Coconut-caramel cupcakes for New Year's Eve

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Last year, I went to B's for NYE.  He cooked a delicious dinner, and I brought personal cheesecakes for dessert.  Last year, I didn't ask B what I should bring, but instead remembered that he said that cheesecake had been his favorite dessert, and made those.  But this year, I was unsure what to make, and so I asked him what he would want for NYE.  He said "something caramel or butterscotch."  Since I don't like butterscotch, I figured I'd go with a caramel dessert.  But not having an idea of caramel desserts, I posted the question to JulieBakes fans on Facebook (have you "liked" JulieBakes on Facebook?  If not, I suggest you check it out, and if you like what you see, "like" it.  But I digress.).  I got some great suggestions, but between the not feeling well on Sunday and working on Monday, I had limited time to make dessert.

I did some searching, and came up with a caramel coconut cupcake, with caramel, and coconut buttercream, topped with toasted coconut.  I was so excited!  B LOVES the Samoa cupcakes I make, and I had been telling him over the weekend that I wanted to make a coconut-vanilla cupcake, so I figured coconut and caramel cupcakes would make a pretty awesome dessert for him.  (He also loved the toasted coconut marshmallows I brought him on Friday night!)

The only problem?  The coconut caramel cupcake recipe I found called for 2 boxes of boxed cake mix (they were half coconut and half caramel cupcakes).  Cake mix!?!  That just wouldn't work!  So I went and decided that I'd alter a different recipe I found online, and make one coconut-caramel cupcake. 

First, I decided to take a caramel cupcake recipe from here.  I added some shredded coconut to the batter.  Then, I decided that I'd dip them in some caramel, which this recipe (the original recipe I found) recommended.  But then I had to decide what kind of icing to make.  The first one used a caramel icing.  The second used a coconut icing.  Decisions, decisions!  I had my heart set on making a coconut-caramel icing, in which I would take the caramel icing from the Samoa cupcakes and added some coconut extract.  But then I remembered how sweet the caramel icing was, and opted not to dip them in the caramel.  And then I tasted the cupcakes, and although they were quite delicious, they didn't taste particularly caramel-y, so I opted to make the plain caramel icing that I used on the Samoa cupcakes.  And then I topped them with some toasted shredded coconut, because, well, why not.  And I drizzled a little bit of caramel on top of them, too, for good measure ;-).  Oh, and then I adorned a few of them with cut pieces of homemade caramels from the blog earlier in the week.

 

 

Another JulieBakes original :)

Caramel Coconut Cupcakes
Adapted from this recipe for caramel cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
8 Tablespoons (that's 1 stick) of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar (I used dark)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon of pure almond extract
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 cup loose (not packed) shredded sweetened coconut

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line at least 15 muffin tins with papers (I got 16.5 cupcakes).
[Depending on how good you are at dividing batter evenly, this will make about 15 cupcakes. Be sure to fill the empty muffin wells with water before baking.]

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, and using the paddle attachment (hand held is fine too), cream the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes.)
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated.
Add the almond extract.
 Mix and scrape down sides of bowl as needed.
Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until combined after each.
Add the shredded coconut and mix until incorporated.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about halfway full.  Mine were filled more like 3/4+ and that gave me cupcakes the perfect height.
Bake for about 20- 25 minutes (the tops should spring back from a gentle touch.  Mine didn't.  Maybe it was the added coconut.  I went with the whole "when a toothpick comes out clean, they're done" school of thought)
When done, transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely.


Salted Caramel Buttercream
from these awesome Samoa Cupcakes I made earlier....twice.

** I was going for a very caramel-y frosting, since B requested something with caramel for our NYE dessert.  If you wanted to match the coconut-caramel flavor of the cupcake, I'm sure you could add a little coconut extract to the icing.  I'd start by decreasing the vanilla to 1.5 tsp and adding 1/2 tsp of coconut extract, and then add either more vanilla and/or coconut extract to taste.**

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup caramel topping, plus more for drizzling (I ended up thinking that it didn't taste "caramel-y" enough, so I used extra caramel)
1 pound powdered sugar (about 4 cups)
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Cream butter until fluffy.

Add in vanilla extract and caramel topping.
Add powdered sugar and salt and mix until smooth. If icing is still too thin add a bit more powdered sugar (the consistency differs based on the type of caramel topping you use).

