Birds Nest Coconut Cupcakes

Photography by Intoxicated Ink

I can't tell you how long I've been wanting to make this recipe! Perfect for Easter, these adorable coconut cupcakes have caught my eye over and over again on numerous websites and blogs, although it wasn't until this past Easter that I finally got to make them! It seemed that every year that I had my mind set on making them, something would come up sidetracking Project Birds Nest Cupcakes. So this year when I was asked to contribute to our pot luck Easter lunner (lunch/dinner) I jumped at the chance to try these little puppies out!

If you follow me on Twitter, you'll know that in the past I haven't had the greatest luck with Martha Stewart's recipes. Sure I've tasted some fantastic ones made by others, and even a couple that I've made myself, but it seems that the majority of the time her recipes are...yup I'm gonna say it...they are recipes from hell! Time after time I have followed her instructions to a tee, only to be faced with crumbling cookie dough that won't stick (my biggest gripe with her recipes!!), incorrect cooking times, and bland flavour. I'm sorry Martha, I love you, but it's true. Despite my recipe trouble in the past, I decided to give her recipes another go. I used Martha's (ummm yeah we're on a first name basis) recipe for Coconut Cupcakes, and despite incorrect cooking time (yet again), the cupcakes turned out fantastic! In addition to adjusting the cooking time, I also substituted unsweetened coconut for the called for sweetened coconut. My experience in baking has taught me that almost any time a recipe calls for "sweetened" coconut, just go right on ahead and switch it up for unsweetened. Sure it's personal preference, but I really can't imagine these cupcakes being any sweeter as they had juuust the right amount of sweetness (especially once you add the frosting) and really, who needs the extra sugar anyway?

These cupcakes are as delicious as they are cute. Light and fluffy with a big hit coconut flavour from the cakes themselves and the topping. Although I was too full to go for seconds on Easter, I'm kicking myself now for not eating more! Is it too early to start counting down the days till next Easter?

Recipe by Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 large eggs, plus 2 large egg whites

3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

your favourite vanilla or cream cheese frosting

about 1 1/3 cups unsweetened shredded coconut for topping (try and get as large flakes as possible)

1 package Mini Eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Line a standard muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/2 cup coconut. Set aside. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the coconut milk with the vanilla extract. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until pale in colour and fluffy. Add the eggs and whites, one at a time, beating after each addition.

4. Reduce speed to low. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the coconut milk mixture, and ending with dry ingredients. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.

5. Bake cupcakes 25-30 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool on wire racks. Top with icing and coconut. Place Mini Eggs in the centre of each cupcake.

Listening To: OK - Beastie Boys

Revolution: Taste the New Australia

My favourite wine club is at it again! May 6th marks the iYellow Wine Club's next big event! With over over 100 Australian wines, incredible food that includes...wait for it...A PIG ROAST, and a DJ spinning all night, this is sure to be one killer event!

Buy your tickets today!

iYellow is known to sell out of their events (trust me they're that good!)

iYellow Wine Club & Wine Australia Present...

REVOLUTION: Taste the New Australia

Spend a Friday night rediscovering the A+ wines from Australia and meeting the people behind them!

Refresh:

Taste 100+ Aussie Wines

Revive:

Meet wine producers from all over Australia

Recharge:

Savour amazing food station from Oyster Boy, Pig Out and Belly Catering

Connect:

Spend time in our sparkling social media lounge and meet new friends, facebook and tweet with #apluswines

When:

Friday May 6th 7pm-10pm

Where:

99 Sudbury loft and lounge

$50 + hst

Buy your tickets today!

Check out my article on A Beginners Guide to a Wine Tasting Experience on Premierlife.ca.

Listening To: TV On The Radio - Tonight

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Planning Your Easter Menu

I love celebrating any holiday that involves delicious food, but Easter holds a special place in my heart (and stomach) because it marks the beginning of Spring. Although Easter arrives late this year and Toronto hasn't seen many sunny days in 2011 yet, knowing that Easter is only a few days away reminds me that warm weather is just around the corner as well! When planning an Easter menu I keep those same cheery thoughts of Spring in my mind to find my inspiration. After a long, dark, and cold winter, Springs lively colour palette and fresh flavours couldnt be more warmly received. Bold vivid colours, bright flavours, and a selection of dishes as abundant as the many flowers who's buds we'll soon see sprouting from the trees and ground are what I think of when I think of an Easter menu. Whether you celebrate Easter with a large potluck or an intimate dinner, my Easter menu options are perfect for any Easter celebration! Not only do many of the recipes mimic the colour palette of spring, they are also simple, with many of them giving you the option of making the dish in advance.

