Chocolate Coconut Mocha Cupcakes

These cupcakes are the perfect combination of chocolate and coconut. Now, I know coconut scares a lot of people (why, I don't know), so if you are weary of coconut, try these out. It will be like a baby step. Maybe I will even get you to start adventuring out with coconut. Just maybe. 

I should probably tell you that although I like coconut, it's not usually my #1 craving when it comes to desserts. When it's paired with chocolate, well, that's a whole other story. I have a mild weakness for german chocolate cake (hello carmel-y coconutty topping) and chocolate dipped macaroons. There is just something about coconut and chocolate that is so delicious. Nutty, sweet and just a bit salty. That salty and sweet will get me every time. Darn it!

Now to the reason I decided to make these bad boys - Matt's birthday! His wife, Lauren, decided it would be fun to throw him a surprise birthday BBQ at their place. I thought she was going to tell him right before we came over, but she decided to make it a true surprise and not tell him at all. You go girl! You should have seen his face when the captain and I came through the door! It was a great afternoon of friends, wine and BBQ. I couldn't have asked for a better afternoon and was so glad we were able to help him celebrate his last birthday in the states (they are moving back home to England in a couple of months, SAD). To send him off to the last year in his 20's right and to put the perfect sweet note to the end of the night, I thought these cupcakes would be the best way to fulfill the birthday boy's love of coconut. I think they did just that - a soft chocolate and lightly scented coconut cupcake topped with mocha frosting and toasted coconut. Is your mouth filling up with saliva yet? Mine is. 

As much as I loved these, I will say that I had one complaint. No one else seemed to care about this, but I sure did. I am anal about my cooking though. I am sure you already figured that out. The base of this cupcake comes out so light and airy that the dense frosting kinda smooshes it. You would probably never notice, but I felt obligated to tell you this. Now you can't say I didn't warn you. Nevertheless, you must try these. So good. So delicious. 

ingredients

toasted coconut - place in an oven for 350 and stir every five minutes until golden brown

mixing the batter

look who I caught licking the bowl! here is your first glimpse of the captain. isn't he cute? I think so.

ready to bake

frosting all whipped up!

cupcakes ready to eat. please don't lick the screen.

Chocolate Coconut Mocha Cupcakes (http://www.mybakingaddiction.com)

For the Cupcakes

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-3 teaspoons coconut extract (use more or less depending on how coconutty you like it)
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee (I used instant decaf, but use fresh and fully leaded if you have it!)

For the Mocha Buttercream

4 sticks (2 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
5 cups powdered sugar
3-5 tablespoons cold coffee (I used instant decaf, but use fresh and fully leaded if you have it!)

For the Garnish

1 1/2 cups coconut, lightly toasted (see recipe notes below)

For the Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.


Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add in the coffee and mix until just combined, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. The batter will be thin. Using a large scoop (about 3 tablespoons), distribute the batter into the prepared muffin tins -filling about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 18-22 minutes (check at about 15), or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then remove them onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

For the Mocha Buttercream

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, vanilla, and salt on medium speed until creamy. In a large bowl, sift together the cocoa powder and confectioners' sugar.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter and mix at low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Once all of the dry ingredients have been incorporated, add in 3 tablespoons of cold coffee. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and beat the buttercream for about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. If you want your frosting a little thinner, gradually add in more coffee, 1 teaspoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Frost your cooled cupcakes and garnish with toasted shaved coconut.

Please note that this recipe makes 24 cupcakes - 24 perfectly delicious cupcakes. You can always halve the recipe and make just a dozen, but if you are going to make a mess in the kitchen, make a mess  (wise words of the captain) and make all of them. Bring the extras to work, bring them to a neighbor, or make them for yourself!

Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad

This pasta salad is not like your normal picnic pasta salad. When I think of pasta salad I often think of macaroni salad. You know, your typical mayo based pasta salad with pickles.  Lots of pickles! I am not sure why I always go to macaroni salad, but I just do. It's a great accompaniment to a BBQ (mmm burgers!), but I don't always want a pasta salad covered in mayo and one that leaves me full and feeling heavy. That's just me though. If you like mayo only pasta salad, run away from what I am about to tell you. I wish you don't run though - this pasta will knock your socks off. I promise you that. It's so delicious.

This pasta salad is loaded, LOADED with flavor. The best part is that it is super easy to make and throw together - less than 20 minutes!  The dressing can be made a day ahead of time and you can chop the olives and halve the grape tomatoes early too! Don't you just love do ahead recipes? I know I do. It makes me less stressed in the kitchen. I will be the first to admit that not only am I bossy in the kitchen, I can get pretty cranky too. Just ask the captain. Poor guy has to put up with me. Guess he must still like me if he's been around this many years, right? Right!

Okay, back to noodles. I had my eye on this Pioneer Woman recipe for awhile (when do I not have my eye on one of her recipes - she is awesome!) and then the perfect time came to make this (and boy does it make enough to feed a crowd!). I made this last month for our Mother's Day BBQ and it was the perfect side dish to go with the burgers and grilled veggies. The sauce is super easy to throw together. Just blend (or using a food processor) sun dried tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, red wine vinegar and salt and pepper. Five ingredients or less? Yes, yes! Pioneer Woman's recipe called for a whole cup of olive oil, but I cut it down to 3/4 cup. Don't ask me why, I just did. If you are feeling sinful, go ahead and use a whole cup. I won't tell anyone. Once everything is blended, boil the noodles (I used whole wheat for added fiber and vitamins, but you can use regular pasta if you'd like), drain and then toss half of the dressing on the noodles. You can always add more, but start with half and then add more to coat to your liking. Then toss in the grape tomatoes, olives, parm cheese and basil. Toss everything and you are ready to enjoy. The flavor this salad gives you is a blend of pasta puttanesca and caprese salad. Don't know what either of those are, don't worry. It's just delicious. Best of all, since there is no mayo in this salad, you don't have to worry about it sitting out for hours on end if you make it for a BBQ or party. That is if it lasts that long. Trust me, it won't.

dressing ingredients

blending - this garlic from trader joes is the best!

blended and ready to use when I make the salad.

salad ingredients. get ready!

noodles boiling away

grape tomatoes, olives and cheese!

adding in half of the dressing

tossing together

ready to eat. how good does that look!?!

Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad (www.thepioneerwoman.com)

Dressing:
1 jar Sun-dried Tomatoes (7 Oz.)
4 cloves Garlic
3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt And Pepper, to taste
 
 Salad:
16 ounces, weight Corkscrew Pasta
1 jar Kalamata Or Assorted Olives
1 pint Ripe Cherry Tomatoes (cut In Halves)
10 leaves Basil (10-15 Leaves), Chopped Or Julienne
1-1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, Freshly Grated

For the dressing, in a blender combine sundried tomatoes (drain the oil they are in), garlic, salt, pepper, and vinegar until tomatoes are chopped. Continue blending while drizzling in olive oil until mixed together. Can be made the day ahead or the day of.


Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until no longer hot.
Pour 2/3 of the dressing over the pasta. Add olives and toss together. Add remaining ingredients, tossing together and adding more dressing until the salad is coated to your liking. Serve on in a big bowl with an extra sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

 This pasta is great the day it's made, but it's even better the next day! 

Raspberry Chia Seed Jam

Three ingredient jam - raspberries, chia seeds and honey. That's it. Could it be easier? Not really.

I know what you are already thinking - chia seeds, is she crazy? No I am not crazy and yes, chia seeds. These are the same exact seeds you used to grow your chia pets. Do you even remember those? Cha Cha Cha Chia! I had one when I was a little girl. I am pretty sure it was a bear.  Soak, spread seeds and watch it grow! Don't worry though, these seeds won't made you grow a fro or make you furry like a chia pet. I have been eating them for about six months and I have yet to look like a chia pet. Although, the captain may beg to differ. Have you seen my hair in the morning? Whoa. It's a scary sight.

