Tag: shredded coconut

Coconut Oil Rice Krispies

So 5 days after my fever finally broke, it has resurfaced in my daughter. Poor thing : / I was really hoping that since I had gotten better without any other casualties that we were all in the clear. Guess not. Still crossing my fingers that my little 5 month old doesn’t catch this thing.

And since I was pretty darn sick last week, I didn’t have much umph to do anything at all (even in the kitchen, believe it or not). So I decided to pump out something quick and easy- Rice Krispy Treats.

But at the same time I wanted to do something different with the recipe… something different AND quick AND easy. I made one simple change:

I said NO to butter.

And YES to coconut oil.

In case you have’t jumped on that bandwagon yet, you should know that coconut oil is all the rage right now. It’s currently the star superfood of the people.

But more important than its’ popularity are its’ numerous health benefits. If you haven’t read about the incredible list of benefits from consuming coconut oil, check them out here. If these are even three-quarters true then we should all have a jar of coconut oil in our cabinet at all times. Side note: It’s important that the jar is glass too. I guess oil’s can leach bad things into them when stored in a plastic container. Who knew?

SO what does coconut oil do to the taste and texture of your beloved Rice Krispy Treats? Well, the texture- nothing. And the taste- not much there either. I guess you get a very mild coconut flavor to them. I didn’t notice it myself, but if you are particularly sensitive to the flavor of coconut then you might. Personally, I think the swap is simply a way to achieve a healthier, quick treat rather than creating any kind of flavor change.

If coconut flavor is what you seek though, then that is an entirely different story! Go ahead and add in a cup of shredded coconut, sweetened or un-sweetened. Maybe even a 1/2 tsp or so of coconut extract.

And I am a firm believer in adding a pinch of salt to your Rice Krispy Treats. It adds the perfect sweet/salty touch. Ever since my experience with Brown Butter Salted Rice Krispy Treats I never go without that extra pinch of sodium.

Coconut Oil Rice Krispies

1 (10 ounce) bag miniature marshmallows
½ cup coconut oil
6 cups Rice Krispies

Prepare a 9-by-13-inch pan by greasing with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Line with parchment if desired.
Melt the marshmallows and coconut oil together in medium saucepan.
In a large bowl, mix together rice krispies and melted marshmallow mixture, stirring until evenly combined.
Press into pan. Let cool to set before cutting.

To increase the coconut flavor add 1 cup shredded coconut to the mixture, a pinch of kosher salt, and maybe even ½ teaspoon coconut extract.

Tagged as:
coconut,
dessert,
marshmallows,
rice krispies

Black Bottom Coconut Bars

My Grandmother used to make these coconut tarts when I was growing up. They were my favorite thing that she would make. I’m still surprised that a coconut tart really appealed to me that much as a kid. I find that a lot of kids don’t like coconut. Heck, even a good number of adults. Coconut, nuts, butterscotch… it’s the kind of flavor that isn’t commonly accepted and welcomed with enthusiasm. Not like chocolate or peanut butter. Anyways, I adored coconut in all forms- almond joys, mounds, virgin piña coladas, and most of all, my Grandmother’s coconut tarts. One day I will share the recipe with you. But not today. Today I am here to take about these Black Bottom Coconut Bars.

The coconut topping of these bars reminds me soooo much of my Grandmother’s tarts (that’s why I brought them up). The ingredients are almost identical- both include sweetened shredded coconut, sugar, eggs, butter, and flour. The ratios are far different though. These have a much higher portion of flour and the original recipe actually calls for no butter. NO butter. Can you believe it? When I read that I thought to myself, “how dry…” So I rebelled and added 1/4 stick (2 Tb), just out of curiosity. Even with the small bit of butter that I added, the topping was drier than I would have liked, especially when compared to how moist my Grandmother’s is. So I doubled the butter, making it a good 1/2 stick (1/4 cup). Much better. Chewy, moist, and flavorful. Exactly what I was looking for.