I like to think light when coming up with my sides and starters for Easter. After months and months of indulging in comfort food, having a selection of light snacks, veggies, and salads is the only route I want to go come April. I like to have a well rounded selection of sides when entertaining so I try to choose at least one "starch" option to make sure my guests leave feeling satisfied, at least one vegetables side, and at least one salad. Below I have provided a few options from each section. All of these sides may be prepared the day before serving to keep you stress-free come Easter Sunday.

STARCH

Tomato and Basil Goat Cheese Tartelettes

French Potato Salad with Green Beens

Sweet Pepper Potato Salad

VEGGIES

Roasted and Glazed Heirloom Carrots

Balsamic Glazed Green Beens and Shallots

SALAD

Butternut Squash and Cranberry Quinoa Salad

Carrot and Mango Salad with Honey Roasted Peanuts

Bacon Cheddar Broccoli Salad

Roasted Beet Salad

In my family we always look forward to eating my Oma's delicious Ginger Ale Glazed ham for Easter, but over the years we have happily introduced other protein options in addition to Oma's infamous ham. Pulled pork is a great option for those who like pork but may not be a fan of ham, this recipe also allows you to make the star of your dish up to a day in advance. For those that can't eat red meat, my Maple Glazed Salmon the perfect sweet and savory option. Don't forget to whip up some hot Cheddar Bacon and Chive Biscuits to serve alongside your entree!

Cheddar Bacon and Chive Biscuits

Ginger Ale Glazed Ham

Maple Glazed Salmon

Saucy Pulled Pork

What's Easter without a sweet finale? My squares, cakes, and biscotti are sure to please any sweet tooth, but are especially handy when transporting your desserts to a friend or family members home. If you're having a more intimate gathering my Lemon Ricotta Crepes with Berry Icewine Sauce are a guaranteed show stopper.

Cranberry Lemon Squares

Ooey Gooey Cranberry and Coconut Lemon Squares

Blueberry Crumb Cake

Carrot Cake

Almond Cranberry Biscotti

Lemon Ricotta Crepes with Berry Icewine Sauce

I like to freeze fresh herbs and edible flowers inside of ice cubes to add a special touch to punch, soda, and even plain ol' water. It's a super simple little touch that everyone will notice!

Fresh Herb Ice Cubes

Listening To: Keep Your Heart - TV on the Radio

Passover Dishes

Tomorrow marks the first night of Passover, which means goodbye to leavened breads and hello to matzo meal. It can be stressful planning a meal with restrictions such as no leavened breads, no mixing milk and meat, and no pork, so I have provided some of my family's Passover friendly recipes to help you and your family celebrate in the most delicious way possible!

The Seder Plate

A must have at every Passover meal.

The Seder Plate is essential in carrying out a complete Passover service (and essential if you want to eat any dinner!)

Carrot Tsimmis

This delicious side dish is a traditional Passover dish in my family.

These sweet and sticky carrots enveloped in a honey sauce are sure to get every kid at the table eating all of their vegetables.

Basic Potato Latkes

What's a Passover dinner without potato latkes?

This is the most basic recipe for potato latkes you will find, allowing you to experiment with different types of flavours of applesauce. These taste great with my Blueberry-Applesauce.

Perfect Potato latkes

With the addition of matzo meal and baking powder (acceptable in most kosher homes) these golden potato latkes hold together beautifully with their crispy exterior and warm and soft interior.

Homemade Applesauce

Potato latkes are the best part of any Passover Seder, but what really makes these golden little pancakes so special is their topping. Sweet with a hint of orange and cinnamon, this homemade applesauce is incredibly easy to whip up!

Roasted Applesauce

For a richer-flavoured applesauce try roasting the apples. The slow roasting process intensifies all of the flavours creating an extra special potato latke topper.