Although chia seeds may sound strange, they are great for you - they are full of fiber, antioxidants and omega 3 fatty acids. Who would have ever thought that such a small seed would have all that! The other benefit to them is that when they are added to water (milk, juice or yogurt) they form a gel. Some people say this is great for those watching their waist line since it keeps you fuller, longer. I've tried mixing them in water and drinking them, but it's kinda gross. It's amost like drinking jello. Plain, water jello. Ick. I do enjoy them sprinkled on my yogurt though. Makes for a nice crunch. I swear I am not crazy. You've got to try it! Perhaps I'll make you a chia believer. Just maybe.

This jam is quick and easy and because there are already seeds from the raspberries, most people won't even notice the chia seeds. If I can fool the captain, I bet you can fool someone too! It's tart, a tad sweet from the honey and the perfect jammy consistency. It's perfect on toast or on a PB&J or whatever you like jammy jam on. I bet this would even be good as strawberry jam too. Now that sounds good!

three ingredients.

chia seeds on top of the berries

mixed and ready to set up in the fridge

sunday morning breakfast with the captain! load up that jam!

Raspberry Chia Seed Jam

1 1/2 cups frozen raspberries
3 tablespoons chia seeds
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons water

Microwave the raspberries in a small bowl for 2-3 minutes, then crush them with a fork. Add the chia seeds, honey and water and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a jar, put the lid on, and refrigerate for at least an hour. Enjoy!

This jam will last you about up to a week in the fridge. That is if it lasts that long (and you don't eat it all with a spoon!).

 

Lemon & Garlic Chicken

This is seriously the easiest and fastest chicken recipe I've made in a long time. Not to mention, it is also one of the most flavorful. I am always looking for new ways to cook chicken breast because, let's be real, chicken breast is often rather dull. It's full of protein and low in calories, but the same old chicken recipes get old quick. You can only try so many ways of making it before you want to give it up for awhile. This recipe will change your mind.

I must admit, I made this chicken recipe awhile ago. I often get a little crazy with trying out so many things that I often get behind on my recipes and posting about them. Don't worry though, I didn't forget about this one. It's too good not to share! Plus, I bet you have most of what you need already in your kitchen - chicken, white wine, lemons, olive oil, and herbs. The one thing I will tell you is that this calls for boneless, skin on, chicken breast. I must have looked everywhere for boneless, skin on chicken breast, but I was totally out of luck. The only ones I could find were boneless skinless or bone in with the skin on. Talk about frustrating. I started looking at videos online to figure out how to de-bone a chicken breast and figured it couldn't be so hard.  I was getting desperate thinking I would have to do it myself! I watched a few and it didn't look so bad. The good news is that I never even had to go there. I went to Whole Foods to pick up a few things, including chicken breast, and the nice meat man told me that he'd de-bone whatever I picked out - and at no charge. SCORE! I knew I loved Whole Foods for a reason. I am sure any meat counter would do this, so don't be afraid to ask!

Once the chicken is ready, heat up the oil, wine, garlic and herbs and then pour over the chicken in a large baking pan. Roll the chicken breast around to coat and that's it! See how easy. Bake for about 30 minutes (more or less depending on the size) and you have a totally moist and flavorful chicken dish ready. I of course peeled off the skin prior to eating (if you like the skin, have at it) but let me tell you, this was the moistest (is that even a word??) chicken I had in a long time. I don't know if it was the skin or the wine or the olive oil, but it was perfect. Served with a big salad and a side of couscous, it was the perfect meal. The only thing it needed was a nice glass of white vino to go with it!

seghesio wine is the best. I am just not saying that because a seghesio is my boss.

where all the flavor comes from

chicken before. I forgot to put the lemon wedges in. oops.

chicken after! boy does this smell delish while it's cooking!

a little blurry, but so yummy!

