Chocolate Coconut Pecan Bars (aka - Faux Samoas)

I am lucky to have some family that lives close to me. I have a sister and her family, my parents, and my aunt and uncle on my dad's side and their family. It gets crazy! We sing Happy Birthday as off key as possible (it is so awful that it used to make my niece cry!) and open presents. Oh, and we eat cake and ice cream. Of course.

It's actually one of the best parts of the party! We always try new recipes, try to impress each other with our cakes and creations. And I so don't mind being the guinea pig for new dessert recipes! Bring it on!

Tonight we had a party for my son who just turned five. He wanted a Star Wars cake. I vetoed that cake. I am not a cake decorator nor to I work with fondant or have super amazing creativity when it comes to such things. So I vetoed it. But I didn't tell him that. He thought he was getting a Star Wars cake until he saw what I made. Luckily, I made Mario cupcakes or he would've been sad. Someday my kids will realize that when I'm asking what kind of cake they want for their birthday that I'm really asking for a flavor or something, not a theme.

Anyway, the Mario cupcakes were so cute and easy. They were basic cupcakes, frosted with red or green frosting with white dots (mint Mentos!). I made Mario mushrooms - we call the Big Mushrooms and One-Ups, but I'm not sure of their real names. And I got him a set of Mario figurines, so I used those on the cupcakes as decoration, and then he could play with them after.

Okay, so not the best, but good for me!

Anyway, I needed an "adult" dessert! As cute as these were, I didn't want a cupcake. I needed something amazing! So I found this recipe on Martha Stewart's website. However, it is not realy her recipe. It is an old recipe found on the back of a can of sweetened condensed milk from like 1930. Way before Martha was around! But I figure if Martha liked it, and it was as easy as it sounded, I was in!

This recipe is so easy to make and so good to eat! It's like a gourmet Samoa cookie - (hooked you right there didn't I??)

 Chocolate Coconut Pecan Bars
by Girls in Aprons

3 cups finely ground cookies (12 ounces), such as graham crackers or chocolate wafers, or a  combination (I used graham crackers, but I'd like to try Nilla Wafers!)
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup pecan pieces
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, stir together cookie crumbs, sugar, and butter until combined. Evenly press onto bottom and up sides of prepared baking sheet. Bake about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; cool, about 20 minutes.
3. Sprinkle cooled crust evenly with pecans and chocolate. Pour condensed milk over the top, spreading to cover completely (do not let it drip over the edges). Sprinkle with coconut.
4. Bake until coconut is toasted, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool completely before serving (it won't hold together if you cut it while warm).

Sweet Coconut Chicken

I have this sweet and sour chicken recipe that is to die for. Seriously. I don't know why I haven't posted it yet. And I'm not posting it today either, but this one is eerily similar. It has the same basic concept, just a different sauce. And I loooove this kind of cuisine. Beef with broccoli, sweet and sour chicken, eggrolls, Mongolian Beef..... *sigh* Seriously, the way to my heart is through P.F. Changs. I am not kidding. But sometimes I want the take-out version without the take-out price, so I love to make these dishes at home.

So, my family loves coconut flavored things, and this Sweet Coconut Chicken fit the bill for us. It was slightly sweet with a hint of coconut. I liked that the coconut flavor did not over power the dish. If you like the extra coconut flavor, go ahead and add some coconut flakes to either your rice or the sauce. I'm sure either way it will be delicious.

Oh, and you have to serve this with jasmine rice. There is something about jasmine rice that just goes really well with the coconut chicken. Okay, you don't have to, I just very highly recommend it.

Sweet Coconut Chicken

recipe from Kids in the Sink 

For the chicken:2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil (I used vegetable oil)

For the sauce:
1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk (use the full fat version, the "lite" version doesn't have enough flavor)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cider vinegar

Directions:

For the chicken: Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and preheat oven to 325˚. While oil is heating, season chicken with salt and pepper.

Dip chicken in egg, then cornstarch, and fry in the oil until lightly golden brown, but not cooked through. I had to fry in a couple of batches so as not to overcrowd the pan.

Remove chicken from pan and place on paper towel-lined plate briefly, then place in a single layer in a baking dish.

For the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, sugar, and vinegar. Pour the sauce over the chicken and bake for about an hour, stirring the chicken every 15 minutes. Once cooked through, let stand for at least 5 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken. Serve immediately over rice (*ahem* jasmine rice, although any rice will do because the chicken in this dish rocks!)

