coconut cupcakes with coconut cream cheese frosting

Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting


Cupcakes
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup self raising flour
1 cup dessicated coconut
2-3 tbs milk

1. Beat butter and sugar till creamy.
2. Mix in the eggs one at a time followed by vanilla till smooth.
3. Mix in the flour followed by coconut till just come together but not overmixed.
4. Fold in the milk gently till no streaks of flour or milk is seen.
5. Pour into prepared cupcake moulds and bake in preheated oven at 180 C for 15-20 minutes till done when tested. Let cool on wire rack.

Frosting
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/2 cup flaked coconut

1. While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting. Beat butter, cream cheese and icing sugar till creamy and light.
2. Fold in the flaked coconut till you get a smooth consistency.
3. Gently slather the frosting generously onto the cooled cupcakes with a small spatula or use a piping bag if you have one to decorate the cupcake.


Makes 18 cupcakes

peanut butter sandwich cookies

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies (adapted from The Taste of Home Cookbook)


Cookies
1/2 cup butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter peanut butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well.
2. Shape into 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Flatten with a fork to create a criss cross pattern. Bake at 190 C for 10-12 minutes, or until golden. Remove to wire racks to cool.


Filling
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3-4 tbs milk

For filling, in a large bowl, beat the peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve spreading consistency. Spread on the smooth bottom of the cookie and top with another cookie with the smooth bottom facing each other. The sandwich cookies should have the criss cross pattern facing up.

Makes 2 and half dozen sandwich cookies.

peanut butter crumble cake

Peanut Butter Crumble Cake (adapted from Baking Bites)


1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup milk
1 large egg
1 cup crunchy peanut butter, room temperature

1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat in softened butter until the mixture resembles wet sand. Remove 3/4 cup of the mixture to a medium bowl and set aside.
2. Add milk and egg to the large bowl with the remaining flour mixture. Mix well, until no streaks of flour remain. Do not over-mix. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Add peanut butter to medium bowl with the remaining 3/4 cup flour mixture. Mix well and crumble (or drop in clumps, as the mixture will be thick) onto the cake batter in the pan.
4. Bake in preheated oven at 180 C for about 30 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

apple and coconut crisp

This makes a great quick dessert when you're short on time and ideas but want a fast and delish sweet stuff to serve a group of people. This is from nami-nami and I didn't alter the recipe at all but I wish I had taken the time to peel the apples and will try flaked coconut the next time I make this again.


Apple and Coconut Crisp


2 cups not-too-sweet apples (peeled, cored and quartered)
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup plain flour
1 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup butter (melted)

1. Beat the eggs with sugar until foamy and pale.
2. Mix flour and coconut, and fold into the egg mixture.
3. Gently stir in the melted and cooled butter.
4. Layer the apples in a greased 25 cm oven dish, so the bottom would be covered.
5. Pour the batter over the apples and bake in a preheated 200 C oven for about 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
6. Take out of the oven, and cool a little. Serve lukewarm with vanilla ice cream, crème anglaise or lightly whipped cream.