Coconut Crusted Fried Avocado Taco's with Creamy Cilantro Coleslaw, Spicy Taco Pickles, Crumbled Cotija Cheese, + Bang-Bang Sauce on Homemade Beet Infused Soft Tortillas

Coconut Crusted Fried Avocado Taco's with Creamy Cilantro Coleslaw, Spicy Taco Pickles,
Crumbled Cotija Cheese, + Bang-Bang Sauce on Homemade Beet Infused Soft Tortillas

First of all, sorry for not posting this week. I've been sick and my birthday was two days ago, so I just hadn't gotten to it yet. Second of all, and most importantly, this whole meal is vegetarian. That's breaking news around this joint. My inclination to put bacon in every recipe, including desserts, has honestly turned into a form of habit... some might call it an addiction; I prefer to say that I just have an unbreakable bond to that smoky-fatty-porky goodness. To sum it all up, I apparently share an affinity for bacon culture. Frankly, that might not exist, but I wholeheartedly believe it does. Okay, okay enough with the meat and onto the veggies. Have y'all ever had fried avocado? It somehow straddles the line between deliciously creamy and expertly crispy all at once. What a do-gooder that avocado is... or because I'm bitter, it's a suck up. Well, I got the sudden urge to finally make fried avocado with a slight twist, coconut fried avocado. Who doesn't like coconut shrimp? Tell me now because I want to go beat them up talk to them. The little bit of added sweetness is perfection, especially in a fully loaded taco. All of our tacos are completely packed, I am compelled to do it. So, I made some creamy cilantro coleslaw, a bang-bang sauce, & our new favorite condiment/topping... Taco Pickles. I saw the recipe for these pickles on Pinterest and just knew I had to try them, that day. And we did... and they are awesome. I slightly adapted ours to include a few extra special ingredients; they're lovable, I tell ya, lovable. Another key element to this meal were the homemade flour tortillas. For those of you shaking your heads, they aren't that hard to make and they taste wayyyyyy better. I infused ours with beets, making them delightfully pink (yes, I know I made pink tacos. I went there, you did too. Let's both get our heads out of the gutter, people... naughty jokes aside). Anyway, pink is the new brown butter, y'all. Okay, no that's not true, I'm still in a very committed relationship with brown butter and I don't see that changing any time soon. But these beet tacos with coconut fried avocado, they're the new vegetarian jam. All my life, I've been told "you eat with your eyes first", and this recipe is living proof of it. My Mountain Man moaned + groaned all the way through it and also proclaimed these to be "some of the best tacos I've ever eaten". Just a reminder... he's a meat-lovin'-rabid-carnivore and these, once again, are all vegetarian (no bacon fat included). I wanted to make sure y'all realized that. Besides that, we finished them with a little bit of pico de gallo, crumbled cotija cheese, & fresh cilantro. I've done enough describing, and hopefully, enough convincing, that some of you meat lovers will join in on the fun with us!! Enjoy :)

Look at all that color in one meal, it makes me smile :) 

Right there, that's some coconut fried avocado poking out.

So many toppings... 

And to go along with our tacos, I made some maduros (fried sweet plantains) + yellow rice. 

One, very delicious, vegetarian meal. 

For the Spicy “Taco Pickles”:

1C White Vinegar

½C Apple Cider Vinegar

½C Red or White Wine Vinegar (if you use the red vinegar, expect some pink color tinting)

1C Sugar

1 Peeled Jicama, Thinly Sliced or Julienned (cutting it into small cubes works as well)

8 Radishes, Thinly Sliced with a Mandolin

4 Carrots, Thinly Sliced with a Mandolin

4 Jalapenos or Serranos, Thinly Sliced with a Mandolin (if this is too spicy, use 2 peppers)

¼C Candied Jalapeno Slices (optional, but we liked the added sweetness & heat)

