Coconut Cupcakes

1st February, 2010 - Posted by Emily - Comments

Today is my dad’s birthday (Happy Birthday, Dad, if you’re reading this!!) so here’s a perfect birthday dessert recipe I think he would like. Here’s a picture of my dad and me at our family birthday celebration. He’d probably eat one of these cupcakes for breakfast the next day, justifying it with his favorite catch phrase, “It’s kinda like a roll.”

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According to her book, this was one of the most famous menu items at Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa store. To impress your friends, pipe the frosting on in a circular motion using a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Note: I did cut this recipe in half to make 10 cupcakes, but I’ve included the original recipe below.

Coconut Cupcakes
from the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, makes about 20 cupcakes

3/4 lb butter at room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
14 oz sweetened, shredded coconut
Cream Cheese icing (see below)

Heat oven to 325. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes) then add the eggs one at a time. Scrape the bowl frequently. Add the almond and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and powder, and salt. In 3 additions, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter. Mix until just combined (you don’t want to overbeat cake batter!). Fold in the coconut.

Line a muffin pan with liners and fill each cup with the batter (an ice cream scoop works will for this). Bake 25-35 minutes until light golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Cool completely on a baking rack. Make the icing.

Cream Cheese Icing
1 pound cream cheese (room temperature)
3/4 pound butter (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 pounds powdered sugar (sifted)

Beat the first 4 ingredients together, then beat in the sugar and mix until smooth. Frost the cupcakes and top with additional coconut.

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Coconut Toffee Cookies

16th June, 2009 - Posted by Emily - Comments

The cafeteria at my office has these wonderful cookies called English Toffee Cookies. They only make them once a week, and I can never remember which day of the week that is, so a few months ago I decided I should try to recreate them at home. I searched the internet and found a few recipes that seemed similar. Luckily, the first one I tried out was right on! These cookies are so easy to make and I really enjoy the fact that you only have to get two measuring utensils dirty – just the one-cup measure and the teaspoon measure. That helps my tidy kitchen stay tidy!

The recipe makes a ton of cookies – perfect for sharing. I’d normally just cut the recipe in half, but it calls for 3 eggs, and last time I tried to split an egg in half, it didn’t go so well. So, I brought half the batch over to my family the first time I made them. This time I think I will share with coworkers! You could also just freeze half of the dough and take it out of the freezer next time you feel like having freshly-baked cookies.

I love cookie dough, how about you?

I love cookie dough, how about you?

Here they are in the oven. If you are baking two sheets at a time, make sure to rotate them halfway through.

Here they are in the oven. If you are baking two sheets at a time, make sure to rotate them halfway through.

See, it makes a ton of cookies. There are two racks here!

See, it makes a ton of cookies. There are two racks here

Coconut Toffee Cookies
Makes 5 dozen

1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cup coconut
1 package (10 oz.) English toffee bits

Preheat oven to 350ยบ F. Beat sugar, brown sugar and butter in large bowl at medium speed until creamy, about 1 – 2 minutes. Add eggs, almond extract and vanilla. Continue beating until well mixed. Add flour and baking soda. Reduce speed to low, beat until well mixed. Stir in the coconut and toffee bits. Drop by rounded tablespoon on cookie sheet (I used my Silpat liners, but you could cover the baking sheets with parchment paper too). Bake 8 – 11 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Let cool slightly on cookie sheet (about 1 minute), then move to wire rack to cool completely.