Wait until cupcakes are completely cool, and use a pastry bag to ice the cupcakes.
Toppings and Assembly

Toppings:

Toasted Coconut (toast coconut on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, watch it closely as it burns very quickly.  I toasted mine for about 5 minutes in a 325F oven, since that's what it was on from the cupcakes).

Extra caramel topping.

Assembly:

Put buttercream into a pastry bag fitted with the tip of your choice.

Pipe buttercream onto cooled cupcakes.

Sprinkle the toasted coconut on top of the cupcakes.
Then, drizzle with caramel topping (I put mine in a mini squeeze bottle).

I topped some of the cupcakes with the homemade caramels I made the other day.

Enjoy!!

Classic caramels

Here I go, breaking promises to myself again.  When I posted the Sriracha Chex Mix the other day, I mentioned that the day before I had promised myself I wouldn't make anything between Christmas and New Years (except for the dessert I'm making for NYE).  On Christmas Day, I made some cookies, and then assembled a tray of goodies for my doormen, including those cookies.

I delivered the goodies and that's when I promised myself that I wasn't going to make anything again until I made my New Years treats (I've been working on the recipe, and I hope they turn out awesome -- so stay tuned for those!). 

That promise lasted all of 1 day, because the next night I came home from work and made the Sriracha Chex Mix.  Again, after the Chex Mix, I promised myself I that although I strayed from the promise once, the next thing I made would be those treats for NYE.  That lasted 3 more days, when sick and with a fever, I decided that I needed to make caramels.  Because clearly that's what one should be doing after they wake up from their fever-induced nap, pop a few Advil, and have some soup for dinner to soothe a very sore throat.  Right? 

But regardless of my slightly poor judgment on what to do with my afternoon after I woke up from that fever-induced nap, I got to christen my new (digital) candy thermometer and I (successfully) made caramels.  I made them a while ago with less than impressive results (they didn't hold their shape, which was particularly difficult when it came to dipping them in chocolate). 

I ended up running out of corn syrup (I only had 1 cup, not 1 and 1/4 cups, so I had to alter all of the other ingredients), so although I debated using a smaller pan, I stuck with the larger 9 x 13 inch pain, and my caramels were a little thinner.  Also, it didn't help that my mixture boiled over, so I lost even more.  So use a big pot.  A way bigger pot than you think you'll need, because you'll actually need it.

Classic Caramels
From none other than Ms. Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil, for baking sheet

2 cups heavy cream

2 1/4 cups sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 1/4 cups light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

Wax paper or cellophane.  You'll need to cut three-inch square pieces of waxed paper or cellophane in which to wrap the caramels.

 

Directions:

 

Lightly brush bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet with oil. I used Pam because I was lazy.  Not even going to play the sick card for that one.  Pam was just way easier.

Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on long sides. 

Lightly brush parchment with oil.  Again, I used Pam.

Bring cream, sugar, butter, and corn syrup to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
Reduce heat to medium-high. 
Cook, stirring occasionally, until caramel reaches 248 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 15 minutes.

Immediately remove caramel from heat, and stir in salt and vanilla.
Pour caramel onto baking sheet, and let stand, uncovered, at room temperature at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.

Lifting by parchment overhang, transfer caramel to a large cutting board.
Cut into 3/4-by-1 1/4-inch pieces; wrap each piece in waxed paper or cellophane.

Sriracha Chex mix

I promised myself yesterday that I wouldn't bake anything between Christmas and New Years, with the exception of my New Year's Eve dessert.  See, I had a TON of leftovers all over the apartment, and even after tossing some, I had a lot remaining.  Plus, in 16 days I'll be off to Miami for a long weekend, and I have to be in a <<gasp!!>> bathing suit.  So clearly, the fewer desserts and treats I had around the apartment, the better it would be.

Then last night I saw a recipe for Sriracha Chex Mix.  I figured that it would be a great snack or appetizer for New Year's Eve.  I also mused it would be a great edible gift for people who like spicy, but that's kinda a moot point since the holidays are over and I don't really have any edible gifts I need to give (except maybe at a "friendsmas" get together this weekend).  But you know me -- and how I hate to bring foods places when I haven't tested them out before -- and I needed to demo the recipe first.  A quick trip to Target (and then grocery store for fresh ginger and garlic) later, and I was ready to check out the recipe.

