coconut Archives - Alida's Kitchen

Lemon Coconut Crescent Pinwheels

November 20, 2015 ·

Lemon Coconut Crescent Pinwheels are a flaky, buttery crescent roll filled with lemon curd and coconut. This simple do-it-yourself breakfast pastry takes minutes to make using only three ingredients!

We have been pumpkin everything lately, from pie to cake and beyond! While my family is crazy for pumpkin, by the time Thanksgiving rolls around, I have a feeling they will be looking for a change. Instead of our usual Pumpkin Baked French Toast (which is really, really good, by the way!!), I am thinking we will mix things up a bit with a quick and easy do-it-yourself pastry that can be whipped together in minutes. Lemon Coconut Crescent Pinwheels are sweet, refreshing, delicious and far from pumpkin anything….

Filed Under: bread, breakfast, kid-friendly, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: #WarmTraditions, brunch, coconut, crescent, easy, entertaining, holiday, lemon, noads, pastry, pinwheel, quick, snack

Chocolate Coconut Brownies

November 13, 2014 ·

‘Tis the season for holiday treats! Chocolate Coconut Brownies are a wonderfully fudgy brownie with flaked coconut throughout. This recipe combine two delicious flavors – chocolate and coconut – into an easy to make brownie. There is a double dose of coconut with sweetened flaked coconut and coconut oil (though you could use regular butter if you do not have coconut oil). Plus Chocolate Coconut Brownies are always especially cute for the holidays because the coconut reminds me of a tasty dusting of snow over the chocolate brownies. …

Filed Under: dessert, Recipes Tagged With: brownies, chocolate, coconut, coconut oil, easy, holiday, quick, whole wheat

Healthy Coconut Banana Cookies | Alida's Kitchen #recipes #SundaySupper #ChooseDreams

Healthy Coconut Banana Cookies #SundaySupper #ChooseDreams

July 27, 2014 ·

Healthy Coconut Banana Cookies are chewy, fruit-filled cookies made without any added sugar or butter. They are vegan, nut free and can be gluten free.

This recipe for Healthy Coconut Banana Cookies recipe is inspired by one of my favorite healthy cookie recipes – Healthy Banana Cookies. These cookies are naturally sweetened with dates and bananas, which is always a delicious combination. I decided to give that recipe a coconut twist by using coconut oil and adding some coconut. Coconut was such a tasty addition that goes so well with the banana. …

Filed Under: breakfast, dessert, gluten free, healthy, kid-friendly, Recipes, vegan Tagged With: #choosedreams, banana, coconut, coconut oil, cookies, dates, easy, make ahead, oats, quick, sundaysupper

Chocolate Coconut Milk Pudding

April 16, 2014 ·

Chocolate Coconut Milk Pudding is a smooth, rich chocolaty pudding made using coconut milk, takes less than 10 minutes to prepare and then chills in the refrigerator until set. {gluten free, can be vegan using dairy-free chocolate}

Move over box pudding! This homemade Chocolate Coconut Milk Pudding not only tastes better than its pre-made counterpart, but it is so easy to make! Simply start by whisking the dry ingredients in a sauce pan. Next stir in coconut milk, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer until thickened. Remove from heat, add chopped chocolate and vanilla extract and stir until chocolate is melted. Pour the pudding into serving dishes, cover with plastic wrap (touching the pudding surface) and then chill. It could not be any easier or tastier!…

Filed Under: dessert, gluten free, healthy, kid-friendly, Recipes Tagged With: #yaywater, chocolate, coconut, coconutmilk, easy, low fat, pudding, quick, snack, stovetop

healthy cocoa chocolate coconut date truffles balls

Healthy Chocolate Coconut Truffles

March 18, 2013 ·

Healthy Chocolate Coconut Truffles are an easy recipe made in minutes using only 3 ingredients with no added fat or sugar. {vegan, gluten free}

Healthy Chocolate Coconut Truffles have the delicious flavors of dark chocolate and coconut…all coming in around 60 calories and without any added sugar of fat. They are made using only 3 main ingredients (plus an optional ingredient which helps to deepen and intensify the chocolate flavor). Even better – they take only minutes to make. Intrigued? I certainly was when I first found the recipe but it took me over 9 months to make them. I am kicking myself that it took so long…they are so amazingly good!

Thankfully, it is time again for the second installment of the Eating the Alphabet Challenge, hosted by Brenda of Meal Planning Magic. Participating in this challenge was the extra push I needed to make these truffles. This month we’re featuring healthy recipes using fruits, vegetables, grains or legumes that start with letters C or D. Since Healthy Chocolate Coconut Truffles feature both coconut and dates, I’ve got both letters covered this month.