Half of a Small Red Onion, Very Thinly Sliced

4 Large Cloves of Garlic, Finely Chopped

1 Bunch of Fresh Cilantro, Finely Chopped

½t Dried Oregano

¼t Cumin & Coriander

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Beet Infused Water:

1 ½C Water

2 Beets, Peeled & Roughly Chopped

For the Beet Infused Soft Tortillas:

2 ½C AP Flour

2 ½t Baking Powder

1t Sea Salt

½C + 2T Vegetable Shortening

1C Beet Infused Water, Hot (if the dough is still too thick, add a touch more beet water)

For the Creamy Cilantro Coleslaw:

2C Coleslaw Mix (or thinly shaved cabbage)

Half of a Small Red Onion, Very Thinly Sliced

2 Green Onions, Minced

Small Handful of Fresh Cilantro, Finely Minced (you can add as much as you want)

Fresh Lime Juice & Fresh Lime Zest, To Taste

2-3T Mayo (we wanted just enough mayo to lightly coat the slaw)

Pinch of Sugar, Salt, & Pepper

For the Bang-Bang Sauce:

½C Mayo

1T + 1t Asian Chili-Garlic Sauce

1T Honey or Sweet Chili Sauce

Pinch of Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Coconut Crusted Fried Avocado:

1-2 Avocados, Cut into Wedges (make sure they are ripe, but still somewhat firm)

Salt & Pepper, To Taste (plus extra for sprinkling after they have fried)

Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice (to lightly drizzle over the avocados)

1C AP Flour

1t Baking Powder

Water

2C Shredded, Sweetened Coconut

½C Panko Bread Crumbs

Canola Oil, For Frying

 

For the Taco's:

Homemade Beet Infused Flour Tortillas, Warm

Coconut Crusted Fried Avocado Wedges, Hot

Prepared Creamy Cilantro Coleslaw

Prepared Spicy Taco Pickles

Prepared Bang-Bang Sauce, For Drizzling

Crumbled Cotija Cheese, Pico de Gallo, & Fresh Cilantro (for garnishing)

Directions:

1. For the Spicy “Taco Pickles”: Cut up all your veggies into what ever shape you like. (I used my mandolin slicer and just made them into thin round pieces). Bring your sugar and vinegar to a slow boil and whisk until all the sugar is dissolved and then store in the fridge or freezer to bring it back to room temp. Once cool, add the liquid to your mix of veggies, jalapeño, cilantro and salt and combined. Store in a container in the fridge and eat your pickles over the next couple of weeks. One thing that I did is that I left the radishes and Jicama out of the pickling liquid until an hour or so before because I wanted to maintain their bright white color from the pink pickling liquid. This is completely up to you. It will all taste the same, so no worries!

2. For the Beet Infused Water: Puree the beet pieces with the water in a food processor until smooth and hot pink in color. Strain this mixture through a fine sieve to remove any pulp. Immediately pour this colored water into a small pot and heat it in order to make the homemade flour tortillas.

3. For the Beet Infused Flour Soft Tortillas: Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and stir together. Add spoonfuls of the shortening, and then use a pastry cutter to combine the ingredients. Continue to cut the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Slowly pour in the hot beet infused water, stirring to bring the mixture together. Lightly knead the dough, 30-40 times, or until it becomes a cohesive ball of dough and is less sticky in texture. Cover with a tea towel and allow the dough to rest for at least an hour. Roll into ping-pong sized balls, place on a plate, cover with the tea towel, and allow it to rest again, for another 30 minutes. When you are ready to make them, heat a cast iron skillet to medium-high heat and roll out the balls of dough until they are very thin. Cook the tortillas in the preheated pan until they are soft, but slightly brown in spots. This should take about 30 seconds a side, just take your time and fiddle around with the appropriate heat for your pan. Keep the tortillas warm until you are ready to assemble them.

4. For the Creamy Cilantro Coleslaw: Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and toss together until completely coated. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and a little sugar. I like to do this right before serving in order to keep the coleslaw crisp and not soggy when I eat them.

