The Weekend Cheers: Skinny Beach Bum

This cocktail has been on solid rotation all summer, particularly at the beach a few weeks ago, hence the name of this drink. I loooove the Smirnoff Sorbet Light Pineapple Coconut Vodka! Have you tried it yet? If not, RUN to the liquor store around the corner and pick up a bottle for the weekend. It's also low-cal...awesome!! To make the shredded coconut stick to the side of the glass, simply dip the rim in a little honey and you've got a delicious garnish. Cheers to the weekend fellow peaches! Hope it's a good one.

*****Skinny Beach Bum*****

// Ingredients //

1.5 oz. Smirnoff Sorbet Light Pineapple Coconut Vodka
2 oz. Grapefruit Juice
Shredded sweetened coconut, honey and a pineapple wedge for garnish

// Instructions //

Combine vodka and juice over ice. Garnish and serve!

*photo and styling by Amy Mikkelsen

Butterscotch Coconut Cookies

I know it's cruel to have cookies staring at you on a Monday morning but I just couldn't wait to share these.  Lent began last week and this year I chose to give up chocolate.  I was doing great until day two when I realized I'd also be giving up my go-to breakfast that's perfect for the carpool lane.  Valentines Day was also a challenge when the kids came home with their goodie bags filled with pink M & M's and chocolate Dove candies.  And then...the Girl Scout cookies.  Samoa's are my favorite.

In an effort to stay strong, I whipped up these delicious butterscotch coconut cookies.  They kept me on the right path this weekend and I admit, it's nice to try something different from my favorite chocolate chip recipe.  As long as you don't overwork the dough, they stay very soft and chewy which is my preference.    Hoping you enjoy these and wishing you happy reflections this Lenten season.

****Butterscotch Coconut Cookies*****
recipe adapted from Daring Gourmet // make about 2 dozen

// Ingredients //

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour, sifted
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sweetened dried coconut flakes
1 cup butterscotch chips

// Instructions //

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Combine flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a small bowl.
3. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter until pale yellow and fluffy.  Add white sugar and brown sugar and mix well.  Add the vanilla and the egg and mix on low until combined.
4.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture using a wooden spoon and mix, being careful not to overwork the dough.  Then, fold in butterscotch chips and coconut.
5.  Using a tablespoon, drop dough onto cookie sheet, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart.
6.  Bake cookies about 13 minutes or until golden around the edges.  Allow the cookies to cool briefly on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a wire rack for additional cooling.  Repeat the process with remaining dough.
7.  Once the cookies have cooled, store in airtight container.

*photo by Amy Mikkelsen

Coconut Lime Bars

Hello friends.  Thank you for being here with me today.  I know many of us are hurting and still feeling a ranch of emotions from the tragedy of last Friday.  For days, I could not bring myself to watch the news.  It was just too heart breaking and too close to home.  Even still my exposure to the news is limited.

It's time like these that I cling to the simple things.  Cherishing and holding on to every laugh. Stealing every hug and kiss I can get my hands on.  Sitting in the carpool line and seeing their smiling faces turn that corner.  Cleaning up the kitchen after time well spent baking cookies with loved ones.  I know that this time of year is typically spent with family and friends but this year, in honor of those little ones, let's  linger a little longer, hug a little tighter and smile a little brighter.  We owe it to them.  We owe it to our loved ones.  If any good thing can come of this tragedy it's that none of us take another day for granted.

This past weekend I got the urge to bake.  It just felt comforting to me.  The boys watched movies, we listened to Christmas music and were lucky to have my mom (Grammy) staying with us.  I wanted something fresh and light so I made these coconut lime bars and the boys gobbled them up quickly. These day to day things we do as humans seem so insignificant but they're not.  These are the moments we hold on to when we have nothing else.  I pray that everyone who is missing a loved one this holiday season will find a way to hold on to those precious moments.   Those simple moments that make up life as we know it.

*****Coconut Lime Bars*************************************************************
(adapted from Martha Stewart)

// Ingredients //

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature plus more for greasing pan
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups all purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1 tbsp. finely grated lime zest
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 package (7 oz.) sweetened shredded coconut

// Directions //

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan; line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Butter parchment. In a large bowl, whisk butter, brown sugar, and 1/3 cup granulated sugar. Add 1 egg; whisk until smooth. Stir in 1 cup flour, salt, nuts, and lime zest. Spread batter in pan. Bake until top is set and very light golden, 15 to 18 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together 2/3 cup granulated sugar, 2 eggs, and vanilla. Reserve 1/2 cup coconut; stir remaining coconut and 1 cup flour into egg mixture. Gently spread over base; top with reserved coconut. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Using parchment, lift cake from pan and cut into 24 bars.

