You might think that candied nuts simply can’t be improved. I mean, they are just so tasty. But this week I made them better than ever. Yes, it’s true!

I’d like to introduce you to candied coconut almonds. I didn’t do much except add coconut to my regular candied almonds but the end result was pretty much the most delicious thing ever.

What, exactly, are candied coconut almonds good for? Let me count the ways. As a topping for ice cream and yogurt? Yes. As an add-in for chocolate chip cookies? More of the yes. Salad? Sure, why not! Simply to eat straight out of the bowl? Most definitely yes.

I also may be working on the best cookie bar recipe ever as we speak, and those cookie bars just might involve candied coconut almonds. You’ll have to wait and see…

Candied Coconut Almonds

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Crack in almond-coconut form.

Author: Jane Maynard

Serves: 1½ - 2 cups

Ingredients

• ¾ cup sliced almonds that have been chopped up a bit
• ¾ cup UNsweetened shredded coconut
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together the sugar, water and salt. Add the almonds and coconut and stir well.
3. On a silpat- or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet, spread the mixture evenly.
4. Cook in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. If you want things crispy and browned, go on the longer side. If you cook it just for 10 minutes or so, things will not be browned, they will still be crispy, just not as crispy. Both ways are equally delicious, it's just a preference thing.
5. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
6. Stir and break up the pieces and store in an air-tight container. Should keep for quite some time.

3.3.3070

When we were in New Hampshire for New Year’s Eve, Nate’s mom made some chicken tenders with coconut mixed into the breadcrumbs that were scrumptious.

I’ve made the same thing a couple times since and I think I finally have these chicken tenders perfected, with just the right amount of salty and sweet and a bit of heat surrounding perfectly tender chicken. And, of course, coconut. I love anything savory with coconut involved. So good.

There are a few steps to the recipe, but I promise it’s an easy recipe nonetheless. Also, I highly recommend pounding the chicken. You can skip the pounding, but it’s way better when you do it.

Enjoy!

Coconut Chicken Tenders

 

Print

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

With a little bit of sweet and a little bit of heat, these oh-so-tender chicken tenders are coconut perfection!

Author: Jane Maynard

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken tenders
• ¼ cup flour
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt (divided into ½ teaspoon and ¼ teaspoon)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• ½ cup sweetened coconut
• ¼ - ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (with ¼ teaspoon it's just a HINT of heat, ½ teaspoon has more heat but isn't crazy spicy)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter

Instructions

1. Pound chicken tenders thin.
2. Mix together flour and ¼ teaspoon salt and pour onto a plate.
3. Beat the egg in a small bowl and whisk in the soy sauce.
4. Mix together the panko bread crumbs, coconut, ½ teaspoon of the salt, cayenne pepper, and sugar together in a medium bowl.
5. Heat butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Depending on the size of your pan and whether or not you are doubling the recipe, if you need to cook the chicken in batches, add 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan for each batch of chicken you cook.
6. Dip each chicken tender in the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumb mixture. Place chicken tenders in the heated pan and cook chicken tenders on both sides until golden brown and chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.
7. Remove chicken from pan and place on a plate lined with a paper towel to allow some of the oil to drip off.
8. Serve hot. Sweet chili sauce is the perfect dipping sauce for this chicken! We used honey mustard dipping sauce as well and that was good, too!

3.2.2807

You can trust today’s recipe for two reasons. #1: My friend Amy made these muffins and shared the recipe with me. Amy is an amazing cook. Amy knows good food. Amy always finds the best recipes. #2: It’s an Ina Garten recipe.

I haven’t made this recipe myself yet, so I don’t have much to say except that it is DELICIOUS. These muffins were SO GOOD I just had to photograph them (thanks for being my hand model, Ana – J.P. Prewett would be proud) and share the recipe with you.

I’m trying not to think about how many of these muffins I ate. It was like I lost all self-control. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Banana Granola Coconut Muffins

 

Print

My friend Amy, who is a fabulous cook, adapted this recipe from Ina Garten's Banana Crunch Muffin recipe. They are fabulous. 'Nuf said.