5. For the Bang-Bang Sauce: Combine all of the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and whisk until smooth (and season to your tastes). Refrigerate it until you are ready to use and also pour into a squeeze bottle for easy drizzling.

6. For the Coconut Crusted Fried Avocado: Cut the avocado into wedges, squeeze some fresh lime juice over them, and then sprinkle them with some salt & pepper. In a dish, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Add the water and whisk until smooth. Let the batter stand for 15 minutes. In another dish, toss together the coconut and panko. Heat about 2 inches of oil to roughly 350 degrees or medium heat in a small skillet. Put the prepared avocado into the batter, and then dredge them in the coconut mixture, pressing it very gently to help the coconut adhere. Fry the avocado, in batches, in the hot oil for 2-3 minutes or until they are golden brown and crispy. Drain the avocado on a paper towel lined plate and season with salt & pepper. Immediately layer them onto the tortillas while they are still hot.

7. Assembling the Taco's: Place a fried avocado wedge into a warm beet tortilla, and then top them with creamy cilantro coleslaw, spicy taco pickles, and a drizzle of bang-bang sauce. Garnish with some crumbled Cotija cheese, pico de gallo, and fresh cilantro. Enjoy immediately!

source: homemade tortillas. taco pickles. coconut shrimp. 

Triple Crown Pad Thai with Satay-Marinated Steak, Chicken, & Shrimp

Triple Crown Pad Thai with Satay-Marinated Steak, Chicken, & Shrimp

Sorry,  I'm a little late again. Another day... another set of tests. I'm really starting to grow weary of the visits to the doctor. I don't know how much longer I can make it, it's just mentally exhausting. So, once again, I'm going to keep this short + sweet because it's bedtime for me, my friends. About the recipe, we're big Thai food lovers, more specifically Pad Thai. And who knew, it's really easy to make. I decided to make it extra manly and add steak, chicken, and shrimp that have all been marinated satay spiced paste mixture. I really love all the flavors that come together her. And always garnish with fresh minced cilantro, chopped roasted peanuts, and a drizzle of Sriracha!! Enjoy :)

Without the peanuts... it's oh-so-crucial.

For the Satay-Marinated Steak, Chicken, & Shrimp

½lb Steak, Chicken, & Shrimp Each (We used 1 Large Filet, 4 Chicken Thighs, & 12 Shrimp)

2T Ground Turmeric

½t Ground White Pepper

1 Garlic Clove, Minced

1t Sugar

1t Ground Coriander & Yellow Curry Powder

¼C Coconut Cream

For the Triple Crown Pad Thai:

16oz Wide, Flat Rice Noodles (I bought the noodles that were pre-cooked)

4T Brown Sugar

4T Fresh Lime Juice (I also zested 2 limes for extra flavor, this is optional)

5T Soy Sauce

1T Fish Sauce

1T Honey

¼t Sriracha

1 Bunch of Green onions, Roughly Chopped (we used about 6 green onions)

2 Garlic Cloves, Minced

1t Fresh Ginger, Minced

4 Large Eggs, Beaten

½-1C Fresh Cilantro, Finely Chopped

½C Roasted Peanuts, Finely Chopped

Prepared Satay-Marinated Steak, Chicken, & Shrimp (cooked)

Thai Peanut Sauce, For Drizzling

Directions:

1. For the Satay-Marinated Steak, Chicken, & Shrimp: Mix together the turmeric, white pepper, garlic, sugar, ground cumin, yellow curry powder, and coconut cream until thoroughly combined and mixed well. Separate the marinade evenly into three plastic bags and add one protein to each bag (you should have one steak bag, one chicken bag, and one shrimp bag). Toss the coat the proteins in the marinade. Let the proteins marinate for 30 minutes to an hour before grilling. Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat and cook the meet according to the temperature that you like. The shrimp only requires a couple minutes, the chicken needs to be cooked until there is no pink color in the center, and we like our steak seared to medium-rare (but it is all up to you).

