Coconut Pralines

Take a sweet pecan praline and add some coconut for a delicious candy that is easy to make and perfect for wrapping up to bring along to your holiday parties. If you can bear to share them.

I am not a big sweet eater but anything caramel or praline is one of my big exceptions. (Also sweet and salty together!) These things are easy to make and even easier to eat. Make a batch and see if you don't agree with me!

Coconut Pralines

When I was a child, my grandmother made fudge and other candies to give away at Christmas time. I don't specifically remember her making pralines, but since we were in southern Louisiana, it's quite likely. I think she would like my coconut version.

Ingredients- For about 3 dozen pralines
2 1/2 cups or 500g sugar
1/2 cup or 120ml milk
1/2 cup or 120ml corn syrup
1/2 cup or 113g butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups or 270g chopped pecans
2 cups or 175g sweetened shredded coconut

Method
In a bowl, combine coconut and pecans; set aside. Line a pan with nonstick aluminum foil, wax paper or a silicone liner.

Put your sugar, milk, corn syrup, butter and salt in a medium-sized pot and stir well to combine.

Cook over a medium-high heat and continue stirring until the mixture comes to a full rolling boil.

Let it boil while stirring for 5 minutes. If you want to use a candy thermometer, you are looking for the mixture to reach almost 230°F or 110°C.

Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract, then tip in the coconut/pecan mixture and stir well until everything is coated with the syrup.

Drop the mixture by large spoonfuls on your lined pan.

Leave to cool until the pralines harden completely.  This could take several hours or even overnight, depending on the temperature of your home.

Enjoy!

Recipes from Christmas Week Bloggers

• Apricot Spice Biscotti from Savoring Italy
• Blueberry Overnight Sweet Rolls from My Catholic Kitchen
• Bourbon Soaked Eggnog Cake from Cooking In Stilettos
• Caramel Bacon Bark from Dixie Chik Cooks
• Chanukah Olive Oil Cookies from Mother Would Know
• Chocolate Fruit 'n Nut Bites from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
• Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies from Daily Appetite
• Chocolate Dipped Gingersnaps from Try Anything Once Culinary
• Christmas Sweets and Treats from Food Done Light
• Coconut Lemon Raspberry Bundt Cake from Desserts Required
• Coconut Pralines from Food Lust People Love
• Coquito Cinnamon Roll Bundt from Mind Over Batter
• Dark Chocolate Almond Cheesecake Cups from Savory Experiments
• Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes from Amee's Savory Dish
• Easy Cream Cheese Cookies from Everyday Southwest
• Easy Macadamia Cashew Brittle from Aloha Flavor
• Easy White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge from Big Bear's Wife
• Eggnog Pound Cake from The Redhead Baker
• Eggnog Truffles from Crumb: A Food Blog
• Fancy Chocolate Covered Marshallows from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Ginger Snap Cocktail from Food Babbles
• Gingerbread Cake with Orange Cream Glaze from Comfortably Domestic
• Gingerbread Cookie Bars from From Gate to Plate
• Gluten Free Chocolate Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies from The Tomato Tart
• Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake from Cupcakes and Kale Chips
• Easy Cream Cheese Cookies from Everyday Southwest
• Marzipan Fruits from The Little Ferraro Kitchen
• Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Molasses Ginger Cookies from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• No-Bake Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
• Peppermint Fudge from The Bitter Side of Sweet
• Pistachio Brittle from Cravings of a Lunatic
• Quince, Cranberry and Persimmon Crisps from Pineapple and Coconut
• Spiked Hot Cocoa Gift Mix from Farm Fresh Feast

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Hawaiian Layer Bars #CreativeCookieExchange

A tropic twist of the classic layer bar, these chewy cookies are made with macadamia nuts, flaked coconut, dried pineapple and banana chips, baked on a crispy rough puff pastry base.

First, a confession: A couple of months back, when I read the theme for this month’s Creative Cookie Exchange – Layered Cookie Bars – I didn’t have a clue of what that meant. A quick search revealed deliciousness that I had clearly been missing all these years. Seven-layer bars, 10-layer bars, million layer bars! (That last one was an exaggeration, by the way.) They reminded me very much of Uncle Hector’s 100 Cookies with all the ingredient variations, but baked in layers instead of mixed together in a cookie dough. The bases varied widely as well: some crumb, some pastry, some cookie dough crusts.

