Coco Loco Muffins

Whether you are a coconut enthusiast or just like shredded sweetened form that comes on your favorite coconut cake these muffins are sure to please!

The idea for this recipe all started after I found organic dried shredded coconut, which I had been trying to find forever! Finally, one glorious afternoon at Earth Fare there it was just waiting for me to take it home!

Odd as it sounds, I dreamed up this recipe.. no really I had a dream about coco loco muffins. When I woke up I decided it had to be done! What a great decision that was! These are seriously good!

I know some people have a thing against coconut, more often then not I hear it is the texture. But don’t rule this recipe out until you have tried it! If you can find organic unsweetened shredded coconut I am willing to bet you will change your mind! The texture is different and the pieces are smaller then the sweetened varieties that you find on the baking aisle of the local supermarket. And you could always dump it in a food processor and make it even smaller. 

Once you have gathered all of your ingredients for the muffin batter you are ready to start! I would suggest melting your butter first. The butter will need to cool before you can add it in to the liquid mix, and anyone that has ever melted butter can tell you that it takes a while to cool! 

The next thing you want to do is sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Unless you bake a lot you probably don't have a sifter handy.. no need to fear! Using a whisk will work just fine! Make sure that you whisk it very well!

Now add in the sugar! :) And mix well. I use real cane sugar in all of my baking, but if you want to splenda can be substituted. 

Now that all of your dry ingredients are well mixed add in the chopped pineapple. You might want to use a spatula to mix in the pineapple.. I used a whisk. I'll admit not one of my brightest ideas! 

In a new clean bowl break your eggs. You always want to break eggs in a separate bowl just incase any shell falls in and most importantly that one bad egg doesn't ruin your whole mixture! No matter how much you bake or how long you have been doing it you can always run across a bad egg. :)

Whisk your eggs well. 

In the bowl with the eggs add in the coconut milk, vanilla extract, pineapple juice, coconut extract, and

melted butter. It is very important that your butter is cooled! If the butter is hot it will cook the eggs.. which is bad! Also, if you like a lighter coconut flavor you can leave out the extract and you will still have very fluffy light muffins with just a hint of coconut flavor!

Whisk all the liquid ingredients well. 

Make a depression in the middle of the dry ingredients. This will make mixing the dry and liquid ingredients easier and will save you from over mixing! 

Add in liquid ingredients into the depression. 

Before you start to incorporate the dry and liquid ingredients together add in the shredded coconut. 

Now that all of your ingredients are in the same bowl fold the ingredients together. 

Once you have mixed your batter it is time to add them to the muffin tin! 

If you want your muffin to have a crust then do not line the muffin tin with baking cups but remember to grease them. I personally like the outside to be soft, so I always line mine with baking cups! Plus they are pretty! :)

Bake on 400 for about 20 minutes. Take out of oven and let cool. 

While your muffins are baking you can make the Mango Coconut glaze! 

The hardest part about the whole muffin/glaze process is the mango! Sure chopping it is easy.. pureeing it is not so easy. If you have a magic bullet use it!! It will work much better then a huge food processor.. plus the clean up is way easier! 

Puree mango until very smooth.. this can take longer then you think it should. Mango can get stringy.. it is a tough fruit to work with! I am still trying to prefect my mango buttercream! Don't worry you will be the first to know when I do!

Once you think that the mango is almost done being pureed add the coconut milk into the food processor and continue to blend.

Add in the water and whisk well. Then add in 1/4 cup powdered sugar and whisk until well blended. Add in another 1/4 cup powdered sugar and whisk well.

As you should with all food.. even if it is just for you.. make it look pretty! Drizzle the glaze and garnish with just a little lime zest! 

Finally, Enjoy! :) 

-K

Coco Loco Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups All purpose flour

1 tbsp Baking powder

Pinch salt

Heaping 1/2-cup sugar

1/2 cup Pineapple (finely chopped)

2 Eggs

1 cup Coconut milk

1 tsp Vanilla extract

3 tbsp Pineapple juice

½ tsp Coconut extract

6 tbsp Unsalted Butter (melted and cooled)

1/2 cup Dry unsweetened coconut*

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 400

2. Place flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; whisk well

3. Add in sugar; whisk

4. Add in finely chopped pineapple and mix well

5. In separate bowl crack eggs; whisk

6. In the same bowl add coconut milk, vanilla extract, pineapple juice, coconut extract, and

 melted butter (cooled) ; whisk well

7. Make a depression in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in liquid ingredients

8. Add in dried coconut

9. Stir until well blended.. Be careful not to over stir!

10. Line muffin pan with baking cups; fill cups about 2/3 full with batter

11. Bake for 20 minutes            

Mango Coconut Glaze

Ingredients:

1 mango (peeled and chopped)

¼ cup water

¼ cup coconut milk

½ cup Powdered sugar

Lime Zest (for garnish)

Steps:

1. Puree mango

2. Add in coconut milk and continue to puree until the mixture is smooth 

3. Place mango into a medium sized bowl

4. Add ¼ cup water; whisk

5. Whisk in powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time

6. Drizzle glaze over muffins and garnish with lime zest