2. In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, limejuice and zest, soy sauce, fish sauce, honey and Sriracha.

3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.

4. Add scallion whites and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add eggs and cook, scraping skillet with a spatula until eggs are almost set (about 30 seconds). Transfer the eggs to a plate. Add noodles, green onions, and sauce to skillet. Cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are soft (about 1 minute). Add egg mixture and toss to coat, breaking eggs up gently.

5. Garnish the dish with the satay-marinated steak, chicken, and shrimp along with cilantro, roasted peanuts, and a drizzle of Sriracha.

source: easy pad thai.

Cranberry-White Chocolate-Walnut Cookies

I have never been a fan of cookies with nuts or with fruit. And whatdya know, this cookie includes walnuts and dried cranberries. AND, I actually liked them! Especially with the white chocolate... I love white chocolate. I really think these would be awesome Christmas cookies, but maybe substitute in some pistachios for the red-green-white color scheme. And if you could figure out the proportions of how to add oatmeal, that would be delish as well! There's also an added surprise of toasted coconut in these cookies, which I love because they are crunchy, sweet, and a little nutty. So yummy. The glory of this cookie recipe is that you could substitute any dried fruit (cherries, blueberries, raisins, etc.) and you could use dark chocolate and that would be equally delicious. I also added in some cream cheese, which gives the cookies some tang to them. Cream cheese... goes great in anything and everything. Southern Law #77. So, make these cookies now, or make them later like I will be in the fall/winter for christmas cooking giving time!! Enjoy :)

Cranberry-White Chocolate-Walnut Cookies

For the Cookies:

2 ½C AP Flour

1t Baking Powder & Baking Soda

½t Salt

2 Sticks of Butter, Room Temperature

4oz Cream Cheese, Room Temperature

1C Light Brown Sugar

1C Sugar

2 Eggs, Room Temperature

2t Vanilla

2C Toasted Walnuts, Chopped

2C White Chocolate Chunks 

2C Dried Cranberries

2C Unsweetened Coconut, Toasted

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set it aside.

2. In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating until each one is incorporated before adding the next. Add in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer to low speed and gradually add in the flour mixture, until just incorporated. Gently beat in the chopped walnuts, white chocolate chunks, dried cranberries, and toasted coconut until they are incorporated throughout.

3. Refrigerate the dough for at least 24 hours.

4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line baking sheets with silpats or spray with Pam. Scoop the dough into balls and bake them for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes. Finally, transfer to a wire rack until completely cool.

Coconut Tres Leches Cake with Coconut-Whipped Cream Icing & Toasted Coconut

Coconut Tres Leches Cake with Coconut-Whipped Cream Icing & Toasted Coconut

The last recipe that I made for my Cinco de Mayo week is a Coconut Tres Leches Cake with Coconut-Whipped Cream Icing & Toasted Coconut Topping. I love traditional tres leches cake, but I knew that I wanted to add coconut to it and make it even better. So, I substituted some coconut milk into the milk soaking liquid for extra coconut-y flavor, as well as added in coconut extract into the cake. Recently, I have seen recipes for coconut milk whipped cream, and I definitely wanted to make some of that to fold into the traditional whipped topping that goes on the cake. The last component that is definitely needed is a thick layer of toasted coconut. Typically, tres leches cakes are topped with maraschino cherries, but you can't do that on a coconut cake. No no no. Just no. So, make this cake and enjoy it will all your buddies this weekend while you're sippin' on some margaritas, like we did last night in celebration of summer... here is the picture of all of our drinks!! Enjoy :)

Bucket o' Beers, 2 Shots of Tequila, & a Pineapple Mojito 

Make this for your Cinco de Mayo parties this weekend!