And yes, I know that Chex Mix is technically not baking, but since I used the oven to make it, I decided to include it on the blog.  Because, frankly, if I have a great recipe, why not share it with you?  And, it gets baked in the oven ;-)

Sriracha Chex Mix

Ingredients:

3 cups corn Chex*
3 cups rice Chex*
1 cup pretzels
1 cup wasabi peas (I got hot, since that's what they had)
1 cup peanuts
1 cup crunchy chow mein noodles
1/4 butter (I used salted)
1/4 cup Sriracha
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon grated garlic

* I thought about using wheat chex, too, but decided I'd try the recipe out as is the first time.  I think 6 cups of Chex in any permutation of wheat, corn, and rice Chex would work.

Directions:

Mix all the solid ingredients together.
                      

Mix all the liquid ingredients together. 

Grate the ginger and garlic in. 

Microwave to melt butter and warm the mixture.

Pour the sauce over the cereal mixture and toss to evenly coat.                           

Bake at 250 for an hour, stirring every 15 minutes or so until crunchy and flavorful.                        

Holiday treats for my doormen

Every year for as long as I can remember, I have given my doormen a gigantic box of cookies and other treats with their holiday tips.  Since I make a ton of cookies, this year I even offered to give my sister a bunch of cookies for her doormen.

In the past there were some Jam Thumbprints, some Brownie-Oreo-Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, Lemony-Lime Cookies, and Sugar Cookies, just to name a few.

Although they were all hits, I try to mix it up a bit every year.  Some of the treats I made for the first time this month or this year, some I've made in the past, and some I made for the first time just to include in the box of treats. 

This years box o' goodies for my doormen included:

1.  World Peace Cookies
2.  Chocolate Crunch
3.  Mochacchino Meringues
4.  Coconut Marshmallows
5.  Toffee and Chocolate Chip Cookies
6.  Loaded Peanut Butter Chocolate Covered Potato Chip Dulce de Leche Fudge
7.  Peppermint Bark Brownies

Toffee and chocolate chip cookies

When I set out to make holiday treats for my doormen, my original goal had been to make them a box of cookies and maybe some cranberry bliss bars (I really do love them and they're very festive).  But then I started making fudge, and peppermint bark, and marshmallows, and brownies, and chocolate crunch, and then I only had one kind of cookie (two, if you consider meringues a cookie) for my doormen!

So this morning I went searching for a quick cookie recipe.  I thought I had a chocolate chip-potato chip-pecan cookie recipe somewhere, but of course when I went looking for it, I couldn't find it anywhere (not to self, find it or create one!).  So I ended up finding this chocolate chip cookie recipe, and it was perfect for what I needed -- quick, and I had (almost) all the ingredients on hand!

Now this recipe claims it is the "best EVER chocolate chip cookie" -- and so I decided to check it out.  Now to be completely fair, I doctored the recipe a little by adding milk chocolate toffee bits with the chocolate chips, since I only had a cup of chocolate chips in the apartment and it's Christmas Day and the stores are all closed, but it was a very good cookie!  And I thought the whole "no chilling the dough" part was especially awesome...especially because I was waiting all night last night for the marshmallows to set.  I don't do very well with delaying gratification...especially when it comes to sampling the things I make.

The Best EVER Chocolate Chip Cookie
Slightly adapted by yours truly to be Fantastic Toffee and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 3/4 cups (12 oz) all-purpose flour *If at all possible, please weigh the flour (I didn't weigh it)

3/4 tsp. smallish-medium coarse sea salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips -- I subbed 1 1/4 cups of Heath toffee and milk chocolate bits and 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips, simply because I didn't have enough chocolate chips in the apartment.  I was happy with the tasty results :)

 

Directions:

 

Preheat oven to 360 degrees.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

 

Cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar until it is nice and fluffy.

Add both eggs and vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes.

Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour until cookie batter is fully incorporated.

Finally add chocolate chips and toffee bits until well distributed.

The cookie batter should be somewhat thick.

 

Drop about 2 tablespoons of dough or use a medium cookie scoop and plop the batter onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  I used my mini scoop and cut down on the baking time.

Bake for 12-14 minutes (mine took about 6 minutes) until the edges are nice and golden brown.