Author: Adapted from Ina Garten

Serves: 18

Ingredients

• - 3 cups all-purpose flour
• - 2 cups sugar
• - 2 teaspoons baking powder
• - 1 teaspoon baking soda
• - ½ teaspoon salt
• - ½ pound unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• - 2 extra-large eggs
• - ¾ cup whole milk
• - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• - 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (~2 bananas)
• - 1 cup medium-diced ripe bananas (~1 banana)
• - 1 cup granola
• - 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line 18 large muffin cups with paper liners.
3. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the melted butter and blend. Combine the eggs, milk, vanilla, and mashed bananas, and add them to the flour-and-butter mixture. Scrape the bowl and blend well. Don’t overmix.
4. Fold the diced bananas, granola, and coconut into the batter. Spoon the batter into the paper liners, filling each 1 to the top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly, remove from the pan, and serve.

Notes

Jane note: I ate these muffins fresh out of the oven and then later on after they’d cooled. WAY BETTER fresh out of the oven. If you are able to resist eating the whole batch when they have just finished cooking, be sure to heat up the leftovers in a toaster oven at 200 degrees for 5-10 minutes. It will be worth it, trust me.

3.2.2265

My computer is finally fixed so I can finally publish this post, complete with the photos that were being held hostage by the Genius Bar! Yippee!

The icing on our fabulous Thai dinner proverbial ‘cake’ two weeks ago was pineapple satay with coconut caramel sauce. The pineapple was super yummy, but the sauce is what I really loved. Erika (who made the dinner for us) says she doesn’t just use this sauce for pineapple satay – she also uses it for pancakes and other stuff. I’m thinking on top of ice cream would be divine. Regardless of how you use the coconut caramel sauce, you need to tuck this recipe away for later use. It’s a keeper if there ever was one.

Coconut Caramel Sauce

 

Print

Author: Sunset Magazine

Ingredients

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup water
• ¾ cup coconut milk

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, combine sugar with ½ cup water. Bring to a boil, swirling to dissolve sugar; boil, swirling occasionally (do not stir), until just golden and honeylike. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in coconut milk (mixture will bubble furiously).

3.2.2310

Pineapple Satay

 

Print

Author: Sunset Magazine

Ingredients

• 1 ripe pineapple
• Coconut Caramel Sauce (above)
• ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted

Instructions

1. Trim ends from pineapple, then stand it on one end and cut off peel. Quarter pineapple lengthwise and cut out core. Reserve half the pineapple for another use. Cut each remaining quarter into 4 lengthwise slices, then cut each slice in half to make 16 thin wedges. Skewer each lengthwise.
2. Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for high heat (450° to 550°; you can hold your hand 5 in. above cooking grate only 2 to 4 seconds). Using a pastry brush, coat pineapple pieces with caramel sauce. Grill just until marks appear, then turn to mark other side, 4 to 5 minutes total. Put skewers on a platter, sprinkle with toasted coconut, and serve with remaining caramel sauce.

3.2.2310

I just made the best smoothie-shake. Awwww yeah. It’s called a smoothie-shake because I couldn’t resist adding a little ice cream to this one. I don’t normally do that, but mmmm was it good.

Smoothie Recipe #1: Strawberry Banana Coconut Smoothie-Shake

 

Print

Ingredients listed in order of placement in the blender. I did two rounds of the “smoothie” setting on my Blendtec blender for this one. I needed more fluid, but I loved the final texture, so for me it was worth the extra blending time.

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 1 generous serving

Ingredients

• 6-8 oz white grape juice (maybe a little more if it’s too thick)
• 1 fresh banana
• 5 big frozen strawberries
• big handful of ice
• small handful of shredded coconut
• 1 scoop vanilla ice cream (that’s why I added the word “shake” on the end! I’m sure you can leave this out if you want it to be healthier)

3.2.2807

Now that I have successfully gotten an annoying song in your head…on to today’s business.  Fresh coconut ice cream!

