morning glory muffins

there were some leftover apples on our counter that needed to be used up, so i decided to incorporate them into a batch of muffins this week.

ryan and i absolutely love this recipe for morning glory muffins.  it is from one of our all-time favorite cookbooks, and we have made it many times.  it never disappoints.  these muffins are packed with all sorts of goodness: carrots, apples, raisins, walnuts, and coconut.

they have a great deep, rich flavor thanks to the molasses, and they are moist thanks to the applesauce in them.  i really love that they are not sweet at all, which means you can enjoy them for breakfast.

morning glory muffins
prep time: 15 minutes
baking time: 25-30 minutes
yields: 1 1/2 dozen muffins
adapted from taste of home's complete guide to baking

ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup ground old-fashioned oats
2 teaspoons ground flax seed meal
1/2 cup coconut sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup applesauce
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrots
3 small apples, peeled, cored, and diced
1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup flaked coconut

directions:
preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  grease 18 muffins cups in 2 muffin pans.  in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the flour, baking soda, ground oats, ground flax seed, and sugar.  in a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, oil, molasses, applesauce, and vanilla.  add the wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients.  mix just until incorporated.  gently fold in the carrots, apples, walnuts, raisins, and coconut.

spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pans.  bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.  allow the muffins to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing them from the pans and transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

enjoy!

love, laurie

coconut almond date dessert bars

we had a hankering for something sweet recently, but didn't want to make a whole batch of cookies or brownies.  as i was flipping through the march issue of bon appetit magazine, i came across a recipe for coconut almond date breakfast bars.  they looked and sounded delicious.  i had all of the ingredients on hand because i had just picked up some dates at the grocery store, so i got to it and went off to the kitchen to whip them up.

bon appetit describes these bars as something that can be eaten for breakfast, but to me they are really more of a dessert.  the sweetness from the dates and the coconut makes them perfect for an after dinner treat!

it's amazing how versatile dates are.  we've used them in lots of recipes and they are great because they act as a natural sweetener and have such a deep flavor.  the dates in this recipe are cooked down and combined with lemon zest and lemon juice to make a jam puree that is spread on top of a crust made of oats, coconut, and almonds.  the whole thing is then topped off with more almonds and coconut!

so many different types of coconut go into these dessert bars.  there's shredded coconut, coconut flakes, and coconut oil.  these bars are a coconut lover's dream come true.

they have a bit of a tropical flair which makes them seem extra decadent!

coconut almond date dessert bars
prep time: 10-15 minutes
cooking time: 15-20 minutes
baking time: 40 minutes
yields: 16 bars
adapted from bon appetit magazine (march 2016 issue)

ingredients:
6 oz. medjool dates, pits removed
1 cup water
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 cups almonds, divided
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted to a liquid state
4 tablespoons salted butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

directions:
in a small saucepan, bring the dates and water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid has almost completely evaporated.  set aside to cool.  meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  in a food processor, pulse together the flour, oats, salt, baking powder, and 1 cup of the almonds until the almonds are finely ground.  add the coconut oil, butter, sugar, agave nectar, and shredded coconut.  pulse to combine.  transfer the mixture to a 11 inch by 7 inch nonstick rectangular tart pan with a removable bottom.  pack evenly across the bottom of the pan, tamping and smoothing with your hand.  the more compact, the better.  (note: if your pan does not have a removable bottom, consider lining it with parchment paper and leave an overhang on the sides so that you can easily pull the baked dessert out in one piece to cut it.)

pulse the dates, lemon zest, and lemon juice in the food processor, scraping down the sides as needed, until smooth.  spread the date puree evenly over the crust with an offset spatula, leaving a small boarder around the edges.  chop the remaining 1/4 cup of almonds and sprinkle them over the top along with the coconut flakes and shredded coconut.  gently press down with your hand.  bake for 40 minutes, until the top is browned.  let cool and then cut into rectangles.

enjoy!

love, laurie

coconut mango oatmeal

we love fun breakfasts on weekend mornings, but sometimes we need a break from all of the pancakes and waffles that we make. the other morning,  i was in the mood for something tropical for breakfast, so i got the idea of making a tropical-style oatmeal.

i made a batch of oatmeal and mixed in some honey, diced mango, and roasted coconut chips.  instead of regular milk, i made the oatmeal with almond milk.  so, it was dairy free and vegan!

the coconut mango oatmeal was so good, we absolutely loved it.  it had such a great flavor, and just a little bit of sweetness.  it was super easy to make and only took a few minutes.  a perfect breakfast for a dreary cold morning.