P.S. Some readers on Kids in the Sink asked if one hour was too long to cook and worried it would dry out the chicken. Let me tell you.... it will not. Trust me. Let it cook for an hour and gently stir it every 15 minutes and it will be perfect!

Classic No Bake Cookies

Okay this is a recipe that brings back some serious memories for me. I can remember clear as day my mom stirring the ingredients for these cookies over the stove, and then spooning them on wax paper, and me waiting impatiently for the cookies to set so I could eat them (although to be honest they are super yummy while they are hot still, you just have to eat them with a spoon!).

If you've never had no bake cookies, you are missing out. They are awesome because, well, they taste yummy! Peanut butter, oats, and chocolate. And I add a little coconut too! You don't have to slave over baking batches and batches. Waiting for one to finish cooking, spooning more dough on a pan, and waiting again. You cook over a stove for like five minutes, spoon onto wax paper or foil, and wait for them to set. That's it. It's like magic!

These cookies are easy to make, but a little tempermental if you over or under cook them. But no worries! They are yummy either way - and if you overcook them and they get hard and crumbly? Crumble them over ice cream or in yogurt. Add them to trail mix. Something! Did you undercook them, and now it's runny and won't set? Spoon it over ice cream (see a theme??) or do what I do...grab a spoon and a bowl, and eat way too much.

But don't you fret!! I will tell you how to make these perfect EVERY TIME- and you will only over or under cook your no bake cookies if you want to. You know, because you want to eat them with a bowl and spoon. I do it all the time, so it's perfectly okay!

Combine the sugar, butter, milk, and cocoa powder in a pan over medium-ish heat.

I love Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder. For a while I couldn't find it and my world starting crumbling...but then it reappeared on my grocery store aisle and all is well now in Celeste World!

Anyway, you stir the first four ingredients until they boil. Wait for it to be at a FULL boil (not just a pretty simmer) and set your timer for 1 minute 30 seconds. Remove from heat and add vanilla, peanut butter, and oats (and coconut if you choose to use it). Stir well.

Spoon your mixture onto foil or wax paper into little mounds (the size is completely up to you!)

Serve with a glass of milk and will power - because it's very possible to eat the whole batch!

Classic No Bake Cookies

by Girls in Aprons

1 3/4 cups white sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

4 T unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter (you can use creamy if you prefer)

3 cups quick cooking oats

1 tsp vanilla extract

Optional: 1/3 to 1/2 cup shredded coconut

In a medium saucepan combine the sugar, butter, milk, and cocoa powder. Bring to a full boil, and cook for one and a half minutes (set the timer!). Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the peanut butter, vanilla, and oats. Also, if you are using coconut, stir it in at this time as well. Drop by spoonful onto wax paper or foil. Let is set until cool, about one hour.

**Tip - to measure peanut butter and other sticky foods, spray your measuring cup with cooking spray. The peanut butter will slide right out!



Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers

I have an obsession with coconut. I looooove the sweet flavor of it. I've never actually tried it fresh before, but one of these days I'm going to break down at the store and just buy one. But I love coconut cream pie (or coconut cream pie bars), coconut cheesecake (okay, well any cheesecake, but coconut cheesecake is like out of this world!), coconut ice cream ,etc. But I also love it when it's in savory dishes, like chicken or salad or something. I found this little gem in the Our Best Bites cookbook and had to make it. It was super easy and even came with a very easy sauce to go with it, which was ah-maz-ing with the coconut. And who isn't looking for another way to make chicken these days? Trust me, you will thank me later for posting these!

My mouth is literally watering. These were so good!

Mix together your coconut, panko, garlic powder, salt, curry, onion powder and cayenne. You really do need to chop your coconut so it's about the size of your panko. This will help it stick to the chicken. 

Dip your chicken in the flour, shaking off excess.

Dip into the whisked eggs, letting the excess drip off. You don't want egg-y chicken!

Gently press the chicken into the coconut mixture, making sure it's coated well.

Place the tenders on a cookie sheet. I always bake mine on a rack with foil underneath (I also spray the rack with some Pam too), a little tip from my dad. This way it doesn't get soggy underneath and can crisp up all the way around. The original recipe has you place them on a sprayed, foil-lined cookie sheet. Either way is totally fine!

