March 2024 – Coconut

Coconut Pecan Cake

Tera McFarland, Reinholds

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1½ cups softened butter
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2 cups flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Optional:

• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• extra coconut for the frosting

Heat oven to 350°F.

In large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except coconut and pecans. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until all ingredients are moistened. Beat at high speed, scraping bowl often until smooth (3 to 4 minutes). Stir in coconut and pecans.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 9”x13” baking pan.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until center of cake is firm to touch and edges begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely.

Frost with browned butter or cream cheese frosting. I like to add coconut extract and coconut flakes to the frosting.

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Coconut Shortbread Cookies

Stephanie Trowbridge, Stevens

• 2 cups butter (room temperature)
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• ½ cup cornstarch
• 3 cup flour
• 2 cup dried coconut (lightly toasted)

Toast coconut on a sheet tray in the oven at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes until lightly toasted.

Cream butter and sugar, then add extracts. Sift flour and cornstarch, then slowly add into the creamed mixture. Fold in coconut last.

Roll the mix into two logs (1½” to 2″ thickness). Wrap each roll in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.

Cut cookies into 1/4″ slices. Bake on parchment-lined cookie sheets at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes, until edges are browned. Cool on cookie sheets.

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Chewy Coconut Bars

Marilyn Bashore, Lititz

• ½ cup butter
• 2 cups light brown sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups sweetened flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Line a 9”x9” baking dish with parchment paper and grease or coat with nonstick spray.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Continue cooking until it boils, swirling pan to prevent burning. Allow butter to brown to an amber color. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar until completely combined.

Stir in eggs, vanilla, salt and baking powder. Next stir in flour, then coconut.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes until edges are golden brown. The center will be almost set.

Remove from oven and allow bars to cool in pan completely.

Remove from pan and cut into squares.

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Coconut Bundt Cake

Marilyn Bashore, Lititz

Cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons coconut extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk, room temperature and completely mixed
• 1½ cups sweetened shredded coconut

Icing:

• 1½ cups powdered sugar
• ¹/₃ cup coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ¾ cup coconut

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Generously grease and flour a 10” Bundt pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light. Add oil and beat again. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the extracts and beat again.

With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with coconut milk. Gently fold in 1½ cups coconut.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 40 to 45 minutes. Remove cake from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, while the oven is still on, toast the ¾ cup coconut on a baking sheet for 5 minutes, until lightly browned.

After cake has cooled for 10 minutes, flip onto serving dish and allow to cool completely. Once cooled, carefully remove from pan.

Make icing. Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Slowly pour icing onto cake, allowing it to fall down sides. Top with toasted coconut.

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Easter Egg Candies

Marilyn Bashore, Lititz

• ½ cup butter
• (2) 3 oz. packages cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
• ½ cup milk
• 3¾ cups confectioners sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup coconut
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 2 cups milk chocolate chips
• 2 teaspoons shortening

In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in pudding mixes until blended. Whisk in milk. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in confectioners sugar, vanilla, coconut and coconut extract.

Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm. Form tablespoonfuls of the pudding mixture into egg shapes. Place on waxed paper-lined pan. Refrigerate again for 30 minutes or until firm.

Melt shortening and chocolate chips in a microwaveable bowl. Stir until smooth.

Dip eggs in chocolate and place on waxed paper until set.

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Banana Colada

Gloria Dougherty, Akron

“Delicious!”

• 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
• 1 frozen banana
• 4 oz. light rum (optional)
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• ½ cup light coconut milk
• ½ cup ice

Place all ingredients into a blender in the order listed above. Pulse three times and blend on high until smooth.

Yield: 2 to 3 servings.

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Coconut Easter Eggs

Elaine Ziolkowski, Ephrata

• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1 stick margarine or butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• dash of salt
• 2 lbs. confectioners sugar
• 1½ cups coconut

Mix all together and shape into eggs. Place in the fridge to get cold, then dip into melted chocolate.