Healthy Chocolate Coconut Truffles

Yields: 20 truffles

Ingredients

8 ounces pitted dates (approx 1½ cups)
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons unsweetened flaked coconut
1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
¼ cup unsweetened flaked coconut, for rolling

Instructions

Put dates, cocoa, 3 tablespoons coconut and espresso powder in a food processor and puree until smooth. If mixture is too dry, add water by the teaspoonful (I needed about 3 teaspoons). If mixture becomes too wet, add more unsweetened coconut.
Scoop mixture by the tablespoonful and form 1-inch balls. Roll balls in remaining coconut.
Chill/store in refrigerator until ready to enjoy.

Source: Bon Appetit, June, 2012

Filed Under: dessert, gluten free, healthy, Recipes, vegan, vegetarian Tagged With: alphabet challege, chocolate, cocoa, coconut, dairy free, dates, easy, quick, truffles, vegan

Mounds Brownies

October 25, 2012 ·

With Halloween just around the corner, the excitement is building for fun costumes and candy. We always somehow end up with more candy than we need to give out (thanks to the person who buys the candy, *ahem* Mike). While that may be intentional, I’m always happy to try new and tasty recipes using “leftover” candy ~ these Mounds Brownies being one of them!

Mounds Brownies take a basic brownie recipe and dress it up with coconut, simply by adding Mounds candy bars. It’s amazing how such a simple addition can really transform an otherwise ordinary dessert into something unique and seemingly decadant. You get a nice-sized chunk of candy bar in each brownie, and fans of chocolate and coconut will enjoy the complementary flavors.

By the way, it’s that time of week again. We are now in Week 5 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats! While this recipe is shared in part to use up Halloween candy, these Mounds Brownies would be a super fun addition to your holiday treat platter. They’re something a little different yet delicious and very easy to make too.

Mounds Brownies

Yields: 16 brownies

Ingredients

¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt (optional)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, cut into pieces
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 snack-size Mounds candy bars
Baking spray

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8-inch square pan with baking spray and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Melt butter and chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or a use double-boiler), stirring frequently until melted. Remove bowl from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until well-blended. Stir in vanilla and chocolate mixture. Fold in flour mixture until combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Place Mounds bars on top of batter, pressing down slightly. (I did 3 rows of 4).
Bake until just set, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely on wire rack.

Slightly adapted from All You, October, 2012

Be sure to check out all the other bloggers who are participating this week in the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog hop. And if you’re a blogger and want to join in on the fun, check out this post for the form to fill out to start baking along with us.

Filed Under: dessert, Recipes Tagged With: 12 weeks of Christmas Treats, bars, brownies, candy, coconut, easy, halloween, holiday, make ahead, quick

Coconut Cranberry Muffins

December 27, 2011 ·

I had been craving something with coconut for some time, and it occurred to me that coconut paired with cranberries would be a lovely combination. Cranberries are so wonderful in the wintertime. They add beautiful, seasonal color, as well as a delightful zing to any dish. Of course, my next thought was…let’s make muffins!

The sweetness of the coconut was the perfect counterbalance to the tangy cranberries. The whole family loved these, especially Adam (though at first, the cranberries were a bit too surprising). Adam asked for coconut cranberry muffins every day for weeks. Quite frankly, an almost 2 year old saying ‘coconut cranberry’ anything is quite possibly the cutest thing ever. As if you didn’t need another reason to make these…they are just plain good!

Coconut Cranberry Muffins
Yields 18 muffins

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup cranberries, chopped
1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut, for topping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare 18 muffin cups with liners or cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, stir flours, sugar, coconut, baking powder, baking soda and salt, until combined.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla.
Add buttermilk mixture to flour, gently folding until combined. Fold in cranberries.
Divide batter evenly among muffin pan. Sprinkle with remaining coconut. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Adapted from Food.com

Linked to Sweet as Sugar Cookies: Sweets for Saturday #50

Filed Under: bread, breakfast, Recipes Tagged With: baby/toddler, brunch, coconut, cranberry, muffins, snack

Coconut Chocolate Bars

December 16, 2011 ·

These bars are three layers of coconut, chocolate and brown sugar bliss! While the layering may make them seem involved, these bars could not be any quicker or easier to make. First you start with a brown sugar crust – bake for 10 minutes. Then sprinkle the chocolate over the crust, put back in the oven for a minute to soften the chocolate, and spread evenly. Last you make the coconut topping, spread over the chocolate layer, and bake again (be careful not to over bake). The result is an elegant and delicious bar cookie that is sure to delight and impress!

Coconut Chocolate Bars

Yields: 36 bars

Ingredients

1½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup (1 stick) light butter, cut into chunks
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ cup sweetened flaked coconut

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, butter and salt until crumbly. (While messy, I found using fingers works best). Pat into baking pan and bake for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle chocolate pieces over crust and put back in oven for about 1 minute to soften chocolate. Spread chocolate evenly over crust.
In a medium bowl, beat eggs until thick and lemon colored. Beat in sugar and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt and fold into sugar mixture. Fold in coconut. Spread evenly over chocolate layer. Bake 15-20 minutes (be careful not to over bake). Cool in pan and cut into 3x1-inch bars.