 

Remove from heat and allow the cookies to stay on the cookie sheet for an additional 2 minutes.

Pick up the parchment paper with the cookies still on top and transfer to a cool non-porous surface.

 

Allow the cookies to cool on the paper for at least 3 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Toasted coconut marshmallows

I was always so skeptical nervous about making homemade marshmallows.  I have a "Things I Want to Bake: Marshmallows" board on Pinterest, with about a dozen different recipes.  And in the year plus since I started the board, do you know how many kinds of marshmallows I've made?  Are you ready for it?  Well....none.

So when I found this super easy (translation: no candy thermometer needed!) recipe for Toasted Coconut Marshmallows, I knew I had to at least try them out.  Not only did they sound good, they reminded me of these coconut marshmallows that my mom used to buy for us for Passover when we were kids....except they were homemade, and looked delicious!  (And the picture that was posted had them wrapped so prettily.)

So I set out to make these Toasted Coconut Marshmallows.  I had a hard time finding unsweetened shredded coconut, so I bought some sweetened shredded coconut from Trader Joe's -- it was slightly sweet but not as sweet as some other sweetened shredded coconuts.  The strands were a little long, so after I toasted them and they cooled, I broke them up a little just so they fit better on the marshmallows.  The only problem in my honest opinion?  You have to wait at least 3 whole hours before cutting, dipping, and tasting the marshmallows!  So I set out to stay up until 2:30 a.m. to at least cut them and dip one to see how it came out.  But I passed out on my couch waiting (like I imagine a kid waiting up for Santa on Christmas Eve would!), with 30 minutes to go.  However, I woke up to PERFECT marshmallows!! 

Since the recipe was actually really, really, REALLY easy, I can't wait to make them in other flavors and varieties!  I was thinking about swapping out some of the vanilla extract for another flavor, and then possibly adding some food coloring to match the flavor.  Not sure if the addition of a dry ingredient (cinnamon or cocoa powder) would work, but I'm going to do some investigative work :)

Toasted Coconut Marshmallows
From Seasons and Suppers
The recipe makes "24 1+ inch square marshmallows" from a 7x11 inch pan.  I used a 9x9 inch pan and got 36 1+ inch square marshmallows.

Ingredients:

1 cup water, divided

3 Tbsp. + 1 1/2 tsp. unflavored powdered gelatin (3 envelopes – envelope is 1/4 oz. each, for 3/4 oz. total)

2 cups granulated white sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 tsp. fine salt

2 Tbsp. pure vanilla or vanilla bean paste -- I might cut this down a little bit, maybe 1.5 Tbsp, if eating them plain.  If you're coating them with the coconut, I'd do either 1.5 or 2 Tbsp.

2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut -- see above for my note on the coconut I used.  If you get as many marshmallows as I did, you'll need a little extra coconut to coat them all.

Directions:

Spray a 9x9 or 7x11 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper (Recommendation: cut to fit flat on the bottom, with the edges of the paper over-hanging the sides. The ends are fine just sprayed.)

In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, pour in 1/2 cup of the water and sprinkle the gelatin over.

Let stand.

In a medium saucepan over high heat, stir together the sugar, corn syrup, salt and the remaining 1/2 cup of water.

Stir until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to boil.

Stop stirring and once mixture comes to a rolling boil, continue boiling for 1 minute.

Remove from the heat. (Recommendation: the original recipe said that they like to carefully pour mixture into a 2-cup glass measuring cup, to make it easier to pour into mixer.  I did this and found it extremely helpful!).

The mixture is very, very, very hot.  Be extremely careful!

Turn the mixer to low and mix the gelatin a bit to loosen.
Very slowly and carefully add the hot sugar mixture by pouring it gently down the side of the bowl.
Continue to mix on low until all the sugar mixture is added.

Turn the mixer to high and whip the mixture for 10 to 12 minutes until the marshmallow batter almost triples in size and becomes very thick.
If you have a smaller mixer bowl, you may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently to avoid the batter overflowing as it grows.
Stop the mixer, add the vanilla, and then whip briefly to combine.  When I added the vanilla, mine thinned out a bit.  Just an FYI.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan (a silicone bowl scraper works like a charm for this) and use a spatula or bench scraper to spread the marshmallow evenly in the pan, pushing it down into the corners.
Work quickly, as the marshmallow becomes more difficult to manipulate as it begins to set.

