shoebox » coconut

coconut key lime pie

jess — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 22:28:39 +0000

wow. what a whirlwind we’ve been through since may. we packed up everything and moved across the country. (when i say across, i really do mean it! hello, pacific northwest!) it is nice to finally be settled and back into the “groove” of things. and by groove, i mean my ocd self is happy and content to know where everything in the house is again.

i’ll be playing catch-up on my blog for the next few weeks, so i hope you enjoy the backlog of the recipes that i have created over the past few months! fall is on the way, and i’m eager to make soups and lots of apple-based dishes. so let’s get going on these spring and summer recipes to make way for fall!

i have a go-to key lime pie recipe. it’s very simple to throw together and never fails to please! sometimes, you just need to kick things up a bit. this recipe does just that. you get a nice mix of tangy lime and creamy coconut cream, with meringue on top. the addition of coconut to a traditional key lime pie was mostly inspired by the island coconut k-cups i have been devouring all spring and summer long. yah, these k-cups right here:

source: stickygooeycreamychewy.com

1 graham cracker pie crust, homemade and cooled or storebought
(i made this pie in a cheesecake pan, but it can easily go in a 9″ pie dish.)

1 1/3 c heavy cream
1 1/2 c shredded sweetened coconut, divided

4 large eggs, separated
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c key lime juice
1-2 drops green food coloring (optional)
1/4 c sugar

preheat oven to 350°.
make a graham cracker pie crust recipe in a cheesecake pan. pressing crust approx. 1″ up the side of the pan. take any frustration out by smashing graham crackers with a rolling pin:
put the cream and 1 c of the coconut in a small saucepan, bringing it to a boil over med-low heat, stirring constantly. continue to cook and stir until the cream is reduced by half and the mixture is slightly thickened. place the mixture in a bowl and set it aside.
using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks at high speed, until thick and pale. reduce speed to low and beat in the condensed milk and half of the lime juice. when it is fully mixed, add the remaining lime juice and a few drops of food coloring.
spread the coconut cream mixture in the bottom of the graham cracker crust, and then pour the lime filling on top. bake pie for 12 min. allow to cool on a cooling rack for 15 minutes, then freeze for at least an hour.
put the 4 egg whites and the sugar in a medium sauce pan and heat over medium low heat, constantly whisking, until it is hot to touch. transfer the whites to a stand mixer and using the whisk attachment, beat the whites at high speed until they reach room temperature and hold firm peaks.
fold the remaining 1/2 c of coconut into the meringue. spread the meringue over top of the pie and blow torch it until it is brown. return pie to freezer for 30 min to 3 hours before serving.

enjoy!

german chocolate cake

jess — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 23:50:05 +0000

valentine’s day was yesterday. it was our first as a married couple! to commemorate the day, i baked my hubby a heart-shaped german chocolate cake, one of his favorite desserts.

source

cake

1 4 oz. package baker’s german’s sweet chocolate
1/2 c water
2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 c butter, softened
2 c sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla
1 c buttermilk

preheat oven to 350°. cover bottoms of 3 9″-round cake pans with wax paper; grease sides of pans (i used pam with flour in it).
microwave chocolate and water in large microwaveable bowl on high 1 1/2 – 2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 1 min. stir until chocolate is completely melted.
mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. blend in melted chocolate and the vanilla. add flour mixture alternatively with the buttermilk, beating until well blended after each addition.
beat egg whites in small bowl with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. gently stir into batter. pour evenly into prepared pans.
bake 30 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. immediately run small metal spatula around cake layers. cool in pans 15 min; remove layers from pans to wire racks. remove wax paper. cool cake layers completely. spread coconut-pecan filling and frosting between cake layers and onto top of cake.

coconut-pecan filling and frosting

4 egg yolks
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c sugar
3/4 c butter
7 oz. coconut
1 1/2 c chopped pecans

beat egg yolks, milk and vanilla in large saucepan with whisk until well blended. add sugar and butter; cook on medium heat 12 min. or until thickened and golden brown, stirring constantly. remove from heat.
add coconut and nuts, mix well. cool.

enjoy!

coconut macaroons

jess — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:11:48 +0000

found this delicious recipe on the back of a bag of coconut and the result was pretty delicious. they taste like little almond joys!

5 1/3 c coconut
2/3 c sugar
6 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
4 egg whites
1 tsp almond extract

mix coconut, sugar, flour, and salt in large bowl until the coconut is evenly coated. stir in egg and almond extract until well blended. drop by well rounded tablespoonfuls onto a non-stick baking sheet.
bake at 325° for 20 min. or until edges of cookies are golden brown. immediately remove from cookie sheets to wire racks. cool completely.

to make them extra delicious, dip them in chocolate!

melt one cup of chocolate chips in a ramekin. dip macaroons halfway in chocolate, scrape excess chocolate off the bottom. place on wax paper lined cookie sheet, refrigerate until chocolate is hardened (30 min.)

enjoy!