Double Coconut Cream Pie



(from All You, July, 2010)

(Reprinted in myrecipes.com)

 

Ingredients

 

5 cups sweetened flaked coconut

7 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup chocolate chips

2 large eggs 

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups whole milk 

3/4 cup heavy cream

Additional sweetened flaked coconut, toasted, optional

 

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Mist a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Place 3 cups coconut in a bowl. In a pan, melt 5 tablespoons butter. Stir butter into coconut until moistened. Press mixture into bottom and sides of pie plate. Bake until crust is deep golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Check often—if edges are browning before bottom, cover edges with strips of foil. Transfer crust to a wire rack. Sprinkle chocolate chips over hot crust and let stand for 5 minutes, until melted. Gently spread chocolate over bottom of crust. Refrigerate crust for 10 to 15 minutes.
2. In a bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, flour and vanilla until smooth. Warm milk in a pan over medium heat until nearly simmering. Whisking constantly, slowly pour hot milk into egg mixture. Return milk mixture to pan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to boil and thickens enough to coat back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in remaining 2 cups coconut and 2 Tbsp. butter; let stand 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour custard into crust. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly against surface of custard, and chill completely, about 1 1/2 hours.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat cream until stiff peaks form. Spread whipped cream over custard, swirling decoratively. Chill pie for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with toasted coconut before serving, if desired.

Coffee Toffee Ice Cream Cupcakes

(recipe and photo from myrecipes.com)





• 1 10 3/4-oz. frozen pound cake
  
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
  
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
  
• 2 pints coffee ice cream, slightly softened
  
• 1 cup chocolate-covered toffee bits, such as Heath Bar Bits O'Brickle

1. Arrange 12 paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin. Cut pound cake into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Use a 2-inch biscuit cutter to cut 12 circles from slices, reserving scraps for another use. Place circles in bottoms of cupcake liners.
2. Combine heavy cream and confectioners' sugar in a bowl and whip with an electric mixer until cream holds stiff peaks.
3. Scoop ice cream into a large bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup Heath Bar Bits; add remaining Bits to bowl with ice cream. Combine by mashing ice cream and candy with back of a large spoon. (If ice cream gets too soft, place bowl in freezer for 10 minutes before continuing.)
4. Top each pound-cake circle with a scoop of ice cream and cover with whipped cream. Sprinkle with remaining Heath Bar Bits. Lightly drape cupcakes with plastic wrap and place in freezer until firm, at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.

Tropical Coconut Macaroons

(Recipe and photo from the Cottage Journal, Hoffman Media)

Makes about 4 dozen
2 (14-ounce) bags sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 egg whites
1/2 cup finely chopped salted macadamia nuts
1/2 cup finely chopped dried pineapple
1/2 cup finely chopped dried mango

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine coconut, sugar, flour, and salt. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until well combined. Add egg whites, beating until well blended. Stir in macadamia nuts, dried pineapple, and dried mango. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
3. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let cool on pans for 2 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Store in airtight containers.



Key Lime Pound Cake

(Recipe and photo from  Daily Indulgence of MyRecipes.com)

(Originally from Kathleen Blackman, Ponce Inlet, Florida, Southern Living  MARCH 2011) 



1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

3 cups sugar

6 large eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lime zest

1/4 cup fresh Key lime juice

Key Lime Glaze

 

1. 1. Preheat oven to 325°. Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
   
2. 2. Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla, lime zest, and lime juice. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch (12-cup) tube pan.
   
3. 3. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack.
   
4. 4. Prepare Key Lime Glaze, and immediately brush over top and sides of cake. Cool completely (about 1 hour).

 Key Lime Glaze 

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons fresh Key lime juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Whisk together powdered sugar, fresh Key lime juice, and vanilla until smooth. Use immediately.