Source: back of C & H brown sugar bag

Filed Under: dessert, Recipes Tagged With: bars, brown sugar, chocolate, coconut, cookies, holiday

White Chocolate Coconut Cranberry Cookies

December 5, 2011 ·

Well hello there. Look up, and please update your bookmarks! That’s right. Alida’s Kitchen has a new web address. I dropped the ‘blogspot’ from the URL, so it is now www.alidaskitchen.com. I purchased this domain many months ago and was waiting for the right time to pull the trigger. Since my physical kitchen has a new address (we moved!), it seems like a fitting time to make the switch. I will do whatever I can to make sure this transition is seamless, and as always I welcome your comments and feedback.

So enough about that, let’s get on with today’s recipe – White Chocolate Coconut Cranberry Cookies.

Who doesn’t love the classic pairing of white chocolate and cranberry. The sweetness of the white chocolate against the tartness of the cranberries is just delicious. The coconut adds a little something extra special, and the oats give the cookies a chewy texture. All together, we have a tasty combination that is a fun and festive addition to your cookie plates this holiday season!

White Chocolate Coconut Cranberry Cookies
Yields approximately 36 cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons skim milk
2 large eggs
1/2 pound (2 sticks) light butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1/2 cup sweetned flaked coconut
1 cup white chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside
In a small bowl, whisk together the vanilla, milk and eggs. Set aside.
Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, in a separate bowl, on medium speed, beat butter and both sugar until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add in milk mixture – beat well. Add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.
Stir in the oats, cranberries, coconut and white chocolate chips.
Place dough in refrigerator until firm (at least 2 hours to overnight).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.
Shape 2 tablespoons of dough into a ball and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, placing 3 inches apart. Press with the bottom of a glass (covered with parchment or waxed paper) to flatten dough.
Bake until golden but still soft in the middle, 15-18 minutes. Remove from oven and move to a wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Filed Under: dessert, Recipes Tagged With: coconut, cookies, cranberry, holiday, oats

healthy chocolate peanut butter oat coconut bites

Healthy Peanut Butter Balls

October 5, 2011 ·

Healthy Peanut Butter Balls are an addictive, no-bake snack, made from simple ingredients found in your pantry.

It is no secret that I love peanut butter. So you can imagine my excitement when I was selected to participate in the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program with the National Peanut Board. The task was to create a snack recipe using peanut butter and incorporating other ingredients found in most homes. Easy enough!

I wanted to make something healthy, convenient and easy. I also wanted to make something with oats. It was time to roll up my sleeves, grab ingredients from the pantry and experiment.

healthy chocolate peanut butter oatmeal coconut bites

After adding a little here, a touch there,…voila! I finally got the results I was looking for, using simple wholesome ingredients found in my pantry.

This healthy snack could not be any easier to make. The recipe requires no baking; simply measure, mix, roll and chill. The mixture may seem a little dry at first, but as you continue to mix it comes together (or add a little more honey or peanut butter to moisten the mixture to a consistency that works for you). Rolling the balls in a coating as optional. It makes the balls a little less sticky on the fingers, and also is a fun way to vary the flavors, but it is not necessary.

Healthy Peanut Butter Balls are a healthy and delicious snack, or even a quick breakfast on-the-go, featuring one of my favorite foods of all time…peanut butter!

Healthy Peanut Butter Balls

Print

Yields: 16-18 balls

Ingredients

1 cup peanut butter, natural is preferred (chunky or creamy)

2 tablespoons honey (or agave nectar)

1 cup rolled oats

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed or wheat germ

2 tablespoons sweetened flaked coconut

cocoa powder, wheat germ, powdered sugar, chopped peanuts, (optional) – for coating

Instructions

Heat peanut butter and honey in the microwave until easily mixed, about 15-20 seconds. Stir until blended.

In a separate bowl, mix oats, flaxseed and coconut (if using) until combined.

Add peanut butter mixture to oat mixture and stir until incorporated. (Mixture may seem a little dry at first…just keep mixing).

Form a rounded tablespoonful of the combined mixture into a ball and place on a plate. Repeat until all mixture is used. Now, if you do not want to coat the balls, skip to step 6.

Roll each ball in whatever coating suits your preference. Cocoa powder, powdered sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon sugar and chopped peanuts are some ideas.

3.5.3251

Disclaimer: As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program, I was provided with 2 jars of Planters peanut butter, from the National Peanut Board, for free. The details of my experience are exclusively my opinion, and I was not otherwise influenced or compensated.