waste not... coconut buttermilk pound cake

We are into the third week of the new year ... how are the resolutions going? In recent years, I have pretty much given up resolving to do anything. I'm one of those "I resolve to not resolve."

I will admit, however, to an ongoing desire not to waste. One item, my nemesis, which always gets only partially used, is that darn quart of buttermilk. I use one cup and then manage to forget about it in the deep recesses of the fridge. The inevitable dump down the drain occurs after it's waaay past due and is stinkysourclumpy

coconut grove cookies

I made these cookies and I got thinking about cookie texture.

I am most drawn to a combo crispy/chewy texture, like in the cornflake, chocolate chip, marshmallow cookie.  I'm also a huge fan of crisp, buttery texture, like in a shortbread cookie. The ideal chocolate chip cookie, with crispy around the edges, giving way to a soft middle, is also a perennial favorite.

chocolate oatmeal crispies

Do you like your cookie crispy or soft? Do you like it with lots of texture, chock-full of add-ins, or are you a minimalist— just a chocolate chip, thank you! Does it depend on what kind of cookie you're having?  I am a cookie fiend and love them all sorts of ways, but I think my favorite cookie has a combination of crisp on the edges and then soft towards the middle.

This chocolate cookie, as the name implies, is crisp, through and through. It makes no apologies and stands proud with its crunchy, crumbly, meringue-like snap. The chocolate flavor is just enough (add chocolate chips if you want more) and complements the coconut and oatmeal beautifully. It's a perfect afternoon snacking cookie, eaten with a large glass of milk.

coconut lime sugar cookies

Today, on the 4th day of spring, we had a wintry mix of snow, sleet, hail, and a smattering thunder and lightning too. I am longing for warmth and sunshine and need some wintervention —cookie, take me away!

chunky lola cookies

What a name.  Does it appeal to you?  It certainly piqued my curiosity. Who is Lola? Was she chubby? What's in the cookie?  

For Christmas, The Sister, feeding my cookbook obsession, gave me flour, by Joanne Chang. Joanne is owner and pastry chef at Flour Bakery + Cafe in Boston. She asked her bakers what ingredients they craved in a cookie— chocolate, pecans, coconut were favorites. They then had a cookie-naming contest for customers, and the winning name was CHUNKY LOLA.

christmas granola

After making the Tropical Granola, I knew I wanted to bake a batch of granola for holiday gift-giving. Granola is so easy to make and allows for lots of freedom.  You can substitute and swap out the sweeteners (brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup) and add or subtract the nuts and dried fruits, as you wish. Improvise away!

nanaimo bars

I know, I know, the name throws you off.  Well, at least it did to me. That's cause I'm from New Jersey.  If you're a Canadian, you know better.

Pronounced na-NEYE-mo (emphasis on the second syllable, which rhymes with eye,) the apparently famous and well-loved cookie is named after the city in British Columbia, Canada. While I've never seen or heard of them before this week, a Google search will turn up over 17,000 Nanaimo Bar recipes.

Nanaimo Bars are a three-layer bar: a chocolate, graham cracker, coconut and walnut base, a buttercream custardy middle, and a chocolate top.

And they are simply scrumptious. And they are no bake.  And why didn't I know about these this past sweltering summer?

tropical granola {sms}

I've been dreaming of pina coladas and coconut cream pie. I am obsessed with the white flaky stuff.  Maybe it's the sweltering heat that's inducing my brain to be fixated on all things tropical.

With this week's Sweet Melissa Sundays' recipe,  I read "cherries and almonds" and imagined  "coconut, pineapples and macadamias."

coconut chocolate chip cookies

My first experience with a coconut-chocolate combination was a Manishewitz Chocolate Macaroon.

Chocolatey, moist and chewy. A bit overly sweet—yummy, nevertheless —I was hooked at the tender age of 5.

Loving this combo, I knew I would love this recipe, from Pichet Ong's The Sweet Spot.  

chocolate macaroons {sms}

I feel like I'm finally on track for Sweet Melissa Sundays, having missed the past two weeks.  And what better way to jump back in than with a super easy recipe.  

Five ingredients- what more simplicity could one ask for?

Flaked Coconut

Finely chopped high-quality semi-sweet chocolate

(which precludes my four-pound bag of Nestlé chips...)

I like all that chocolate dust.

Mix in granulated sugar,

egg white,

then roll into balls!

(I left out the fifth ingredient, orange zest.)

{sms} carrot cake

I had two events that I was baking for this past week and needed to get a head start on the goodies.  The Pistachio Linzer Cookies had to be put on the backburner while I tried out Melissa Murphy's Carrot Cake.

According to some of the bloggers from Sweet Melissa Sundays, the cake was lacking in flavor. So, I decided to add some pineapple and coconut.

The result was moist, flavorful, and delicious.

If you'd like to see the recipe, Julie of Little Bit of Everything has it posted here.

I ♥ Costco

Well, I should say I ♥ Costco conditionally, like when I can get in and out of there in ten minutes.  The Husband, on the other hand, is always ready for a Costco run.  We love the savings on contact lenses, quality meats, La Brea Bakery breads, pecans, butter, and ... BANANAS.

We never seem to finish the huge bunch of bananas from there and they ALWAYS end up looking like this-

which means, It's Time to Make the Muffins.

The recipe I've fallen in love with is The Barefoot Contessa's Banana Crunch Muffins.  Montclair Diva's Daughter put it succinctly-"This is everything that a muffin should be."  I believe that she was referring to the combination of banana, butter, coconut, and nut mixed into a moist, flavorful cake.

I find it a bit odd that the act of mashing bananas always bring back 35 year-old memories of my mom doing that for The Baby Brother.  I think I was intrigued that you could pulverize something with a fork. I changed Ina's recipe slightly in the amount of sugar and butter (less of both) and in the procedure of mixing wet into dry.  The recipe below is my adaptation. 

I love that this becomes

this in the amount of time it takes me to drive the school carpool.

Banana Crunch Muffins
adapted from the barefoot contessa cookbook by Ina Garten

3 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
3/4 c. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 extra-large eggs, room temperature
3/4 c. whole milk
2 t. pure vanilla extract
1 c. mashed ripe bananas (2 bananas)
1 c. medium-diced ripe bananas (1 banana)
1 c. small-diced walnuts
1 c. granola
1 c. sweetened shredded coconut
Dried banana chips, granola, or shredded coconut (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350º F.

Line 18 large muffin cups with paper liners.  Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. In a separate medium bowl, mix together the butter, eggs, milk, mashed bananas and vanilla. With the mixer on the lowest speed, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and stir until they are just blended.  Gently fold in the diced bananas, walnuts, granola and coconut.  Spoon the batter into the paper liners, filling each one to the top.  Top each muffin with dried banana chips, granola, or coconut, if desired.  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.