Helloooo Secret Baker :)

On the fabulous message board that I frequent, we tried our first ever baking exchange. It's basically like Secret Santa (we used the website elfster.com) but with yummy baked goods!

When I picking something to bake, I had to think logistically, since the baked goods needed to be packable, mailable, and not very melty! I have a basic coffee cake recipe that I've used in the past for your standard cinnamon style but I decided to mix it up a bit and turn the typical coffee cake into an Almond Joy Loaf. I took all the elements of a great coffee cake (moist, rich cake) and added in all the fabulousness of an Almond Joy (almonds, chocolate, and coconut!).

Enjoy :)

PS: I received rave reviews from the loaf's recipient Jessi! Hope you enjoyed the loaf!!

Almond Joy Loaf



Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups divided sugar
2 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
8 oz sour cream
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup slivered almonds

Directions

1 - Combine 1/2 cup sugar, coconut, chocolate chips, and almonds in a separate bowl. Set aside.

2 - Cream butter and 1 cup sugar together with a paddle attachment on your mixer. Add eggs. Beat in vanilla. Mix until smooth and well combined.

3 - Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in another bowl. Add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream.

4 - Spoon 1/2 the batter into a greased tube pan.

5 - Sprinkle 1/2 of the coconut mix over the batter. Add remaining batter and then top with rest of coconut mixture.

6 - Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

Hi. I'm Tana, and I'm a coconut-aholic!

Any chance to infuse coconut into a recipe, I am so game for it. when I spotted a recipe in a Food Network magazine a few months back, I dog-eared it because I knew that coconut chicken fingers were in our future.

I served them with a store bought sweet & sour sauce that was a lovely compliment.

Enjoy!

Coconut Crusted Chicken Fingers

(adapted from Food Network)



Ingredients

1 cup flaked coconut

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup butter, melted

Directions

1 - Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

2 - Mix coconut, flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder in medium bowl. Dip chicken strips into egg, then coat with coconut mixture. Place in a shallow baking pan. Drizzle with melted butter.

3 - Bake 25 minutes or until chicken is browned and cooked through, turning once.

I'm coconuts for you, Mom!

As mentioned in the Crab Dip post, we had a little birthday get together for my Mom in late November and I, again, was put in charge of cake duty!

Besides her love for anything crab, she also loves coconut.. which in my humble opinion, makes a much tastier cake!!

I made her a coconut layer cake with coconut buttercream... this cake was pretty dense with the coconut milk and really packed a coconut punch... which was exactly what I wanted!

Enjoy :)


Coconut Layer Cake with Coconut Buttercream Frosting




Cake
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup canned sweetened cream of coconut (such as Coco Lépez)
4 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
Pinch of salt
4 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter and sweetened cream of coconut in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla extract. On low speed, beat in dry ingredients and then buttermilk, each just until blended.
Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites with pinch of salt in another large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold beaten egg whites into batter.
Divide cake batter between prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on rack 10 minutes. Run small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely.
Place 1 cake layer on cake plate. Spread 1 cup Frosting over cake layer. Sprinkle 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut over. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle remaining coconut over cake, gently pressing into sides to adhere.

(Coconut Layer Cake can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours before serving.)




Icing
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup butter or margarine softened
1 teaspoon coconut extract
4 cups confectioner's sugar (approximately 1 lb.) sifted
2 Tablespoons milk

Directions

In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer.
Add vanilla.
Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed.
Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often.
When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry.
Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.


Happy Birthday Mom!

I'm coconuts for my Mom!

This pie was truly a labor of love... I decided to take a stab at my first ever Coconut Cream pie for my Mom for Mother's Day. Both my Mom & I salivate at anything with coconut in it! There is this small diner back home in MD called Gleasons that makes the BEST pies and on our recent trip back, the coconut cream was not ready. Needless to say, we've been hankering it since then!

However, I was really unaware of the extended period of time it took to make this pie! And let me tell you, it was mighty tough to not dig in to the bowl of filling prior to the pie assembly! But we persevered and let me tell you, it was so worth it! The filling is smooth and creamy and the topping has a small hint of coconut!

The only changes to this recipe I made are that I subbed in some coconut milk for the regular milk in the filling... I think it really gave it another punch of coconut.

Enjoy!

Coconut Cream Pie
(Adapted from epicurious.com)



Filling
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
3/4 cups whole milk
¾ cup coconut milk
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/16 teaspoon coconut extract
Topping
2/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/4 cups chilled whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon coconut extract

For filling:
Whisk 1/2 cup sugar, eggs, egg yolk, and flour in medium bowl. Bring milk and coconut to simmer in medium saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add hot milk mixture to egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return to same saucepan; cook until pastry cream thickens and boils, stirring constantly, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in vanilla and coconut extracts. Transfer pastry cream to medium bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface to prevent formation of skin. Chill until cold, 24 hours. Transfer filling to crust. Cover; chill overnight.
For topping:
Toast coconut in heavy small skillet over medium heat until lightly browned, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Cool completely.
Using electric mixer, beat cream, sugar, and coconut extract in medium bowl until peaks form. Spread whipped cream all over top of filling. Sprinkle evenly with toasted coconut. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Serve cold.

Macarooooooooooooons

I have just one word for this cookie... heavenly.

I stumbled upon coconut cream filled Hersheys kisses the day before Easter in my local grocery store and on the back of the package was this recipe for macaroons with a chocolaty center... Not just a chocolaty center, a coconut cream chocolate center! after you bake off the macaroons, you push one of the kisses into the macaroon and it oozes into the cookie and makes this pool of chocolate & coconut cream goodness!

You could easily do this cookie w/ just a regular Hershey's kiss but really, why not go for that extra kick of coconut! These cookies were gone within 10 minutes of them being put on the table! Yum!

Macaroon Kiss Cookies



1/3 c. butter, softened
1 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tsp. almond extract
2 tsp. orange juice
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
5 c. (14 oz.) flaked coconut
54 Hershey Kisses (9 oz. pkg.), unwrapped

Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar in a large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk, almond
extract, and orange juice; beat well. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in 3 cups of the coconut. Cover tightly and chill 1 hour or until firm enough to handle. Shape dough into 1 inch balls; roll in remaining coconut. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; immediately press unwrapped kiss in top of each cookie.