Lemon & Garlic Chicken Breasts (an Ina Garten recipe)

1/4 cup good olive oil
3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on
1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just 1 minute but don't allow the garlic to turn brown. Off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt and pour into a 9 by 12-inch baking dish.

Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with some of the lemon and olive oil mixture and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in 8 wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. If the chicken isn't browned enough, put it under the broiler for 2 minutes. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices. 

Don't let new chicken recipes scare you. I promise this one is quick, easy and so delish your whole family will love it! This one is easy enough for a weeknight dinner or elegant enough for a dinner party. Either way, you will be glad you made it.

 

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I will be the first to admit that I have mild obsession, okay a HUGE obsession with rhubarb. It's not something I grew up eating and only really experienced about a year ago, but boy do I love it. You think I'd be totally opposed to it since it pretty much looks like red celery - I do not go anywhere near celery. Unless it's cooked in a soup. Then I'll eat it. I shouldn't say I wouldn't eat it,  I just choose not to. It's stringy and tastes nasty. Not as nasty as cucumbers though. Cucumbers are something I will never ever ever eat.

Okay, I am off my celery and cucumber rant now. Sorry, I get on tangents easily. Back to pie! The first time I had strawberry rhubarb pie was last August in Bodega Bay. OMG was it so good. You can read all about it during our family trip here. That pie was so good that I've always wanted to try to replicate it somehow. I knew I would never be able to make it the same, but I was willing to try to get close. This pie had a delicate, but slightly sweet crust and a delicious pecan crumb topping. There is something about the crumb topping that just puts it over the edge. Of course you can do a double crust, but I think the pecans and brown sugar add that something special. Something special that will make you fall in looooove with it. It will also make you just want to eat the filling straight from the pie with a spoon. No I did not do that, but I totally wanted to. I don't think my family would have just liked to have crust for dessert.

When I was finally ready to make this pie, I could not find rhubarb anywhere. I must have gone to ten different stores and was even ready to buy it online when I went to one of my local stores and boom, it was there. I couldn't believe it. A mile away from my house and within walking distance! Perhaps it was a sign? I think it was meant to be. It was so meant to be. I already had pie crust ready to go in the fridge so all I had to do was roll it out and mix up the pie filling. Just make sure not to skimp on the minute tapioca. This is very important for the thickness and consistency of the filling. You can find this near the pudding and gelatin in the baking isle. At least that is where I found mine. Took me a few times up and down the isle, but I found it. I am willing to bet your store will have it too. It's not as strange as it seems.

After baking and making a huge mess (make sure to put the pie on a foil lined cookie sheet!), the pie looked beautiful. The real test came with the taste- it was sweet, tart and the perfect combination of strawberry and rhubarb. Although it was not like the one we picked up in Bodega Bay, it was pretty darn good. For those who are afraid of rhubarb or don't like it (Dean!), give this pie a try. I promise you'll like love it! Perfect for summer, perfect for BBQ's, perfect any time. Pie makes everyone happy. At least it made me happy and everyone else that tried it!

the line up - the tapioca is in the red box.

see, doesn't rhubarb look like celery?

mixing the pie filling

filling into the crust

crumb topping (the best part!)

because the crust doesn't have enough butter already, dot the top of the pie with more butter. Paula Deen would be proud!

look at all that mile high topping!

cover the crust with foil to prevent over browning or burning

this is why you line your pan with foil. shoot, this is why you use a pan - you do not want that all over your oven.

mmmm, pie!

