Coconut Cream Pie

It was completely unintentional that the last two recipes that I have posted have been coconut creations. I am constantly browsing websites and cookbooks for recipes that I want to try. I keep a file of bookmarked recipes that I intend to try someday. While looking through it the other day, I came across this coconut cream pie recipe. I've never been a huge fan of cream pies, but how could anyone say no to anything with a buttery graham cracker crust, a rich coconut custard and a light and fluffy meringue on top? "Don't mind if do!"
ENJOY!

Coconut Cream Pie

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• ¼ cup coconut
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted

filling:

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
• 3/4 cup light coconut milk
• 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Meringue:

• 3 large egg whites
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon flaked sweetened coconut, toasted

To make crust:

1. Mix graham cracker crumbs, coconut, sugar and melted butter until well blended . Press mixture into an 8 or 9 inch pie plate.
2. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 7 minutes. Cool completely.

To make filling:

1. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and eggs in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Heat milk and coconut milk over medium-high heat in a small, heavy saucepan until tiny bubbles form around edge (do not boil). Gradually add hot milk mixture to sugar mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Place mixture in pan; cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
2. Spoon custard into a bowl; place bowl in a large ice-filled bowl for 10 minutes or until custard comes to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Remove bowl from ice. Stir in extracts; spoon mixture into prepared crust. Cover and chill 8 hours or until firm.

To make meringue:

1. Preheat broiler. Place egg whites in bowl of an electric mixer; beat on high speed until soft peaks form. Combine 2/3 cup sugar and water in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until candy thermometer registers 225 F (115 C). Pour hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over egg whites, beating at high speed until stiff peaks form.
2. Spread meringue over chilled pie, and sprinkle with coconut. Broil for 1 minute or until meringue is lightly browned; cool 5 minutes on a wire rack. Serve immediately.

Black-Bottom Coconut Bars

It's no secret, I want to be just like Martha Stewart! Any time I am in need of any creative inspiration, a quick brows of her website, her magazine or one of her books does the trick! So Martha gets all the credit for this recipe, however I did change it just a little bit to incorporate a bit more chocolate! This yummy creation is a cross between a brownie and a chewy coconut macaroon. Thanks Martha!
ENJOY!

Black-Bottom Coconut Bars

FOR CHOCOLATE BASE

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup flour

FOR COCONUT TOPPING

• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 2 cups shredded coconut, plus 1/4 cup reserved for sprinkling
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

For chocolate base:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with baking or parchment paper, butter bottom and sides. (I used a non-stick cooking spray and it worked just as well.) Place butter in a large microwave-safe bowl; melt in microwave. Add sugar and salt; whisk to combine. Whisk in egg, then cocoa and flour until smooth. Spread batter in prepared pan.
2. Bake just until sides begin to pull away from edges of pan, 10 to 15 minutes (do not overbake). Let cool slightly while preparing coconut topping. Keep oven on for topping.

For coconut layer:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs with sugar and vanilla. Gently mix in flour and coconut (except 1/4 cup reserved for sprinkling).
2. Drop mounds of mixture over chocolate base; spread and pat in gently and evenly with moistened fingers. sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the top and press gently in to the coconut mixture. Sprinkle remaining coconut evenly over the top.
3. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan, then remove and cut into bars.

Cinnamon Rolls

I sware, if these were not so time consuming to make, I would make them every day just so my house could smell like did when these were baking! Home made cinnamon rolls... does it get any better?
I made these twice in one week, but I had a very good reason. The first batch was for a breakfast/coffee tasting at work early in the week. But seeing how I didn't photograph them, I was forced to bake them a second time on Sunday! Now, I will be forced to eat them for a second time too!
They were given rave reviews by all who were lucky enough to enjoy. I, however, am quite picky when it comes to cinnamon rolls. They have to be moist. There's nothing worse than a dry, over baked cinnamon roll. It also needs to have plenty of cinnamon it. A cream cheese based icing slathered over the top doesn't hurt either. These met all of my expectations and will no doubt meet yours too!
ENJOY!

Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:

• 2 packages (3 tsp) dry, active yeast
• 1 cup warm water (43 C or 110 F)
• Tbs + 2/3 cup sugar, divided
• 1 cup warm milk
• 2/3 cup butter, melted but not hot
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 8 cups flour, sifted

Filling:

• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 Tbs cinnamon
• (optionally, you can add 2/3 cup pecans, chopped or 2/3 cup raisins)

Icing:

• 250g (3oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 icing sugar (or powdered sugar if you are in the US!)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/8 tsp salt

1. To make the dough: (if you have a bread maker, you can do steps 1-2 in your bread maker on the dough setting) In a small bowl mix together the 1 Tbs sugar, warm water and yeast. Set aside for 10 mins. In a large bowl, mix milk, remaining sugar, melted butter, salt and eggs. Stir well and then add yeast mixture. Add half the flour and mix until smooth. Add the rest of the flour and mix by hand to combine. It will be sticky.
2. Turn out on to a lightly floured surface and kneed for 8-10 mins. Spray a larger bowl with nonstick cooking spray or lightly butter. Place dough in bowl, cover with cling wrap and put bowl in a warm place that is free from drafts. Let dough rise until it doubles in size, about an hour to an hour and a half.
3. Once dough has doubled, punch it down and let rest in bowl for another 5 mins. Roll out on to a lightly floured surface. Create a rectangle that is about 15 x 20 inches.
4. Spread softened butter evenly over the dough. In a bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon. Measure out 1/4 cup and set aside. Sprinkle evenly over bettered dough. If you are adding nuts or raisins, evenly spread them over the top of the cinnamon and sugar.
5. Roll dough as tightly as possible in to a lengthwise roll, sealing the ends together. Cut in to 12 to 15 slices.
6. Butter a 13x9 baking dish and sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cinnamon sugar mixture into the bottom of the dish. Place cinnamon rolls closely together in the baking dish. Cover with cling wrap and put dish in a warm place to continue to rise for another 30-40 mins.
7. While the rolls are rising, preheat oven to 175 C (350 F.) Bake 25 mins or until golden brown.
8. To make icing, place cream cheese, butter, vanilla and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until fluffy. Add vanilla and mix until combined. Add icing sugar and beat on low until combine, then increase speed to high and beat for 2 mins. Spread evenly over cinnamon rolls and ENJOY!

Bittersweet Chocolate & Caramel tart

I am a sucker for anything with caramel in it, so when I came across this recipe in the current issue of Family Circle (Australia,) I knew it needed to be featured in my blog! I have changed a few things slightly, but that's what's fun about baking... .right? I had a conversation with my sister recently about this. My sister doesn't spend a lot of time in the kitchen, but would like to. She said that she avoids cookbooks and recipes because she feels like she has to go buy a whole bunch of things when she doesn't have some ingredients. I told her not to be afraid to experiment and substitute things that she does not have. I have accidentally created some of my favourite recipes by making substitutions in recipes! For example, this tart, if you don't want to go to the effort of making the base from scratch, you could smash up chocolate cookies and mix with sugar and melted butter and get a very similar crust. Don't be afraid to experiment! Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. As long as you have fun in the kitchen, who cares?


Enjoy!

Bittersweet Chocolate & Caramel tart

For the base:

• 125 g (1/2 cup) butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup flour, sifted

For the filling:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup corn syrup (or golden syrup if you are in Australia)
• 1/2 cup cream-for caramel filling
• 125 g (1/2 cup) butter, chopped
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 Tbs vanilla
• 200g (7oz) good quality dark chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup cream-for chocolate topping

1. Preheat oven to 180 C (355 F.) Lightly grease sides of a 25cm fluted tart tin with butter.


2. To make the base of the tart, put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high until fluffy. Add cocoa and beat on low until combined. Add egg yolk and vanilla and mix until just combined. Remove bowl from mixer and and add flour, mixing by hand until dough comes together. Press the dough firmly into the bottom and sides of the tin. Prick the bottom with a fork evenly around the base and centre. Refrigerate for 10 mins or until firm.


3. Bake in the oven for 20 mins or until firm to the touch. Set aside and cool for at least 30 mins.


4. To make the caramel filling, put the sugar, water and corn syrup in a medium sauce pan. Do not stir. Cook over medium-high heat, swirling the the pan often for 15 mins or until the syrup is a deep golden color. Remove from heat. In a second sauce pan, add cream, butter, vanilla and salt. Bring to a boil and remove immediately. Add cream mixture to syrup mixture. Return to medium-high heat for 5 mins, stirring. Set aside and cool for 30 mins. then pour in to tart shell. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until caramel is set.


5. Put chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring 3/4 cup cream to a boil in a small sauce pan and immediately pour over chocolate. Do not stir. Let stand for 5 mins, then stir until smooth. Carefully pour evenly over tart and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Cut in to wedges and enjoy!