coconut mango oatmeal
prep time: 5 minutes
cooking time: 5-7 minutes
yields: 2 servings

ingredients:
2 cups almond milk
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup roasted coconut chips
1 mango, diced

directions:
bring the almond milk to a boil in a sauce pan.  stir in the oats and reduce the heat to medium.  cook for 5 minutes, until the oats have absorbed the almond milk.  remove from the heat and stir in the honey, coconut, and mango.  let sit for 2 minutes, until the coconut chips have softened.  serve warm.

recipe note:
the roasted coconut chips are unsweetened.  if you substitute sweetened shredded coconut for the roasted coconut chips, simply omit the honey, otherwise the oatmeal will be overly sweet.

enjoy!

love, laurie

coconut bundt cake

ryan and i were in charge of making dessert for easter this weekend.  it's a tradition to have carrot cake on easter sunday, so we made carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.  they are always so yummy!  in addition, we also made a coconut cake.

this past christmas one of the things on ryan's wish list was this awesome nordic ware bundt pan.  ryan's parents bought it for him as a christmas gift, and we have been waiting for a chance to use it ever since.  it has the coolest shape.  when we decided to make a coconut cake for easter, we just knew we had to make it in ryan's new bundt pan.

this coconut bunt cake is so good.  the outside edges of the cake are perfectly crisp while the inside is light and fluffy.  it has a great coconut flavor.  the glaze on the top of it just adds the right amount of pizzaz too.

if you are a coconut lover, you have to give this cake a try!

coconut bundt cake
prep time: 10-15 minutes
baking time: 40-45 minutes
yields: 1 bundt cake
adapted from style at home

cake ingredients:
1 cup salted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup cake flour
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

glaze ingredients:
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons water

directions:
preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy.  add the sugar and beat for 3 minutes.  add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  stir in the vanilla.  in a large bowl, sift together both flours and the baking powder.  add one third of the sifted dry ingredients to the batter and beat until just combined.  mix in half of the milk.  repeat with another third of the dry ingredients and the second half of the milk.  then add the remaining third of the dry ingredients.  beat until combined.  fold the shredded coconut into the batter.

spread the batter evenly into a greased bundt pan.  bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  once baked, allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20-30 minutes, then turn the cake out of the pan and allow it to finish cooling on a wire cooling rack.

to make the glaze, sift the powdered sugar into a bowl.  whisk in the lemon juice and the water.  drizzle the glaze over the top of the cooled bundt cake.  the glaze will harden.  top with additional shredded coconut if desired.

enjoy!

love, laurie

oatmeal cookies with coconut, dried cranberries, and dark chocolate chips

i've mentioned before that i teach college courses at a local university.  last week i had to keep my grad students late after class since we had a ton of presentations to get through in our very large over-enrolled class.  i felt bad for them for having to stay so late, so i baked a batch of classic chocolate chip cookies and took them into class for my students.  they went wild over the cookies, and absolutely loved them.

one of my undergrad classes happened to hear that i baked cookies for my grad class, and they were jealous.  so, to keep the peace, i baked a batch of cookies and took them into class for my undergrad students.  instead of making chocolate chip cookies again, i made oatmeal cookies with coconut, dried cranberries, and dark chocolate chips.

oh my goodness, these cookies were so incredibly good!  ryan came home as the cookies were cooling on the kitchen counter and of course he had to dive right into them.  the combination of the oats, coconut, dried cranberries, and chocolate chips was awesome!

somehow class is just so much more fun with a batch of cookies!  (i hope they don't expect me to bring cookies to every class now!)

oatmeal cookies with coconut, dried cranberries, and dark chocolate chips
prep time: 10 minutes
baking time: 20-22 minutes
yields: 20 large cookies
adapted from our best bites

ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
3 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 1/4 cups dark chocolate chips

directions:
preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.  in the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until combined.  add the egg and egg yolk and beat well.  mix in the vanilla.  in a separate bow, sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.  add half of the sifted flour mixture to the batter and beat just until combined.  add the remaining flour mixture and beat.  mix in the oats and the coconut.  fold in the dried cranberries and chocolate chips.

line a baking sheet with parchment paper and scoop 3 tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto the cookie sheet for large cookies (be sure to space apart the cookie dough balls since they will spread as they bake.)  bake for 20-22 minutes until golden brown.  once baked, allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

enjoy!

love, laurie

coconut waffles

this dreary winter weather is getting us down.  we're dreaming of warmer temperatures and longing for tropical weather.  since it doesn't seem to show signs of turning tropical any time soon, we decided to make a tropical breakfast to cheer us up.

when i think of tropical getaways, coconuts always come to mind.  we absolutely loved the coconut pancakes we made a few weeks ago, so we were excited to make some coconut waffles.  they were just as good as the pancakes, and the perfect thing to get us out of our winter funk.