For the Cake:

1C AP Flour

1 ½t Baking Powder

¼t Salt

5 Egg Yolks + 5 Egg Whites

¾C + ¼C Sugar

1t Vanilla & Coconut Extract

1/3C Whole Milk

For the Soaking Liquid:

15oz Can of Coconut Milk

12oz Sweetened, Condensed Milk

¼C Heavy Cream

For the Coconut-Whipped Cream Icing:

1 Pint of Heavy Cream, Very Cold

¼C Sugar

15oz Can of Coconut Milk, Refrigerated Overnight

Shredded Coconut, Toasted

Directions:

1. For the Cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 13x9inch pan, and then set it aside. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Beat the egg yolks with ¾C sugar on high speed until the yolks are a pale yellow. Stir in the milk, vanilla, and coconut extract. Pour the egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir very gently until combined. Beat the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, pour in the remaining ¼C sugar and beat until the egg whites are stiff, but not dry. Fold the egg white mixture into the batter very gently until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan and spread to even out the surface. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn the cake out onto a rimmed platter and allow to cool completely.
2. For the Soaking Liquid: Whisk together the coconut milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream in a small pitcher. When the cake is cool, pierce the surface of the cake with a fork several times. Slowly drizzle 1C of the milk mixture all over the cake, making sure to get as much around the edges as possible (discard the remaining milk mixture or make a second cake). Cover the cake with plastic wrap and allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture overnight.
3. For the Coconut-Whipped Cream Icing: Place the can of coconut milk in the refrigerator and chill overnight. The next day, open the cake of coconut milk, and then scoop out the firm, waxy layer that has solidified at the top into the bowl of a standing mixer (discard the coconut water). Beat the coconut cream on high speed and whip the cream for 3-5 minutes or until it becomes fluffy, light, and has soft peaks. Refrigerate the whipped coconut cream until you are ready to fold it into the other cream mixture. Next, beat the heavy cream and sugar, on high speed, until it’s very stiff and spreadable, about 1-2 minutes. Fold the chilled coconut cream into the sweetened whipped cream until incorporated and completely smooth (don’t work with this mixture too much or hard because it will lose all of the airiness from beating it). Spread the Coconut-Whipped Cream Icing over the surface of the chilled cake. When the cake is ready to serve, spread the toasted coconut in an even layer over the surface of the icing or garnish each individual slice with toasted coconut.
4. Cut the cake into squares and serve with toasted coconut, and then enjoy!

source: tres leches cake. 

"Southern Classics" White Chocolate Cheesecake Layer Cake

What kind of cakes do y'all think of when you think of the South? Obviously for me it is Red Velvet Cake, Carrot Cake, Hummingbird Cake, Coconut Cake, and maybe a few others that I'm just not thinking of. Well, I already make a different kind of Red Velvet Cake every other week, I know it's getting ridiculous. But, it's my absolute favorite. So, when one of my best friends from high school asked for me to bake her a cake for her birthday this weekend, I decided to let her choose, since ya know... it's her birthday & all. She had tasted Mountain Man's Carrot Cake with Orange-Cream Cheese Frosting when I made it for his birthday, so she wanted that cake again. I didn't want to make the same cake because that just wouldn't be special. I asked her if I could put my little twist on it, and she said that was fine. Well, my twist was going to include Carrot Cake (since she requested it), but it was also going to include Hummingbird Cake + White Chocolate Cheesecake. YES, you heard me right... I didn't stutter. Three different cakes in one glorious birthday cake. If y'all aren't from the South and you haven't heard of Hummingbird Cake. It is like the sister of Carrot Cake. Instead of shredded carrots, the cake has mashed bananas, crushed pineapples, and chopped pecans. It also has cream cheese frosting, just like Carrot Cake, which was kind of the common denominator that I knew would drive these two together. Since they are sort of similar, I thought they would be great together in one cake, and boy was I right. These cakes were born to be layered together. But I couldn't just do any ole' cream cheese frosting... I had to kick it up a notch. Instead of frosting in between each cake, I layered in White Chocolate Cheesecake. YESSSSSS. Cheesecake in a layer cake? Amazing. It tasted exactly like a cake with frosting, but with a little more body and well, deliciousness. To tie it all together, I made a white chocolate cream cheese frosting. This cake was by far my favorite cake that I have baked so far, in all its' Southern glory. Please make this cake for your next party, birthday, holiday, or today... whatever. It doesn't matter. It's worth it. And sorry for the kind of bad pictures, it was hard to get a good lookin' picture when you're celebrating & chowing down at the same time! Enjoy :)