I went to my baking cupboard and had a look through my potential ingredients. I have airtight plastic containers full of a variety of chips, dried fruits and nuts, all kinds and colors of chocolate and candies. I considered how many layers I could put together and it would have been impressive, although possibly still not one million. Instead, I decided to choose a theme, something tropical to celebrate the start of school and the end of summer holidays. And these Hawaiian layer bars were the result.

Ingredients
Rough puff pastry from this recipe or your own favorite
5 oz or 145g macadamia nuts
3 1/2 oz or 100g dried pineapple
3 1/2 oz or 100g sweetened flake coconut
3 1/2 oz or 100g sweetened banana chips
1 can (14 oz or 395g) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

Method
Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C and prepare your 8x12in or 20x30cm pan by lining it with baking parchment.

Roll the pastry dough out as thin as you can.

Take your fitted parchment back out of the pan and transfer the pastry to the center of the parchment. Trim edges straight with a sharp knife. This helps puffing.

Fit the parchment with pastry back in the pan. Dock the base thoroughly with the tines of a fork.

Bake in your preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven. The rough puff will have puffed somewhat in the middle so just use your fork to repeat the docking and it will deflate.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F or 180°C.

Sprinkle on the layers. I wanted to see a little of everything on the top so I did layers but saved a little of each of the bottom layers to sprinkle again on the top.

Pour in the condensed milk, making sure to get some it all over and even into the sides and corners.

Bake again till golden, perhaps 20-25 minutes.

Enjoy!

I can't even start to tell you how chewy and delicious these were, a perfect blend on the crusty golden crust.

Check out all the lovely layered cookie bars we have for you this month! Many thanks to our organizer, Laura of The Spiced Life.

• Caramel Apple Bar Cookies from 2CookinMamas
• Caramel Swirled Cheesecake Bars from The Spiced Life
• Churros Cheesecake Bars from A Baker's House
• Club Chocolate Peanut Butter Layered Bars from Our Good Life
• Cookie Dough Brownie and Cheesecake Bars from Spice Roots
• Double Chocolate Caramel Squares from Flours and Frostings
• Gooey Pumpkin Cookie Bars from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Hawaiian Layer Bars from Food Lust People Love
• Nanaimo Bars from A Shaggy Dough Story
• Magic Peanut Butter S'mores Cookie Bars from Rhubarb and Honey 
• Praline Pecan Coconut Shortbread Bars from Karen’s Kitchen Stories

The Creative Cookie Exchange gets together once a month on the second Tuesday after the 15th to bake cookies with a common theme or ingredient. If you are a food blogger who would like to join us, please send Laura an email: TheSpiceLife(at)gmail(dot)com.

You can also just use us as a great resource for cookie recipes - be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts (you can find all of them at The Spiced Life).


For lagniappe - in southern Louisiana where I come from this means something extra, a little treat that's thrown in at the end.

Here's what to do with the rough puff scraps you cut off when making the layered cookie bars.

Cut the dough in short pieces and roll in cinnamon sugar. Lay out on a cookie sheet covered with parchment.

Bake with the base of the layer cookies above in your 400°F or 200°C oven.

Again, enjoy!

Creamy Coconut Popsicles

Two ingredients are all you need to make these creamy coconut popsicles: Sweetened condensed milk and coconut cream. Well, and freezing time! So easy and delicious!

 

This week my Sunday Supper group is anticipating Labor Day in the United States by sharing no-labor recipes, with plenty of make-ahead or simple-to-prepare dishes and drinks that will leave you plenty of time to relax and enjoy the holiday tomorrow! I had no idea what to share for this event until I remembered some coconut popsicles I made a couple of months back as an experiment that had turned out with gratifying success. So I made them again for real. 

I wanted to add actual fresh coconut to them but was discouraged by my younger daughter who prefers her ice cream without “bits” in it. So that coconut you see is just for show. With only two ingredients, both from cans, these creamy popsicles practically make themselves! Feel free to add fresh coconut to yours, if you can be bothered. They are absolutely coconutty, just sweet enough and perfect as is. And even the dog agrees.

Ingredients

1 can (13.5 oz or 400ml) unsweetened coconut cream – not milk!
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk  - 260g or 6 3/4 oz

Equipment needed:
Popsicle molds (or paper cups, popsicle sticks and cling film)
Deep freezer

Method
Pour or scoop the coconut cream into a large mixing bowl, preferably one with a spout. Whisk it until the cream is smooth and homogeneous.

Add in the condensed milk and whisk again.

Pour the liquid into your popsicle molds (or paper cups, then cover with cling film and insert a stick in the middle) and freeze until solid – this will take at least a couple of hours but overnight is even better.