Last week we finally had a chance to eat at Burma Superstar in San Francisco. (Quick aside, it’s a GREAT restaurant…fantastic food, great service, loved it.) One of their desserts was a deep fried coconut custard served with the most amazing coconut ice cream. Now that I have an ice cream maker, you know I had to figure the recipe out!

Burma Superstar’s ice cream definitely had fresh coconut in it, so I went out and bought my first coconut.  I purchased a sweet young coconut, where the husk is not fully matured.  I thought it might be easier to cut through. Um, it might be easier (I’m not sure, but that’s my guess)…but it still wasn’t easy.  I recommend using a giant serrated knife and exercising PATIENCE.  It was worth the hard work.  The fresh bits of coconut in the ice cream…YUM.

Oh – and if you have any coconut recipes to share, I have a TON of coconut water and leftover coconut sitting in the fridge.  Savory or sweet, if you have any ideas for how to use it up, let me know!

Fresh Coconut Ice Cream

 

Print

Adapted from Ben & Jerry’s Sweet Cream Base

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 – 2 tablespoons fresh coconut, cut up into small pieces

Instructions

1. Whisk eggs until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Whisk in sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 min more. Pour in the cream and coconut milk and whisk to blend. Follow instructions for your ice cream maker (in my 1-1/2 QT Cuisinart, I ran it for 25 minutes). Add the coconut towards the end. Enjoy! Freezes well.

3.2.2708

The recipe I’m sharing with you today is amazing, if I do say so myself. In fact, it’s one of those recipes that I’m hesitant to even share with others…you know, kind of like that crazy new psycho character on Desperate who won’t share the lemon meringue pie recipe? That’s a little how I feel…these cookies make me look GOOD, and if others can make them, I lose my magic. At the same time, I think people who don’t share recipes are, well, a little shallow and mean. So, the real question is do I want friends or do I want to have that secret cookie recipe that people are willing to break into my house for? Believe it or not, this was a tough decision, but I’ve decided I like being popular more, so you get the recipe.

Seriously, these cookies are perfect. I guess the official name is “Chocolate Oatmeal Coconut Cookies” but that is so boring and doesn’t really fall off the tongue so easily, so let’s just call it The Perfect Cookie. Where did I get the recipe from? The name on my original recipe card says Barbara Boczany. I have no idea who Barbara Boczany is. But she makes a damn good cookie. I have adjusted the recipe, so let’s just say it’s mine. Yeah, that sounds good. Keep reading for the secret (and no, not THAT secret, but the yummy cookie secret, which is WAY better).

Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Coconut Cookies (aka The Perfect Cookie)

 

Print

When I originally received this recipe from a friend, the name on it was "Barbara Boczany." We have no idea who Barbara is but we are eternally grateful to her for this wonderful recipe!

Author: Jane Maynard

Ingredients

• 2 sticks unsalted butter (I always use salted and they taste fine)
• 1 C brown sugar, packed
• 6 Tbsp sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1½ tsp vanilla
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 C flour
• 2¼ C oats
• 1½ C coconut
• 12 oz (2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chunks – I prefer using semi-sweet mini chocolate chips because they distribute through the cookie very nicely with the other ingredients
• ¾ C chopped almonds (I actually never add the almonds)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Beat butter and sugars at high speed until fluffy (about 5-7 minutes). Add eggs and beat till well blended. Beat in vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Add flour and mix at low speed until just blended. Stir in oats, coconut, chocolate and almonds.
2. Arrange ¼ cup mounds about 3 inches apart on large buttered baking sheets. Pat down to ½ inch. Bake in upper oven, rotating occasionally, 15-18 mins. Cool one minute. Transfer to cooling rack.
3. If you bake smaller cookies (which I often do), adjust the baking time accordingly.
4. The cookies usually get pretty crispy and brown around the edge and you will see that the center of the cookie is set.

3.2.2265