The Whole "Southern Classics" White Chocolate Cheesecake Layer Cake

The Cake Gettin' Sliced Into

Layers of Hummingbird Cake, White Chocolate Cheesecake, Carrot Cake,  & White Chocolate Cream Frosting

"Southern Classics" White Chocolate Cheesecake Layer Cake

For the Hummingbird Cake Layers:

1 ½C AP Flour

½t Baking Soda

½t Salt

1C Sugar

½t Cinnamon

2 Large Eggs, Beaten

½C Vegetable Oil   

1t Vanilla

4oz Crushed Pineapple, Undrained

½C Chopped Pecans

1C Chopped Bananas

For the Carrot Cake Layers:

2 Eggs

½C + 2T Vegetable Oil

1C Sugar

1C AP Flour

1t Baking Soda

1t Baking Powder

¼t Salt

1t Cinnamon

Pinch of Ground Ginger

1 ½C Grated Carrot

½C Golden Raisins

½C Chopped Pecans

For the White Chocolate Cheesecake Filling:

¼C White Chocolate Chips, Melted & Cooled

4 8oz Packages of Cream Cheese, Room Temperature

1C + 4T Sugar

2T AP Flour

4 Eggs, Room Temperature

2t Vanilla

2T Heavy Cream

For the White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 8oz Blocks of Cream Cheese, Softened

1 Sticks of Unsalted Butter, Softened

½C White Chocolate Chips, Melted

1t Vanilla

2C Confectioners’ Sugar

Toasted Coconut, For Decoration      

Pineapple Slices, For Decoration

Pecans, For Decoration

White Chocolate Chips, For Decoration

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray 7 cake tins (2 Carrot Cake, 2 Hummingbird, & 3 Cheesecake) with Pam and line with parchment, and then set them aside.

2. To Make the Hummingbird Cake Layers: Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl and add the eggs and oil, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened (do not beat). Stir in the vanilla, pineapple, pecans, and bananas. Pour the batter into two prepared cake tins. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes and then remove from the pans and cool completely on the wire racks. *Wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to help with stacking*

3. To Make the Carrot Cake Layers: In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, white sugar, and vanilla. Mix in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in the carrots, and the fold in the pecans, and golden raisins. Pour the cake batter into the other 2 prepared cake pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. *Wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to help with stacking*

4. To Make the White Chocolate Cheesecake Filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 3 cake pans with parchment paper and spray with Pam. In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the cream cheese on low speed until creamy, and then slowly add in the sugar, mixing slowly until smooth. On low speed, mix in the flour. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beater with a rubber spatula. Add one egg at a time; making sure each egg is completely incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the vanilla and cream until the mixture is smooth. Using a large spoon, fold in the melted white chocolate until just incorporated. Pour the batter equally into the prepared pans and bake for about 30-45 minutes or until the center is set when you slightly shake the pan. Allowing to cool completely before removing from the pan. Place into the refrigerator and chill the cheesecakes overnight before assembling the cake.

5. To Make the White Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the melted white chocolate and vanilla. Next, beat in the sifted confectioners’ sugar until blended and smooth. Chill the frosting in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes in order to set up a little.