When ready to serve, run the popsicle mold (or paper cup) under some warm water to release the popsicle.

Enjoy!

Whether you are celebrating Labor Day this weekend or just love the idea of no-labor recipes, this is the list for you!

Savory Snacks and Sides

• Acorn Squash, Black Bean and Spinach Quesadillas by Our Good Life
• Copy Cat: Momma’s Nachos by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Cream Cheese and Peach Chutney Pastry Cups by Soni’s Food
• Easy Peasy Cole Slaw by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Fruit & Cheese Platter by The Freshman Cook
• Olive Tapenade by Whole Food | Real Families
• Semi-Homemade Baked Beans by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Smoked Salmon Spread with Sourdough Baguette by A Gouda Life

Labor Free Main Dishes

• Ace of Clubs by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Easy and Tasty Filet Mignon on the Grill by Family Foodie
• Easy Baked Spaghetti for a Crowd by Lifestyle Food Artistry
• Greek Salad Endive Boats by Casa de Crews
• Grilled Butternut Squash, Zucchini and Steak with Chimichurri Sauce by Caroline’s Cooking
• Pesto Chicken with Fennel & Tomato Couscous by Books n’ Cooks
• Simple Cheese Enchiladas by Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
• Simple Grilled Rosemary Shrimp by Nosh My Way
• Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Mustard Barbecue Sauce by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Slow Cooker Turkey Sloppy Joes by Food Done Light
• Spicy Thai Noodles by Momma’s Meals

Sweet Treats and Drinks

• Apple Spice Dump Cake by Palatable Pastime
• Blender Chocolate Mousse by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles by What Smells So Good?
• Coconut Martini by Desserts Required
  
• Creamy Coconut Popsicles by Food Lust People Love
• Eiskaffee by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Healthy Grab'n'Go Breakfast Muffins by Happy Baking Days
• Mango Salad with Crystallized Ginger by MealDiva
• Mini Pavlovas by Curious Cuisiniere
• One Step Vanilla Sauce by Magnolia Days
• White Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle Bars by Pies and Plots
  
  
  

  Pin these Creamy Coconut Popsicles! 

  

Camel Milk Caramel Basbousa #CreativeCookieExchange

Basbousa are little squares or diamonds made with semolina dough that are traditionally topped with almonds and then soaked with rose flavored syrup when hot. For a twist to the typical recipe, I’ve soaked mine in caramel syrup made out of camel milk. 

Sometimes for these Creative Cookie Exchange posts I have a recipe in mind – sometimes even baked - weeks ahead of time because our organizer, Laura from The Spiced Life reveals the theme several months in advance, to help us plan. But this month, with the delicious theme of caramel, I just wasn’t finding inspiration anywhere. Until my fellow CCE member, co-creator of Bread Bakers and friend, Renee from Magnolia Days asked the following question in the group: “Does dulce de leche count as caramel or is it strictly caramel for the May event?” This set off a flurry of comments where several of us defended dulce as absolutely a caramel and got me thinking about the camel milk cajeta or dulce de leche sitting in my refrigerator. It does keep for months, but why not use some of it in a cookie? So the wheels started turning.

Camel milk caramel can certainly be put in any cookie. But wouldn’t it be fun to find an Arabic one to use it in? Hence, the basbousa. With their traditional sugar syrup, I’ve always found basbousa too sweet – and I’m not a fan of rose water and rose essence, which taste like eating soap to me – but with the addition of the sweet and slightly salty camel milk caramel, they are perfect. Another treat entirely.

So, with my apologies to the Arabic world in general, and Egypt in particular, I've adapted from this recipe from SBS.com.au.  Do watch the video if you are making the original, because the instructions differ from the written recipe. I’ve written mine to include the half hour rest, for instance.

Ingredients
1 1/8 cups or 215g coarse semolina
3/4 cup or 50g freshly grated coconut
1/2 cup or 100g sugar
1/4 cup or 30g flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup or 100g thick yogurt or crème fraîche
7 tablespoons or 100g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
16-30 whole almonds, depending on how small you cut your basbousa.

For the caramel syrup:
1/2 cup or 120ml dulce de leche, cajeta or thick caramel. I used a camel milk version, instructions here.
1-2 teaspoons milk

Method
Grease an 8x8 in or 20x20cm baking pan and set it aside.

Mix the semolina, coconut, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl.

Add in the yogurt and melted, cooled butter and mix well.

Your dough should be fairly stiff but pliable.