this recipe made several waffles, so we had some left over.  we stored them in ziploc bags and then kept them in the freezer.  all you have to do it put them in the toaster to reheat them when you are ready to eat them again.  super easy!

we covered our coconut waffles in homemade strawberry syrup.  (i just cooked some frozen strawberries in a saucepan with a little bit of sugar and water until they reduced into a syrup.)  such a yummy combination!

coconut waffles
prep time: 10 minutes
cooking time: 4-5 minutes per waffle (depending on your waffle iron)
yields: 4 servings
adapted from foodie crush

ingredients:
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
2 large eggs
1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil, melted and cooled
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup roasted coconut chips

directions:
preheat your waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions.  in a bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, and sugar.  set aside.  in a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, eggs, and oil.  add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.  fold in the shredded coconut.

pour enough batter into the waffle iron to just barely cover the waffle grid (usually about 1/2 cup of batter per waffle).  cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the waffles are golden brown.  once cooked, transfer the waffles to a baking sheet and keep them in a warm oven while you prepare the remaining waffles.  top with roasted coconut chips or additional shredded coconut.  serve warm with maple syrup and/or fruit.

enjoy!

love, laurie

coconut pancakes

the weather sure has been cold lately, and this weekend it was no different.  it was absolutely frigid.  we spent a majority of the day on saturday christmas shopping, and we couldn't believe how cold it was outside.  it even snowed a little bit on saturday (and then again on sunday too).  without a doubt, i am not ready for the weather to be this cold yet!

when it gets this cold outside, i like to think of warm tropical places . . . that's my mental escape from the cold pennsylvania weather that has been leaving my fingers, my toes, and my face frozen lately.  when i think of warm tropical places, i think of pina coladas.  (i make a mean non-alcoholic pina colada by the way.)  

on sunday morning, in an effort to mentally escape the cold weather, i made a batch of coconut pancakes.  oh, these pancakes are so good!  they are perfectly light and fluffy, and they have a great coconut flavor.  these pancakes are loaded with coconut flavor.  there is coconut milk, cream of coconut, and shredded coconut in them.  then, they are topped off with roasted coconut chips.  although there are several forms of coconut in them and on them, they are not too sweet at all.    

if you're in a warm tropical place right now, i'm jealous.  if not, i invite you to day dream with me and to enjoy a batch of these coconut pancakes.

coconut pancakes

prep time: 10 minutes

cooking time: 10 minutes

yields: 7-8 pancakes

adapted from a cozy kitchen

ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1/4 cup cream of coconut

1 large egg

1 tablespoon salted butter, melted

1/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1/4 cup roasted coconut chips

directions:

in a medium bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder.  in a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, cream of coconut, and egg.  add in the melted butter and whisk until combined.  add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until no lumps remain.  fold in the shredded coconut.  

heat a lightly buttered griddle or frying pan on medium heat.  pour 3 tablespoons of batter onto the griddle for each pancake.  cook for 2-4 minutes, until small bubbles begin to form.  flip the pancakes when they start to bubble, then cook for 2-3 minutes, until they are golden brown and cooked throughout.  once cooked, top the pancakes with the roasted coconut chips.  serve warm with maple syrup.

enjoy!

love, laurie

dear cupcake, you know how to put a smile on my face!

one of my all-time favorite cupcake recipes would have to be chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting, topped with coconut.  there is just something about the combination of chocolate and coconut that can't be beat.  ever since we bought a bag of coconut at the grocery store for my dad's german chocolate birthday cake, i have been eyeing up the coconut to put on top of cupcakes.

the other day, while ryan was ever so nice to go out and clean the garage, i whipped up a batch of these cupcakes.  i thought it would be nice to surprise him with a cupcake when he came back in (and, it sounded like a really good excuse to bake).  i'd say that's a win-win situation: a clean garage and fresh cupcakes!

chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting topped with coconut

prep time: 10-15 minutes
baking time: 30-35 minutes
yields: 24 cupcakes

cupcake ingredients:
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup hot coffee

frosting ingredients:

1/2 cup salted butter (softened)

2-3 cups powdered sugar

1-2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

directions:
preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  line 24 muffin cups with paper muffin liners.  beat all cupcake ingredients (except the coffee) together with an electric mixer.  stir in the hot coffee.  the batter will be very thin.  pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups.  bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  cool the cupcakes for at least 10 minutes on a wire rack.

to make the vanilla buttercream frosting: beat the butter with an electric mixer until smooth.  beat in the powdered sugar and milk gradually, until incorporated.  add the vanilla extract, and beat until fluffy.  frost the cupcakes and top with coconut.

enjoy!

love, laurie