 Strawberry Rhubarb Pie (slightly adapted from Food Network)

Crust - the perfect pie crust

Filling:

2 1/2 cups chopped red rhubarb, fresh
2 1/2 cups washed and cut strawberries (in larger pieces)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons minute tapioca
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons butter, cubed small 

 Crumb Topping:

1/2 cup  flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
3 tbsp butter

Mix the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, tapioca, flour, zest and juice of lemon, dash of cinnamon, and vanilla. Mix well in a large bowl and pour out into chilled crust. Dot the top of the filling with the butter. To make the topping combine all ingredients in a small bowl and combine together using a pastry blender (or two forks, or just your hands). Mix until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Cover the pie with the topping making sure you cover all the fruit. Place the pie on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Make sure to cover the crust with foil to ensure that you don't burn or over brown the edges. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Decrease temperature to 375 degrees and bake for an additional 45 to 50 minutes, or until the filling starts bubbling. Let cool completely before serving.

My favorite way to eat it - a big 'ol slice topped with brown butter ice cream. The flavor combo is killer and the ice cream always leaves people saying "what flavor is that!"

A Month in Pictures

Hello Readers! Some of you have probably noticed that my posts have kind of tapered off over the past few weeks Well, hopefully you didn't notice, but I am sure you did. I know I did. I have been a very busy lady!

Wondering why have been MIA lately? Well, I have been out of town for the past four weekends! Between a work trip and weekend getaways, by the time I get back, I have just enough energy to get through the work week and if I'm lucky, get a blog post out. Where have I been going you may ask? Well, I've been to Dallas for work, San Francisco pretty much every weekend and then to round it all out, Monterey and San Luis Obispo. I'm pretty sure I single handily supported the San Francisco economy over the past month. Even though it's less than two hours away, every weekend in SF is a lot - but SO worth it. How can you not love the city by the bay?! I've been going to Giants games, concerts in city (if you don't know who Still Time is, check them out here. I have been listening to them since college and I know you'll love them as much as I do) and then one of my great friends from college came to the bay (all the way from Missouri!) for a conference and we were able to meet up for dinner and some city wandering. Five years is far too long to see a good friend. Don't you agree?

Then came Monterey and sunny San Luis. The captain and I took our friends Matt and Lauren on a trip to Central California. They only have a few months left before they move back home to England, so Memorial Day was the perfect weekend to squeeze in a trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, show them around San Luis Obispo (the captain and I's old college stomping grounds!) and then take the infamous Highway One all the way back up. Yes, we did go through San Francisco. If anyone is counting, that is five, yes five times in a month. The trip was amazing (albeit I was a bit crabby from being tired from traveling so much the past month  - sorry Ryan!) and I could not have asked for better people to spend it with. I am really going to miss those two when they move back home. Guess that means I'll just have to go visit them in England. I also guess that means I better get a passport. I'll get one soon, promise!

Here are some photos from the past month's adventures!

Fog City Diner in SF!

Delicious dessert @ Ghiradelli in SF!

Rode the cable car for the first time EVER.

AMAZING brisket tacos in Fort Worth, TX.

Garlic fries are a must at AT&T Park.

Me at the park! My dad and I went all the way to the bay a few days before to meet Brandon Crawford, but because we were running late, we never met him. I was so sad that I made my dad buy me this shirt. Well, he offered - kind of. I also made him take me to the Jelly Belly factory. Belly flops cure Brandon Crawford heartaches.

Giants game with my BFF. Hello there Crawford!

The 2.5 hour wait in line for my Brian Wilson garden gnome was totally worth it.

biggest pancake EVER. This was from First Awakenings in Monterey. Fresh raspberries, coconut and granola right in the pancake. SO yum.

jellies!

moon jellies!

bacon maple donut @ SLO Donuts.

elephant seals in San Simeon! SO BIG.

Highway 1 break - wine, cheese, salami, crackers and apples. Perfect snack with the perfect view!

Here is the captain. I didn't meant to get him in the photo, but this is a good one.

BEST BAKED POTATO. You can find this on the club level at AT&T park at a place called Long Taters. Strange name, but such yummy taters!

Last minute trip to SF for a night game with my sister!

Here's to a great month of travels and to more blog posts soon!