino Cupcakes.

Mocha Cupcakes makes 12 cupcakes 1 1/8 cups all purpose flour 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder 3 tablespoons instant coffee powder 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup white sugar 1 egg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3/4 cup coconut milk 1/2 cup butter, melted 2 tablespoons sour cream 1/2 cup chocolate or cappuccino chips Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk egg and sugar until smooth and no lumps remain. Add milk, butter and vanilla, and mix until combined. Sift dry ingredients together and add to wet mixture. Mix until batter is smooth, then stir in sour cream. Fold in chocolate chips and mix. Line a muffin tin with liners and using a 1/4 cup measure, add batter to each cup. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.   Coconut Frosting 2 sticks of butter, softened (1 cup) 3 2/3 cups powdered sugar + more if needed 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon of coconut extract (if you don’t have this, no big deal) 1-2 tablespoons of lite coconut milk 1/2 cup shredded, sweetened coconut 1/2 cup shredded coconut, toasted Cream butter in the bowl of an electric mixture until completely smooth and [...]

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Homemade Mocha Coconut Iced Coffees.

Homemade Mocha Coconut Iced Coffees [copied from Starbucks using my iced mocha recipe + ashley's coconut whipped cream] makes 1 serving 5 ounces brewed coffee, cold 1/2 cup coconut milk [your choice: lite, full-fat, or the refrigerated kind] 3 tablespoons chocolate syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon sugar 2 tablespoons toasted coconut 1 can COLD full-fat coconut milk 2 tablespoons sugar Brew coffee and let cool – this can work with leftover morning coffee, or I suggest making some at night and once it cools, putting it in the fridge overnight. However you want to do it, as long as you have cold coffee, you are set! I still have not tried cold brewed coffee but I know I need to. In the bowl of your electric mixer (or using a bowl and an electric hand mixer), add cold coconut milk and sugar. Beat until peaks form and you have the consistency of whipped cream – about 6 minutes. Mine did not get quite as thick as regular whipped cream and was still a bit runny – but I have no patience. It was still delicious. Fill the bottom of your glass with 1-2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup, then add [...]

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Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting.

Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes makes 12 cupcakes 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup butter 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups flour 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup chopped strawberries 1-2 tablespoons milk, if needed (I did not need/use this) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat butter and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Add flour, baking powder and salt with the mixer on low speed, then gradually increase speed. Add in chopped strawberries and beat on medium speed until the strawberries break down – about 1-2 minutes. At this point, the strawberries most likely have enough liquid that you don’t need to add any milk to the batter. If you batter seems dry and is not like typical cake batter (see 1st picture above), then add milk 1-2 tablespoons at a time, beating until incorporated. Pour into cupcake liners, filling 2/3 of the way full, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until cake is set. Let cool, then frost. Note: I would not suggest using frozen strawberries because of the high water content. If you must, make sure they [...]

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Coconut Baked Shrimp with Pineapple Peach Salsa.

Coconut Baked Shrimp serves 2-4 1 pound tail-on, peeled and deveined shrimp (I used 16-20 count) 2/3 cup lite coconut milk 2 tablespoons olive oil (I infused mine with some chopped tarragon and heated it over low heat) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs 3 tablespoons shredded coconut (I used unsweetened) 3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon (If you don’t like tarragon, sub parsley) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray an 8×8 baking dish with non-stick spray. If desired, slice shrimp down the middle to butterfly. I did this because I like how it appears to make the shrimp “larger.” Toss shrimp with salt and pepper, then lay in the baking dish. In a bowl, combine coconut milk, olive oil, garlic and tarragon. Pour over shrimp in the baking dish. In another bowl, mix bread crumbs and coconut. Sprinkle over shrimp. Bake for 20 minutes, or until bread crumbs are golden brown. Serve shrimp and spoon a bit of the coconut milk mixture over top. Top with salsa. Note: if you are not a fan of coconut (especially the texture), you can leave it out and up the quantity of the [...]

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Macaroon Crusted Tilapia.

I think we all know how much I love coconut. You should love it too! Unless your name is Mr. How Sweet. He despises coconut. He would rather chew nails than eat coconut. Even though he has absentmindedly eaten it in many recipes I’ve made. Right about now he is looking at the computer screen and highly annoyed that he has eaten coconut without knowing it. And claiming that it can not be true. It is true. I realize this can be tricky. There are many of you that don’t like coconut and probably even more of you that don’t like fish. And there are probably sixteen pregnant women that are reading this post and attempting not to upchuck. But I’m telling you… it’s really delicious! When do I ever steer you wrong? I mentioned earlier this week on Facebook that this fish is so delicious it could make you cry. A few tears may have been shed. It is not very sweet and is basically tilapia encrusted in coconut and almonds. Best combination ever. I got a little heavy handed on the coconut. Oops. Any chance I had at tricking Mr. How Sweet into eating this flew out the [...]

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Vanilla Crunch Muffins.

I think I’ll let the batter do most of the talking. I love vanilla. I love muffins. This is a recipe that brings the two together in perfect harmony. I gave my muffins some “crunch” in two places. First, inside the muffin with pecans. Feel free to use the nut of your choice. Second, on top of the muffins with additional pecans, shredded coconut and course sugar. I adore course sugar. It’s all about texture my friends. I really enjoyed the muffins with the addition of the yogurt and applesauce. They were dense but moist. And super vanilla-y. They made me want to blast I’m Every Woman by Whitney Houston and dance around like a complete maniac. But that’s just me. Vanilla Crunch Muffins inspired by Ina Garten makes 12 muffins 2 cups whole wheat flour 1/3 cup sugar 1 egg 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 1/2 cup vanilla greek yogurt 1/3 cup milk 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon vanilla extract contents of one vanilla bean 1/2 cup chopped pecans + more for garnish raw course sugar for garnish coconut for garnish Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place muffin cups in muffin tins. Mix sugar, applesauce, yogurt [...]

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