Strawberry Tiramisu

(from the Cottage Journal newsletter by Hoffman Media)

http://www.hoffmanmedia.com/CottageJournal/signup.aspx

Makes 2 servings
1/2 (3-ounce) package ladyfingers
1/4 cup coffee liqueur
1 (8-ounce) container mascarpone cheese, divided
1 (4-ounce) bar semisweet chocolate, grated
1 tablespoon strawberry extract
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, divided
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Garnish: chocolate curls, fresh strawberries

1. Line 2 (4-inch) springform pans with parchment paper. Lightly spray bottoms and sides of pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottoms of pans with ladyfingers, making sure they are very close together. Brush ladyfingers with coffee liqueur.
2. In a small bowl, beat half of mascarpone and chocolate at medium speed with an electric mixer until combined.
3. In a separate bowl, beat remaining half of mascarpone, strawberry extract, and 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar at medium speed until smooth .
4. In a medium bowl, beat cream and remaining 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
5. To assemble, spread chocolate-mascarpone mixture evenly over ladyfingers. Spread strawberry-mascarpone mixture evenly over chocolate-mascarpone mixture. Spread whipped cream over strawberry-mascarpone mixture. Freeze for 4 hours, or until firm.
6. To serve, remove from freezer, carefully release sides of springform pans, and remove. Garnish with chocolate curls and strawberries, if desired. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Raspberry Coconut Breakfast Bars

(recipe and photo from http://www.driscolls.com/)

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup toasted unsweetened flaked coconut

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

2 large egg whites

1 package (6 ounce) Driscoll's Raspberries

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, allowing an overhang on sides of pan.

Stir together whole wheat flour, oats, all-purpose flour, flaked coconut, sugar, nutmeg and salt until blended. Stir in coconut oil and egg whites until moist dough forms. Reserve ¾ cup of dough. Press remaining dough into pan until evenly spread.

Mash raspberries in a separate bowl and spread over dough in pan. Crumble remaining dough and sprinkle on top of raspberry layer.

Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Using overhang, transfer to cooling rack and let cool completely before cutting.

Lasagna Soup, Cookbooks and Stevie Wonder!

Way back in the day, when I was first on my own as a newlywed, I am sorry to say that I did not have much talent in the kitchen.  While my Mother still remains a fabulous cook at nearly age 85, I know I could have learned so much from her while I was still living at home, but I just didn't have the interest back then.  As a result of my lack of culinary knowledge, there were many not-so-successful attempts at meal planning and the actual preparation thereof.

My first lasagna became "lasagna soup".  I remember there being a lot of hamburger based meals. And, we went out.  A lot.   As time went on, I started copying Mom's recipes and my cooking improved.  By the time we moved into our first home, I was a much better cook.  Happily, I discovered the plethora of cookbooks at the local public library.  I started checking out several cookbooks each visit, along with my regular reading.  Eventually, I had quite a collection of recipes from these borrowed books and also started collecting used cookbooks from tag sales.

Fast forward many years later to my current library in CT.  As I was looking for the book, "Blood, Bones and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef" by Gabrielle Hamilton and I very happily rediscovered the 640 section of the Dewey system......lots and lots of cookbooks; perhaps thousands and  I rekindled my old habit of checking out cookbooks.  My stash of recipes is enormous, so this latest round of reading cookbooks is for pure pleasure only, though I will happily to add to my collection!

I thought that perhaps Annie's Sweet Tooth might be a good venue to chat about my findings and hear of your recommendations! 

"Morning Food" by Margaret S. Fox, former owner of Cafe Beaujolais on Mendocino's coast and John Bear is an interesting yet not too surprising collection of breakfast and brunch recipes.  Being a bready type breakfast person, I gravitated toward the muffin and coffeecake recipes first.

The first recipe which gives me pause and a watering mouth was "Mocha Walnut Wonder Muffins", invented by party planner Anni Amberger in honor of  Stevie Wonder.  Key ingredients: black coffee, cocoa, walnuts and chocolate chips!  I think I will be adding this recipe to my stash.

The "Morning Glory Muffins" are made with carrots, apples, coconuts and pecans; the last Morning Glory recipe I saved was made with zucchini;  will have to search that out and compare!

Among the coffee cakes which stood out is "Rachel's Version of the Anchorage Petroleum Wives Club Coffee Cake" (a mouthful!) which has a yeasted  batter including cream cheese. (Already I love it!)  The recipe offers a choice of two fillings - Apricot Almond or Prune Pecan.  Yes! Yes! Yes!

Among the recipes which I keep thinking about is the Cherry Omelet.  Eggs, sugar, vanilla extract and some butter;  sour cream and chopped cherries added when eggs are set; fold and serve.  It is probably very tasty...I will try this!

There are many, many recipes including quite a few brunch appropriate options.  This is Margaret Fox's second edition of  "Morning Food".  If you are a morning food (aka breakfast) foodie, check out for this cookbook!