The house smelled so good!!! Don't worry if your coconut is a little darker than "golden", it's just the coconut pieces that didn't get chopped well and were sticking up. They aren't burned, just carmelized a little. I promise!

Serve with dip. Please! It's amazing!

Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers

recipe from Our Best Bites

12 chicken tenders
1-2 eggs
1/2 C flour
1 C sweetened coconut flakes
1 C panko bread crumbs
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp table salt
3/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Sweet Dipping Sauce

1 cup apricot-pineapple preserves (I found this really easily in my regular grocery store)
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp curry

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a foil-lined baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

Give coconut a rough chop so it’s about the same size as the panko pieces.  Combine it with Panko and spices in a shallow dish. Mix well to distribute all of the spices. Place the flour in another shallow dish, and the egg in another. Give the egg a quick beating. Working with one chicken tender at a time, dredge in flour and then dip in egg, and then finally coat in the coconut Panko mixture. Press in with your fingers to make sure the entire thing is well coated.

Place chicken tenders on your foil-lined baking sheet. (OBB gave a teeny drizzle of olive oil on top to help them crisp nicely, but it’s optional. I didn't do this).

Bake in your 450 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until juices run clear. Try not to overcook them because chicken tenders go from perfect to overcooked really fast! If your tenders are on the small side, they could even be done in about 15 minutes so keep an eye on them. If they’re big they can take more like 25.

While the chicken tenders are baking, whisk together the sauce ingredients and chill until ready to eat.

Coconut Cream Pie Bars

My dad's birthday was this last week and I asked him what he wanted me to make for his birthday cake. Do you want to know what he said? "Nothing." Whaaaaat? Nothing? That isn't even a concept for me. No cake for your birthday? He said it's because he's trying to eat healthy. Meh, it's your birthday. There is no healthy eating on your birthday! I told him that I'd find something "healthy" for him and almost made a carrot-zucchini cake for him. And then I found this baby on Pinterest (uh, love that site). So we went from "healthy" to "totally not healthy" in the span of 30 seconds. But my dad loooooves coconut cream pie so I knew no matter what diet he was on, he would eat a piece. I'm a diet killer.

Just a quick note- the original recipe on the website shows this as a regular ol' pie. Please, if you want to make it into a pie, go for it. I liked the idea of bars, especially because these were feeding a crowd. Instead of putting the crust into a 9x13 dish, roll it out into a circle and place in a pie pan, crimp the edges and follow the directions from there (or you can cheat like I always do I buy a Pillsbury crust!)

Mmmm... it's seriously as good as it looks!

Combine the milk and egg together well on the stovetop. You don't want the egg to heat up and scramble :)

Add your cornstarch (NOT FLOUR. I can not stress this enough!)

And let me tell you, before you spread the vanilla coconut pudding onto the crust, please taste it. You will thank me later. It's that good.

Look at those yummy layers and crunchy toasted coconut on top!

Coconut Cream Pie Bars

Girls in Aprons, from Dough Puncher

For the Crust:1 1/2 cups flour

2/3 cups shortening
5-7 Tbs. cold water

1) Cut shortening into flour, until shortening is in pea-sized pieces. Stir in water as needed, until just combined (mine used all 7 Tbs of water, you'll know if it's too dry)

2) Roll out on a floured surface, into a rough rectangle. Place in a 9x13 pan and spread out the dough with your hands until it reaches the edges and is even. Prick the dough with tines of a doek. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Let cool. (Or place in a 9-inch pie plate. Crimp edges and bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until lightly golden)

For the Vanilla Coconut Pudding:
2 2/3 cups whole milk

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch (don't do the flour substitute, just use cornstarch)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cups sweetened, flake coconut

1) In a medium saucepan, whisk together milk and egg well (so they are COMPLETELY incorporated). Add the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Cook over medium heat, whisking often, until thickened (this took me about 10 minutes or so, just make sure you stir a lot so it doesn't burn or lump). Remove from heat and add vanilla. Stir in coconut. Pour into cooled crust. Place in refrigerator for a few hours, or until chilled.

For the Whipped Cream and Topping:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 T. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup coconut

1) Combine cream, sugar, and vanilla. Whip until light and fluffy. Spread on top of chilled pie.

2) Spread coconut on a pan. In a 350 oven, toast for about 2-4 minutes, until lightly golden. Sprinkle evenly on top of the pie.