Tag Archives: coconut desserts

Cookies, Uncategorized

Coconut chocolate chip cookies

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I thought I had already posted these because: coconut and chocolate! I discovered that we have dozens of coconut desserts on the site, because we unapologetically insist on a blog heavily unbalanced, with some categories of bakes hardly covered and others…such as banana, peanut butter chocolate, and coconut given every possible recipe known to man because we LOVE THOSE THINGS! These cookies are the epitome of chewy, chocolatey, crisp on the edge, cookie dreaminess. You can go straight up semi sweet chocolate- but I think the milk chocolate mixed with the semi-sweet is one of the things that makes these so uniquely delicious!

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar

Cream until fluffy.

Add:

2 eggs, beating in one at a time

2 tsp vanilla

Add:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

(I find at my high elevation and dry climate a tablespoon of water helps the texture)

Mix well and add:

2 2/3 cup coconut (yes, you read that correctly)

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes. You want the bottoms starting to brown but still a bit shiny and doughy in the middle

Cookies, Uncategorized

Coconut Macadamia Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Coconut Macadamia Chocolate Chip Cookies by twocarolines.com

These incredible cookies were first discovered by our sister Kristin who became obsessed with them at the Nordstrom’s Cafe here in coastal Orange County – they are called the “Nordie” and they are such a sensational combination with crunchy, chewy, sweet, salty and chocolatey cookie perfection.  It took her a number of trials and errors before she found a recipe that not only tasted like the Nordstrom cookie, but was even better!  The original author of this recipe is vanilla and bean – check out her rad blog.  The “Nordie” is a large cookie and it’s baked longer than traditional chocolate chip cookies to make the coconut have a nice toasted flavor, but you can also bake them less time for more chew and less crunch if you prefer.  Another bonus with these cookies is how you can easily save the dough in the fridge or freezer and just scoop and bake what you want to eat or even bake them all and freeze completed cookies until you’re presented with a situation that only an insanely delicious cookie can solve.

2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 cup all purpose flout
1 cup whole wheat white flour (they taste great with only AP flour if you don’t have any wheat)
1/4 cup almond meal (can substitute with wheat germ, wheat bran, or just normal flour)
1/4 cup corn starch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup macadamia nuts roughly chopped
3 cups shredded coconut
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips

  1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a cookie sheet with parchment or silpat
  2. Mix together the flours, almond meal, baking soda, salt and cornstarch.  Set aside.
  3. With the paddle attachment on a stand mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla until smooth, about 2 minutes.
  4. Add the eggs one at a time until totally incorporated being sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Then add the flour mixture in a few batches making sure to scrape the bowl.  Last add the coconut, nuts and chocolate chips mixing on low speed until ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
  5. To make the large cookies use a big 3-4 tablespoon scoop – only about 6 cookies per pan.  Bake about 17-20 minutes until nicely browned.  You can also make smaller cookies if you want and if you do bake them for less time, like check them around 9-10 minutes.  The original cookies are darker than an average cookie with a nice crunch to the outside, but they are also delicious baked just until the bottoms are brown if you prefer your cookie more chewy and less crunchy.  Pay more attention to doneness than bake times as times vary greatly depending on how large your cookies are.

 

Recipe adapted from vanilla and bean 

favorites, Pie, Puddings, Uncategorized

Toasted Coconut Cream Pie

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Toasted Coconut Cream Pie by twocarolines

It’s November, and I’m hungry for pie every day.  Toasted Coconut Cream Pie is such a special dessert, it’s really not very difficult, but it feels elegant and special.  I like to paint my crust with chocolate which puts it totally over the top.  There is just mind blowing flavor and the chewy toasty coconut bits make it have incredible texture.  It’s hands down one of my favorite pie experiences and I’m going to need to bring this to my November pie line up for SURE.  A cool bonus is that once you learn this recipe you have the foundation for pretty much all my cream pies.  I use it for banana cream pie, strawberry cream pie, chocolate cream pie, and more!  Seriously guys, stop being intimidated by pie, it’s really fun, easier than you think, and such a joy to eat and serve.  You have a Caroline or two here for you every step of the way.

For the crust:

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chocolate painted crust twocarolines

single 9-10 inch traditional pie crust
1/3 cup chopped chocolate or chocolate chips
1 teaspoon coconut oil

For the filling:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 3/4 cups whole milk (if you don’t have whole use what you have, or mix lowfat milk with cream)
7 egg yolks (save whites for a fancy frosting or meringue in your baking future)
3-4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
1 1/2 cups shredded sweetened coconut

Make your crust:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 450. Roll your crust into your pan, I like to use a medium pie pan, not the little tiny ones, and not the super deep dish, but you can make any size work, you might need to just keep a little filling as some pudding for later or you might need to bulk up your coconut and add cream on top.  And you can always roll our traditional pie crust nice and thin for a deep dish or have a little extra for a standard 9″
  2. Blind bake your crust, ours takes about 8 minutes in a 450 oven on the top rack.  Use either pie weights or poke loads of holes (that’s the twocarolines method).  You want it nicely browned on edges and if it slumps a little just use a tea towel to reshape while it’s hot.   Keep your oven on but turn to 325 to toast coconut.  
  3. Melt your chocolate and teaspoon of coconut oil in a pyrex or heatproof bowl.  I prefer to do this in the microwave on defrost power so it never gets too hot.  If you don’t have a defrost setting melt 20 seconds at a time until chocolate starts to loose its form then let it sit and add a few seconds at at time until you can whisk it smooth.
  4. Spread your chocolate into the crust of your baked pie crust painting up on to the sides halfway and all across the bottom.  Let this cool while you make your filling so the chocolate gets hard.

Toast your coconut:

  1. Set oven to 325.  Spread out 1 1/2 cups shredded sweetened dried coconut on a baking sheet for about 8-10 minutes stirring a few times until it’s got some nice color and smells amazing.  Set aside.

Make your filling:

  1.  Put sugar, cornstarch and salt into a medium/large heavy saucepan.  I use this all clad one, anything decent sized with a good thick bottom will work.
  2. Gradually whisk in your milk
  3. Vigorously whisk in your egg yolks one at a time until no yellow streaks remain.
  4. Stirring constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula, bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Remove from heat once bubbles come up and scrape down the corners of your saucepan and whisk until smooth.
  5. Return to heat and whisking constantly, bring a simmer and cook for 1 minute.
  6. Take off the heat and whisk in your butter, vanilla and coconut extract.
  7. Pour about 1/3 of your filling into baked pie crust, layer with coconut and another 1/3 of your filling alternating and ending with coconut on top.  If you’re topping your pie with whipped cream save some coconut to put on top of that.
  8. Chill for a good 4 hours before serving.  This pie keeps nicely in the fridge for a good 5 days or so.

Recipe adapted from Joy Of Cooking vanilla cream pie.