Monthly Archives: March 2011

Coconut Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

March 28, 2011

Another recipe that I grew up on. Addictive oatmeal cookies stuffed with raisins and coconut. Little clusters of happiness. The key to the perfect cookies is slightly under-baking them. Take them out just before you think they’re done. This way once they set they’ll stay irresistibly moist and chewy. Even the raisin and coconut-hater around here appreciated these.

Coconut Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups raisins
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease or line a large baking sheet.

2. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until well incorporated. Stir in the oatmeal, raisins, and coconut. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, until lightly golden around the edges. Remove from the pan to cool on a wire rack.

Makes 2-3 dozen cookies.

Banana Bars

March 20, 2011

My mom must have made these banana bars more than any other dessert (besides chocolate chip cookies) when I was growing up. And now after years of baking experience, they’re still one of my favorite treats. I think the secret is the sour cream. It adds a unique tang that cuts the sweet. A single recipe fills an entire cookie sheet, so make sure to have someone special to share them with.

1/15/09: Sunday dinner was a throwback to my Mom’s home cooking. So of course I finished it off with one of her classic desserts. These bars are reminiscent of banana bread, but sweeter, moister, and frosted!  It’s the perfect way to use up over-ripe bananas. (I usually freeze them when they are turning brown and then have them on hand anytime I want to bake with bananas.) They’re light but devilishly decadent.

Banana Bars

INGREDIENTS

1/2 (1 stick) cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
4 ripe bananas
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Frosting:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease a large cookie sheet.

2. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs. Continue to add the remaining ingredients, mixing well. Spread batter into the prepared cookie sheet and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the top begins to brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool completely before frosting.

3. To prepare the frosting, mix the ingredients until creamy. Spread over cooled bars, cut, and serve.

Makes 1 sheet pan.

My mom’s recipe.

Toasted Coconut Ice Cream

March 12, 2011

Mmmhh. Have you ever toasted coconut? Something magical happens. The little shreds of fruit get crisp and intensely coconutty. Infuse that flavor into creamy rich vanilla bean ice cream and it’s heavenly. This ice cream is completely smooth because the coconut flakes are removed after imparting their flavor. Good for those who dislike the texture but appreciate the taste of coconut (like my husband). You can always top your scoop with a sprinkling of toasted sweetened coconut to add a touch of crunch. I served this ice cream alongside this Pistachio Layer Cake with Honey Buttercream. Yum!

Toasted Coconut Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS

1 cup dried shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream, divided
3/4 cup sugar
pinch salt
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
5 large egg yolks
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
shredded sweetened coconut, toasted for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. To toast the coconut, preheat oven to 350 F. Spread the coconut in an even layer on a baking sheet and toaste in preheated oven, stirring frequently, 6-8 minutes, until golden brown.

2. Heat the milk, 1 cup of heavy cream, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves (do not boil). Stir in the toasted coconut. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the heated milk and add the vanilla pod. Remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 1 hour.

3. Reheat the milk mixture, then strain, making sure to squeeze out any liquid from the solids. Discard the coconut and vanilla bean. Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Slowly stream the warmed milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly.

4. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Strain the custard through a sieve and stir in the remaining cup of cream and vanilla extract.

5. Refrigerate custard overnight, or at least several hours, until chilled. Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Serve garnished with toasted sweetened coconut, if desired.

Makes about 1 quart.

(Adapted from The Perfect Scoop via Use Real Butter)

Spiced Apple-Raisin Coleslaw

March 2, 2011

We’re usually not big on coleslaw around here. But two recents events persuaded me to give it another try. When we were vacationing in Orlando just before Christmas we dined twice at Yellow Dog Eats, an funky eclectic cafe with an incredible menu. And I fell in love with their coleslaw. And then recently I tried my friend Chelsey’s southwest slaw, which also surprised me. Eventually I’ll get my hands on Chelsey’s recipe, but for now I set about to create my own tangy-sweet slaw inspired by what I ate at Yellow Dog.

Their coleslaw was unique in that it contained raisins and a mystery spice. Nutmeg, cinnamon? I wasn’t quite sure. So I went with allspice and thought it was perfect. The addition of apple was my own invention- a natural way to add sweetness and crunch. And the mayonnaise-based dressing has been lightened by using half yogurt (nonfat plain). Dustin who typically doesn’t like coleslaw, or raisins, thought this was delicious. Although he did suggest that I could use dried cranberries instead. He’s right- that would work too. But the fact that the boy ate a raisin (actually quite a few) and didn’t gag is a little victory for me!

Spiced Apple-Raisin Coleslaw

INGREDIENTS

3 cups green cabbage, shredded
1 cup red cabbage, shredded
1 large Fuji apple, cored and grated
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. organic cane sugar
generous 1/2 tsp. allspice
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, toss to combine red and green cabbage, apple, carrot, and raisins. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt, vinegar, sugar, and allspice. Pour over the cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves 4-6.