Weekend Cheers: Christmas Coquito

Cheers, it's the weekend! Although I've been under the weather a LOT lately, I did have time to whip up this wonderfully festive cocktail last week when I was feeling a bit healthier. I discovered the coquito while searching for alternatives to traditional eggnog drinks and dare I say... I like it better than eggnog? Coconut milk, rum and spices are mixed into a creamy cocktail that would be the star of any cookie exchange or holiday party. The coquito originates from Puerto Rico and is traditionally served at the holidays. Often times it's referred to as the "Puerto Rican eggnog." Serve it cold or over ice in small cordial glasses or mason jars as an after dinner drink. Happy Holidays and Feliz Navidad!

***** Christmas Coquito ****************************************************************************

(serves 8-10)

1 can cream of coconut
6 ounces coconut milk
2 12 ounce cans evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind
1 pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
2 cinnamon sticks, broken into smaller pieces
2 cups rum

***** Instructions *************************************************************************

1. Mix all ingredients (excluding the rum) in a large bowl. Add rum to taste.
2. Transfer the mixture to a glass bottle and refrigerate for 24 hours to allow the flavors to develop. Serve chilled in small sherry glasses and garnish with fresh ground nutmeg.

Pina Colada Cupcakes

Happy National Pina Colada Day!   Tuesday just got a lot more fun, huh?  I mean who doesn't love the coconutty goodness of a frozen pina colada?  And the song...need I say more?  These cupcakes are the perfect way to celebrate today and kid appropriate too.  Are you throwing a beach soiree or hosting a luau themed party?  These babies have you covered for dessert.  Or just surprise the family and soak up summer on the back deck and let the kiddos dig in!

Here's the before photo....

And here's the after photo...

I'd say they were a pretty big hit.  Hope you enjoy the day to the fullest!

For the cake...

Ingredients:


1 box classic white cake mix
3 large egg whites
1 cup pineapple juice (use this instead of the the water!)
1/4 cup vegetable oil


Instructions:
Bake cake according to box with the exception of substituting the pineapple juice for water.  Allow to cool before frosting.


For the frosting... *


Ingredients:

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup canned sweetened cream of coconut (such as Coco López)**

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

Beat cream cheese in medium bowl until fluffy.  Add butter and beat to blend.  Then add sugar, cream of coconut and vanilla extract and mix until blended.

After frosting the cupcakes, garnish them with cherries, fresh pineapple and shredded coconut! 

**Canned sweetened cream of coconut is available in the liquor section of most supermarkets nationwide.

*Also, if possible, I recommend making the frosting the day before and refrigerating overnight.  It becomes much thicker and easier to work with.

Coconut Shrimp with Orange Dipping Sauce

We're preparing for our next family beach trip!  On vacation, we prefer cooking for ourselves versus dining out because we get to prepare the meals exactly to our liking and the kids get to rest, relax and play rather than being drug out to a restaurant and suffering from a major meltdown.  In anticipation of our upcoming trip, I tried this recipe for Coconut Shrimp last week and it was phenomenal!  Can you imagine this dish paired with some yellow saffron rice, a pina colada and an ocean view?

I do recommend using larger size shrimp because the batter does get sticky and difficult to work with after a while.  I used Newcastle Pale Ale, which is a darker beer, and it was delicious.  For the Orange Dipping Sauce I created the following recipe:

Orange Dipping Sauce

-1/2 cup Orange Marmalade
- 1/2 tsp. Fresh Horseradish
- 2 Tbsp. Honey Mustard Dressing


Mix all ingredients and chill.

Here's the recipe for Coconut Shrimp from All Recipes

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup beer
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups flaked coconut
• 24 shrimp
• 3 cups oil for frying

Directions

1. In medium bowl, combine egg, 1/2 cup flour, beer and baking powder. Place 1/4 cup flour and coconut in two separate bowls.
2. Hold shrimp by tail, and dredge in flour, shaking off excess flour. Dip in egg/beer batter; allow excess to drip off. Roll shrimp in coconut, and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) in a deep-fryer.
3. Fry shrimp in batches: cook, turning once, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Using tongs, remove shrimp to paper towels to drain. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.