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Coconut Cream Pie

Elaine Ziolkowski, Ephrata

• 2 packages instant vanilla pudding
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups Dream Whip, prepared according to package directions, or Cool Whip
• small package (¾ cup) coconut
• baked 8” pie shell

Mix pudding with milk. Fold in Dream Whip and coconut. Top with toasted coconut.

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Coconut Cracker Pudding

Pat Roth, Ephrata

• 1 cup saltine cracker crumbs
• ¾ to 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 3 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat the eggs and sugar together. Add the cracker crumps and coconut in the milk and vanilla. Cook all together until thickened.

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Raspberry Coconut Cookies

Pat Roth, Ephrata

• ¾ cup butter, softened
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• ½ cup flaked coconut
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Filling:

• ¼ cup butter, softened
• ¾ cup confectioners sugar
• 2 teaspoons 2% milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup raspberry preserves

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.

Combine the flour, coconut, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well.

Shape into 1” balls. Place 1 1/2” apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten with a glass dipped in flour. Bake at 350°F for 12 to 14 minutes. Cool on racks.

In a small bowl, beat the butter, confectioners sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth. Place 1/2 teaspoon of preserves and a scant teaspoon of the filling mixture on the bottom of half of the cookies. Top with remaining cookies.

Makes about 2½ dozen cookie sandwiches.

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Toasted Coconut Pie

Pat Roth, Ephrata

• 3 beaten eggs
• 1½ cups sugar
• ½ cup butter or margarine, melted
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1¹/₃ cups flaked coconut
• pastry for 9” pie pan

Thoroughly combine eggs, sugar, butter, lemon juice and vanilla. Stir in the coconut. Pour the filling into the pie crust.

Bake at 350°F about 40 to 45 minutes, until a knife inserted halfway between the center and edge of pie comes out clean.

Garnish with whipped cream and toasted coconut.

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Almond Joy Cookies

Mary Ann Dell, East Earl

• 2 oz. (2 squares) unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
• 15 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• 7 oz. bag sweetened flaked coconut
• ½ cup finely chopped almonds, plus 24 whole almonds

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave. Combine the chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, coconut and chopped almonds in a large bowl and stir.

Drop the batter by heaping tablespoons onto the lined baking sheets, leaving 3” between each cookie. Place a whole almond on top of each mound.

Bake until set, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the cookies stand on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then remove them with a metal spatula to a wire rack to cool completely.

The cookies will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days.

Makes 24 cookies.

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Passover Macaroons

Mary Ann Dell, East Earl

• ¾ cups sugar
• 2½ cups unsweetened dried coconut
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¹/₈ teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine the sugar, coconut, egg whites, vanilla and salt in a medium-size mixing bowl. Mix with a rubber spatula.

Drop the batter by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the lined baking sheets, leaving 1½” between each cookie. Bake until golden, 10 to 12 minutes.

Slide the entire sheet of paper with the cookies onto a wire rack and let cool completely. Carefully peel them off the paper.

Cookies will keep at room temperature in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Yield: 24 cookies.

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Seven-Layer Bars

Mary Ann Dell, East Earl

• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
• ¾ cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 cup whole almonds, coarsely chopped
• ½ cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped (optional)
• ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1½ cups sweetened flaked coconut
• 7 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Combine melted butter and graham cracker crumbs in a medium-sized bowl, and stir until all of the crumbs are moistened. Pour the mixture into the bottom of an 8” square baking pan and spread and press firmly with your fingertips to create and even layer.

Sprinkle the almonds and apricots evenly over the crumbs. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the almonds and apricots. Sprinkle the coconut over the chocolate chips. Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over the coconut.

Bake until the coconut begins to turn light golden brown, 25 to 27 minutes. Let the pan cool completely on a wire rack. Place in the freezer 10 minutes before cutting into 16 squares.

Bars will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Makes 16 bars.