Spread the mixture with your hands into your greased baking pan. Make sure to get it right up to the sides and nice and even.

Cover with a towel and let rest for half an hour. When the time is almost up, preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Cut the dough into diamond shapes then press an almond into each one. I chose to cut mine pretty small, but you can certainly cut yours larger. You just won’t need as many almonds then.

Bake in your preheated oven for 20–25 minutes or until golden brown. While it's baking make the caramel syrup.

Put the stiff caramel in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl and warm it slightly, just to loosen it. Add a little milk to make it even more runny and stir well till the milk is completely incorporated. You are looking for the consistency of maple or chocolate syrup.

Right when the hot cake comes out of the oven, pour the caramel syrup over it.

It sits there for a few short minutes.

Then it sinks in, leaving the almonds with a lovely shine.

Cool to serve and use a sharp knife to cut through again and lift them out.

Enjoy! Basbousa is a term of endearment in Arabic meaning something like "little sweet," so make these for your basbousa.

Are you looking for more caramel cookie goodness? Here you go!

• Basement Brownies from Sidewalk Shoes
• Camel Milk Caramel Basbousa from Food Lust People Love
• Caramel Cashew Cookies from Our Good Life
• Caramel Coconut Cookies from Basic N Delicious
• Caramel Shortbread Cookie Strips from Magnolia Days
• Caramel Thumbprint Cookies from Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt
• Caramelized White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies from Baking Yummies
• Chocolate Caramel Shortbread Bars from The Spiced Life
• Chocolate Caramel Rocks from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Chocolate Walnut Caramel Stuffed Cookies from Noshing with the Nolands
• Eggless Vanilla-Caramel Biscotti from What Smells So Good?
• Millionaire Shortbread Bars from Spice Roots
• Salted Caramel Butter Cookies from Simply Veggies
• Salted Caramel Macarons from A Baker’s House
• Take 5 Caramel Oatmeal Cookies from 2 Cookin’ Mamas

If you are a blogger and want to join in the fun, contact Laura at thespicedlife AT gmail DOT com and she will get you added to our Facebook group, where we discuss our cookies and share links.

You can also use us as a great resource for cookie recipes - be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts. You can find all of them on our home page at The Spiced Life. We post all together on the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month!

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Coconut White Chocolate Muffins #MuffinMonday #CandyBarSeries

Start with a white chocolate bar crunchy with bits of coconut, add more coconut and coconut milk powder, then all the usual muffin ingredients like eggs and oil and flour. What you get is one delightfully coconutty muffin with bits of sweet white chocolate. Perfect for breakfast or snack time.

This week everyone is using Easter leftovers for recipes (myself included, if you count the savory tart I posted yesterday) but shocking through you might find it, I don’t have any leftover Easter candy. I did buy plenty, of course, but I made up gift bags for my girls while I was visiting the US and left almost all of it behind. My husband got a small basket – my Bread Bakers will appreciate this because I used my new banneton meant for proofing dough – and I imagine he’ll eat it all before long.

Yes, we do own Easter baskets. And, yes, I do crack myself up.

So I am dipping back into my secret stash of candy bars for these muffins, the fourth in what I am calling my Candy Bar Series, made with a white chocolate bar full, and I mean, so very full of coconut that there is no square millimeter of the chocolate that doesn’t have bits of coconut in it. I’m actually beginning to like white chocolate now. Alone it is cloyingly sweet, but with lemon and now coconut, it’s good. And it makes a tender, fabulous muffin.

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cups or 190g flour
2 1/8 oz or 60g coconut milk powder
1/2 cup or 100g sugar
1/2 cup, packed, or 60g freshly grated coconut plus extra for decorating
3 1/2 oz or 100g white chocolate coconut candy bar
2 eggs
3/4 cup or ml milk
1/2 cup or 120ml canola or other light oil

Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C and either grease your 12-cup muffin tin or line it with paper liners.

Chop your candy bar up into bits.

In one big mixing bowl, combine your dry ingredients: flour, coconut milk powder sugar, grated coconut, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

In another small bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk and oil.

Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until just combined.

There should still be some dry flour showing.  Separate out 12 pieces of candy bar to put on top the batter when baking.

Fold the rest of the chocolate into the batter.

Divide the batter between your 12 prepared muffin cups.

Top with a sprinkle of fresh coconut and one piece of white chocolate bar.

Bake in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for a few minutes. Take the muffins out of the pan and continue cooling on the rack.

Enjoy!

What’s your favorite candy bar? Which candy bar would you like to see made into a muffin?