Blueberry-Applesauce

Try something new this Passover and toss some fresh blueberries into your regular applesauce mix. Their tangy flavour adds a real punch to my Basic Potato Latkes.

Green Salad

With so many other things on your mind during Passover, it's nice to have a simple salad recipe to turn to. This is a very basic, yet delicious green salad to serve as a side at your Seder.

Balsamic-Glazed Green Beens and Shallots

A great option for passover, these crunchy and flavourful beens can easily be made kosher for passover when substituting olive oil instead of butter.

Potato and Leek Soup

Soups are a fantastic option for Passover as you can easily make them in advance, and simply reheat when ready to serve to your guests. Substitute olive oil instead of butter to make this kosher for Passover.

Carrot and Mango Salad with Honey Roasted Peanuts

This is a delicious salad that is incredibly simple and can easily be made a day in advance. How great that one of my favourite salad recipes is already kosher for Passover!

Cheaters Handbook Matzo Ball Soup

It's easy to add your own personality to a boxed Matzo Ball Soup mix. Check out my easy tips here!

Veal Brisket

A delicious and hearty entree that will be sure to wow all of your Seder guests.

Chocolate Caramel Matzo

My all-time favourite Passover dish.

These sweet and crispy treats are the perfect light finale to any Passover Seder. I promise you your family will be asking for these over and over again.

Listening To: Caffeinated Consciousness - TV on the Radio

Tomato and Basil Goat Cheese Tartelettes

It truly borders on creepy how much I adore fresh herbs. All winter long I complain about how none of my dishes seem up to par without the addition of bright and fresh herbs from my garden. So you can imagine my sheer delight when my mom brought home a tiny basil plant for us to keep indoors before it's warm enough to plant in the garden. One of my favourite ways to conceptualize a fantastic dish is to draw inspiration from a single ingredient, and build the flavours from there. My new fresh basil was the perfect ingredient to get my creative wheels turning to come up with this delicious appetizer.

I knew immediately that I wanted to make something with tomatoes as basil and tomatoes are best friends (maybe even secret lovers), their flavours compliment one another perfectly! From there I came up with the idea of making little tomato and basil puff pastry tartelettes, incorporating leftover pressed cottage cheese (also known as bakers cheese) with tangy goat cheese to add a creamy layer atop the pastry that the tomato slices could rest on. With the addition of some seasonings and savory caramelized shallots my tartelettes were delicious! Crispy on the outside with a warm creamy centre, soft, sweet and tangy tomato slices and bright and fresh basil, these tartelettes are perfect served alongside a mixed green salad.

Note: I added pine nuts as an optional addition to the recipe. I always ask my diners what they would suggest to make the dish even better, and pine nuts was the winning suggestion! A nutty crunch would be the perfect touch for this appetizer.

Ingredients:

olive oil, for frying and brushing on pastry

1 shallot, chopped

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

butter, for frying

1/4 cup goat cheese

1/4 cup pressed cottage cheese/bakers cheese (if you can't access any, you may substitute with ricotta or cream cheese)

1 tsp dried thyme

1 package of frozen puff pastry rounds (do not defrost)

1 tomato, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds

about 1/4 cup gruyere, shredded

6 basil leaves

handful of pine nuts , lightly toasted (optional)

salt and pepper to season

Directions:

1. In a small saute pan, add a small amount of butter and olive oil and warm at medium-low heat. Add the shallots and saute until softened and golden. Add balsamic vinegar and continue cooking until shallot is sticky and glazed with the balsamic vinegar, about 2-3 minutes. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the goat cheese with the bakers cheese and thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

3. Lay out the puff pastry rounds on a baking sheet. Lightly brush the pastry with olive oil. Evenly distribute the caramelized shallots among the centre of the pastries. Top evenly with the goat cheese mixture. Top each pastry with a slice of tomato, and season the top of each tomato slice with freshly ground pepper. Sprinkle the top of each tomato with the gruyere cheese.

4. Bake tartelettes in a 400º oven for 18-20 minutes, or until puff pastry is golden. Season each tart with freshly ground salt and pepper. Top each tatelette with a basil leaf and a sprinkle of pine nuts (optional). Served best warm or at room temperature.

Listening To: New Cannonball Run - TV on the Radio