Spray a sheet of plastic wrap liberally with cooking spray and lay it across the top of the marshmallow, sprayed side down.
Using you fingers, smooth the plastic wrap on top of the marshmallows a bit to seal it smoothly and tightly against the mixture.

Leave the marshmallow to set at room temperature for at least 3 hours or, even better, overnight.
The marshmallow will be too sticky and soft to cut if you try too soon.

Meanwhile, pre-heat oven to 325° F.
Spread coconut out evenly on a baking sheet.
Cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring regularly, until coconut is a uniform golden brown color.
Remove from oven and transfer to another baking sheet to cool.

When marshmallows are ready, grab the edges of the parchment and lift the marshmallows from the pan.
Remove the plastic wrap from the top and fold down the parchment on the sides.
Using a pizza cutter or a large knife, cut the slab into 1- × 1-inch squares.
Roll each of the freshly cut marshmallow squares in the cooled, toasted coconut on the baking sheet.
Allow marshmallows to sit in the coconut to dry slightly before packaging up (30 – 45 minutes).

Mochacchino meringues

When I think of meringues, the first place my head goes to is the plain meringues with chocolate chips that my grandma makes for Passover.  They're a simple meringue with chocolate chips, dropped onto a baking tray with a spoon, and then baked until light and crispy.  Then, a few years ago, meringues became all the rage, and were available in a ton of flavors - mint, fruity flavors, chocolate, vanilla, just to name a few.  They were all the rage, but I never really fell for them, I can't even fathom a guess as to why.

But then when I was looking for some holiday recipes to make, I came across a recipe for espresso meringues.  And then one for chocolate meringues.  And another for marbled chocolate meringues.  I wanted to make the espresso meringues, but the chocolate ones looked good, too.  So then I came up with my awesome idea -- mochacchino meringues!  Part chocolate, part espresso, pinch of cinnamon, 100% mochacchino-y goodness!

Of course the first time I made them, the recipe fell flat.....literally.  I poured out the entire batch, let the mixer bowl dry completely (moisture is the enemy), and started out again...all I can say is add the sugar mixture V...E...R...Y......S...L...O...W...L...Y...!

Although I loved the way the big meringues looked, I opted to make mine a bit smaller.  The hardest part was adjusting the baking time, since I didn't want them to burn.  Also, I had to work with one of the two recipes, since the proportions they both used were very different.  Below is my adapted mocha meringue recipe.  Feel free to serve them as they are, or dip the bottoms into some semisweet chocolate!

Mochacchino Meringues
Adapted from this recipe for Chocolate Meringues

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups sugar
5 tsp unsweetened cocoa (not Dutch-processed) -- I used Special Dark cocoa powder simply because I didn't have regular Hershey's cocoa
1 tsp instant espresso powder
1/8 tsp cinnamon
4 egg whites, room temperature
1/4 tsp. salt

4 oz. semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine sugar, cocoa, espresso powder, and cinnamon in a bowl.
Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites until frothy.
Add the salt and whisk at high speed until soft peaks form.

Slowly add the sugar/cocoa/espresso/cinnamon mixture, in a steady stream, with the mixer at medium speed.  Add it  V...E...R...Y......S...L...O...W...L...Y...!  I basically did it 1 or 2 tsp at a time.
Increase speed to high and continue whipping until stiff peaks form and the meringue is glossy.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure that everything is combined well.

Using a pastry bag fitted with a tip of your choice, place the meringue mixture in the pastry bag and pipe out cookies in whatever design you like.
Be sure to leave a few inches between each meringue cookie.

Bake the cookies for approximately an hour and 10 minutes (I baked mine for about 50 minutes since I made them a little smaller than the original recipe) and then turn the oven off.
Let the cookies cool in the oven for one hour.
Remove from the oven and transfer the meringue cookies to a wire rack to continue cooling.
Leave overnight so that the cookies will dry out completely.

** Full disclosure?  I had 3 trays and my oven only had room for two at a time, so I took them out immediately after but let them cool on the counter.  The last batch I left in the oven afterwards, and think they came out just a little bit crispier.  **

If you want, dip the bottoms of the meringues in the melted chocolate, or drizzle with the melted chocolate (I skipped this step).
The meringues should be stored in an airtight container and will keep for a week or so.