6. To Assemble the Cake: Place one layer of humming bird cake and layer on some of the cream cheese, followed by one layer of the cooled cheesecake, another layer of cream cheese frosting, a layer of carrot cake and some more cream cheese frosting. Repeat this process until all the cake has been used. Finish by spread the cream cheese frosting up the sides and on the top in a smooth, even layer (swirling decoratively). Press the toasted coconut onto the sides of the cake and top with the different garnishes on top of the cake. Put the cake in the refrigerator to set up the frosting, about 30 minutes. But then let the cake come to room temperature for about 15 minutes before eating.

*Check out Sweets for a Saturday for this recipe, as well as many others!!*

Carrot Cake Pancakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Filling & Pecan Praline Maple Butter

Well here's another recipe of "dessert for breakfast". I really need to stop. But, we had all the ingredients, so why not? Well these pancakes are really like carrot cake. They are thick & dense, yet still light and fluffy. And they are studded with grated carrots and flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger (all the carrot cake essentials). The pancakes are then layered with a toasted coconut cream cheese filling and then covered in a pecan praline maple butter. I really need to break this habit of making such a decadent breakfasts because then I have to work out for the rest of the day to get back to even, haha. Oh well, they were delicious and totally worth it, I promise! Enjoy :)

Carrot Cake Pancakes with Toasted Coconut Cream Cheese Filling 

Here Comes the Pecan Praline Maple Butter Waterfall :)

Carrot Cake Pancakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Filling & Pecan Praline Maple Butter

For the Carrot Cake Pancakes:

1C AP Flour

1C Whole Wheat Flour

2t Baking Powder

2t Cinnamon

¼t Nutmeg

½t Ground Ginger

¼t Salt

2T Sugar

¼C Brown Sugar

2 Large Eggs, Separated

2C Buttermilk

2t Vanilla

4T Butter, Melted (plus more for cooking)

2C Grated Carrots

For the Cream Cheese Filling:

1 8oz Block of Cream Cheese, Softened

¼C Butter, Softened

½C Powdered Sugar

½t Vanilla 

½C Toasted Coconut

Pecan Praline Sauce:

½C Maple Syrup

4T Butter

¼C Chopped Pecans

 

Directions:

1. To Make the Pecan Praline Sauce: Heat the maple syrup in a small pot over medium-high heat, bring it to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add 1T of butter at a time, whisking constantly, making sure each tablespoon is thoroughly mixed through before adding the next. Keep warm while you make your pancakes. Add in the pecans before serving and just heat them through.
2. To Make the Cream Cheese Filling: In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, syrup, and nuts and beat until fluffy. Set this aside until ready to spread in between the pancakes.
3. To Make the Pancakes: Preheat a griddle over medium heat. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add the egg yolks, buttermilk, vanilla and melted butter, and whisk to combine. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour the wet mixture into the center of the well, and lightly whisk with a fork to combine (there will sill be some lumps). Next, fold in the shredded carrot. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, and then lightly fold these into the batter. The batter should have small to medium lumps. Using a ½C measure, pour the patter in to pools on the heated griddle. When the pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around the edges, about 2-3 minutes, flip over. Cook until golden on the bottom, about 1 minutes. While you finish cooking the other pancakes, keep the finished pancakes warm in the oven (around 250 degrees) until serving.
4. To Assemble the Pancakes: Stack one warm carrot cake pancake on the plate and spread a heaping dollop of toasted coconut cream cheese filling on to the pancake and smooth out evenly, and repeat this process with as many pancakes as you want. Serve with the Pecan Praline Maple Butter. 

Check out Sweets for a Saturday for this recipe, as well as many others!!

Homemade Samoa Doughnuts

Okay, prepare yourself. I went picture-crazy with this recipe. I just couldn't decide on what picture to choose, so I pretty much chose all of them, haha. Anyway, I have a recipe on my computer to make homemade samoa girl scout cookies, tucked away for a rainy day. They are definitely one of my favorite cookies, well that and thin mints. Anyway, I found a good doughnut recipe that I had also been wanting to try, so I decided... well let's just make samoa doughnuts. The doughnuts are light and fluffy and then they are covered in chewy caramel-toasted coconut goodness. And then, dipped in chocolate and drizzled with more chocolate. I don't know how it could get any better, honestly. These babies are tasty. Yes, it was a little of a process, but it really wasn't too bad. And you won't regret the hard work with results like this. Anyway, give these a try. I promise they're delicious!!