Now the bottom of these bars is like a very thin brownie. When I first read the recipe title I assumed it would be like an Oreo crust, but nope. It’s basically a brownie. Or a dense chocolate cake I guess. Be careful not to bake it too long during the pre-bake because it goes back in a second time with the coconut topping. If you do so then there shouldn’t be any problems with it being dry. Mine came out awesome.

So the whole thing together- chewy, coconutty topping and chocolatey brownie crust. Talk about heaven for us coconut lovers! Assuming that all coconut lovers love the chocolate pairing of course… Really very proud of this recipe. I drizzled them with a little melted chocolate so they’d be especially alluring and brought them to a church luncheon. A HIT!

Black Bottom Coconut Bars

For Chocolate Base:
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
For Coconut Topping:
2 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 Tb (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
1 package sweetened shredded coconut (7 ounces), ½ cup reserved for sprinkling

For chocolate base: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving a slight overhang; butter bottom and sides of foil (not overhang).
Place butter in a large microwave-safe bowl; melt in microwave. Add sugar and salt; whisk to combine. Whisk in egg, then cocoa and flour until smooth. Spread batter in prepared pan.
Bake just until sides begin to pull away from edges of pan, 10 to 15 minutes (do not overbake). Let cool slightly while preparing coconut topping. Keep oven on for topping.
For coconut topping: In a medium bowl, whisk eggs with sugar and vanilla. Whisk in the butter. Gently mix in flour and coconut (except ½ cup reserved for sprinkling).
Drop mounds of mixture over chocolate base; spread and pat in gently and evenly with moistened fingers. Sprinkle with reserved ½ cup coconut.
Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Lift cake from pan, peel off foil, and cut into 24 bars.

You can substitute the butter in the coconut topping for 4 Tb coconut oil. Not only is it healthier but it gives you more coconut flavor!

Adapted with revisions from Martha Stewart

Tagged as:
bars,
chocolate,
coconut,
dessert

SIMPLE & HEALTHY HOMEMADE ALMOND JOY BARS

I have a sweet tooth. When faced with the decision to eat the chocolate bar or the apple, chocolate wins hands down, every time. Okay maybe not every time, but often enough. I love it when the stars align and I find a recipe for delicious treats that are also considered healthy. These little bars are so easy to make and they make a ton- about 60+ servings out of one batch! Just do your best to not eat all 60 in one afternoon, okay? Each serving of these Homemade Almond Joy Bars has just 71 calories~ 20 less than the store-bought variety.

I love that these contain a nice amount of coconut oil too. If you haven’t jumped on the coconut oil bandwagon, just Google some of the heath benefits and you’ll be sold. I love how it adds an almost creamy taste without adding any dairy.

Simple & Healthy Homemade Almond Joy Bars
Recipe adapted from A Few Short Cuts

1 cup Coconut Oil
2 cups shredded Sweetened Coconut
2 TBSP honey
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup sliced almonds
3/4 cup powdered sugar (optional)

Warm coconut oil just until it becomes liquid. (It takes about 20-30 seconds in the microwave.)

I pulsed my shredded coconut a few times in the blender, just to make it a finer texture. This step is optional, but I liked the results.

Mix the shredded coconut and honey into the coconut oil, combining well. If you aren’t concerned about making this a healthier treat, then add in the 3/4 cup powdered sugar. It adds a nice sweetness and texture to the coconut layer. I had it without though and thought it tasted great!

Pour mixture into an 8×8 pan lined with parchment paper and freeze or refrigerate until solid.

Heat chocolate chips in microwave at 50% power in 30 second intervals, stirring each time until completely melted. Pour over coconut spreading evenly. Top with sliced almonds.

Refrigerate for chocolate to set. Cut into 1 inch squares and store in the fridge until ready to eat.

I love how easy the parchment paper comes away from the dessert. I buy it in large rolls from Costco and use it all the time!