For the Doughnuts:

1C + 2T Whole Milk, Warm

¼C Sugar

1 Package of Active Dry Yeast

2 Whole Large Eggs, Beaten

1 Stick + 2T Unsalted Butter, Melted

4C AP Flour

¼t Salt

1Q Canola Oil, For Frying

For the Glaze:

3C Confectioners’ Sugar

½t Salt

½t Vanilla

½C Milk

For the Samoa Topping:

3C Shredded Coconut, Toasted

12oz Good-Quality Chewy Caramels

¼t Salt

3T Milk

12oz Semisweet Chocolate, Roughly Chopped

Directions:

1. To Make the Dough: Make sure the milk is nice and warm, but not overly hot. Add sugar to milk. Stir to dissolve. Add yeast into a small bowl. Pour milk/sugar mixture over yeast. Stir gently, and then let it sit for 10 minutes. Melt butter in a separate bowl until butter is almost melted. Stir to finish melting so the butter won’t be overly hot. Add beaten eggs to the melted butter, stirring constantly to make sure the butter’s not too hot for the eggs. Add the egg/butter mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. With the mixer on medium-low speed, pour in the yeast mixture. Allow the dough hook to stir this mixture for a couple of minutes, making sure it’s thoroughly combine. With the mixer still going, add ½C increments of the flour until it is all gone. Stop the mixer, scrape the bowl, then turn the mixer on the same speed for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, stop the mixer and scrape the bottom of the mixer. Turn on the mixer for 30 seconds. Turn off the mixer off and let the dough sit, undisturbed, for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Toss the dough to coat, then cover with plastic wrap and place straight in the fridge. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
2. To Make the Doughnuts: Remove the bowl from the fridge and turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out to ¼inch thickness. Using a 3inch cutter, cut as many rounds as you can, then roll out the remaining dough and once again cut as many as you can (repeat until you can’t anymore). Cut holes out of each round using a 1 ½inch cutter. Cover with a large tea towel and place in a warm place in your kitchen. Allow the doughnuts to rise undisturbed for at least one hour. They should be visibly puffier and appear to be airy.
3. To Fry the Doughnuts: Heat the canola oil in your deep fryer to 375 degrees. One to two doughnuts at a time, gently grab the doughnuts and ease them into the hot oil. Allow them to cook 1 minute on each side; they will brown very quickly. Remove the doughnut from the oil with a slotted spoon, allowing all the oil to drip off. Place the doughnut immediately on paper towels, for about 5 seconds, and then flip it. Allow the doughnuts to cool slightly.
4. For the Glaze: Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until completely smooth. One by one, dip the doughnuts into the glaze until halfway submerged. Remove from the glaze, and then turn right side up on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet (to catch extra glaze). Let the glaze harden completely before adding the Samoa topping.
5. For the Samoa Topping: In a bowl, unwrap the caramels and place in large microwave safe bowl with the milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in the toasted coconut with a spatula. Using a spoon, lightly dollop and spread the Samoa topping on the cooled, glazed doughnut. While the topping sets up, melt the dark chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the bottom of each doughnut into the melted chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment paper. Transfer the remaining chocolate into a piping bag for later. Once the Samoa topping & chocolate bottom has set, drizzle the doughnuts with the remaining melted chocolate for garnish.
6. Serve immediately and enjoy!

source: samoa cookies. doughnuts. 
*Please check out, Sweets for a Saturday for my link, as well as many others!!
**A big thanks to At Home With Haley for featuring my recipe on her blog :)