Summer holidays are here! That means kids are always asking for more snacks, and they do not get tired at all. Makes me exhausted and long for the beginning of the school year again!
One way I engage my kids is while baking. Yes, they do make a mess of things at times. My 3-year-old plays with cupcake liners all the time, bends them out of shape. Once he almost closed the oven door on my hand when I was taking out a hot muffin pan. 😦 My daughter and I sometimes wait till he naps, which is not very likely these days, since he is getting out of that stage. The television is a good short-term distraction; at other times we just let him play with favorite kitchen utensils while we’re busily mixing batter on one side. But of course, he wants to get involved. It is an adventure! In the end, if the baked product comes out well and they love it, it somehow makes the effort worth it.
The past few days, I had some fresh coconuts with me. Decided to make mini-muffins with chocolate flavor. They turned out really delicious! I’m taking these sweet treats to Fiesta Friday #19.
Here’s a quick tutorial on making fresh shredded coconut: Use a knife to take out chunks of coconut from a coconut broken in two. Use a peeler or knife to remove the brown outer layer from the pieces.
Use a good blender to shred.
I used 3/4 cup of this in the muffins and stored the rest in the freezer.
Here’s the coconut added to the wet mixture.
A peek in the oven before baking:
cho-co-conut mini-muffins
Ingredients:
fresh/frozen shredded coconut- 3/4 cup; 66 g
whole wheat pastry flour- 1 cup; 116 g
cocoa powder (unsweetened)- 1/4 cup; 20 g
baking powder- 1/2 tbsp.
salt- a pinch
unsweetened applesauce- 1/2 cup
almond milk- 4 tbsp.
oil- 1/4 cup
raw sugar- 1/2 cup
vanilla extract- 2 tsp.
Method:
* Preheat oven to 350 °F. In a mixing bowl add applesauce, oil, raw sugar, vanilla extract, nut milk. Stir to dissolve sugar. Stir in shredded coconut.
* Combine dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, salt) in another bowl. Add dry to wet mixture.
* Line a mini muffin tray with parchment cups and spoon batter into it three-quarters full.
* Lightly sprinkle shredded coconut on top.
* Bake for 25-27 minutes.
* After cooling well, store in an airtight box for up to 3 days.
‘Cho-co-conut mini muffin’ is very attractive 🙂 looks fabulous…
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thanks, Malar.
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Love the name of it Apsara! And sounds super yummy!
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it is yummy. Thanks, Lori. 🙂
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I love anything coconut and these are goegeous! Thanks for bringing these today! Happy FF19! ❤
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happy FF 19 to you too, Jhuls!
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Summer holidays already?? Where are you?
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yes, in the U.S, holidays are from Jun to mid-Aug.
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Okay 🙂 ours are mid July to start of Sept
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Awesome little muffins… my daughter loves to help me too esp when Im baking 🙂
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thanks, Namrata. Yes, I think this hobby is so much better than others like bead-work to keep them engaged! 🙂
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Thanks for sharing!
Simi
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you’re welcome, Simi. thanks for visiting.
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I love these Apsura! The ingredient list is so clean! I love chocolate and this past year have become a little obsessed with coconut, so these are just perfect. My daughter. (2 1/2) is my little sous chef. She loves to bake with me and measure and whisk and do it all. She’s going to be 5 and a chef!
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thanks, Brandi. I’m so glad you like them. Our kids will thank us later (I hope!) for getting them involved early in healthy baking.
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Thanks so much for this healthier recipe, I need to make more of this. I love coconut and chocolate together …looks so good! 🙂
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thank you, Arlene. 🙂
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Yummy! Does it taste a bit like those Bounty bars?
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Hmm, I have never seen/heard of Bounty bars! Maybe I’ll look for them. 🙂
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Welcome Welcome Welcome lovely Apsara!! Oh my gosh, these look absolutely A-MA-ZING!! I love chocolate and coconut together…and I love how you gave us the tutorial on how to shred it!! I’d still be crying my eyes out over trying to get the darn thing open!
Thank you so much for sharing these muffins with us, they are the perfect addition to Fiesta Friday’s table!! Have a lovely weekend.. ❤
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Thank you for the kind words, Prudy. Thanks for co-hosting FF, you’re wonderful at it!
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Pingback: Fiesta Friday #19 | The Novice Gardener·
looks delicious, the fresh coconut looks so tempting, thanks for sharing your recipe:)
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you’re welcome Lily. 🙂
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What cute looking mini muffins and a catchy name :). Well done Apsara !
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thanks, Sonal. 🙂
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What beautiful (and delicious!) little muffins! Thanks for bringing them to Fiesta Friday! 🙂
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thank you, Jeanette. Welcome to my blog, I’m checking out yours now.
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Fantastic, I’m enjoying your blog! 🙂
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Thanks for the shredded coconut tutorial! I definitely needed that! I have celiac disease, but I might be able to use a GF flour instead. I’m trying to start working with coconut this summer. (It’s a new food for me). Thanks for sharing! 🙂
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you’re welcome, Kaila. I hope coconut shredding works out well for you. It is a bit of work, but is rewarding!
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Darling Aspara, Snack is a good reference for these marvelous mini-muffins. I have to have one after another till heart content. 😛
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thank you and welcome to my blog, Fae! Yes, since these are bite-sized mini muffins, one is not enough. 🙂
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Love these Apsara! Satisfying the chocolate cravings in such a healthy way 🙂
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yes, who doesn’t like chocolate? 🙂
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Hi Apsara! I want you to know I appreciate you! I always look forward to you coming by my blog like you do, and leaving comments! This is why I am giving you the Wonderful Team Member Readership Award! For more info go here:
http://creatingbeautyinthekitchen.wordpress.com/2014/06/07/grateful-for-you/
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thank you so much, Lori!
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Waw, these look amazing! I happen to have everything in my pantry for making these tasty beauties! Ooh yes! x
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These are super easy too, Sophie! hugs.
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I made them just now & love every bite of them! ☺️
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thank you, Sophie. I’m very touched! xo
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yeahh! 🙂
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These look fabulous Apsara! Love coconut any day so definitely trying these! 🙂
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these are very easy too, let me know! 🙂
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Oh I love the name and the muffins too, Apsara!
My muffins come out very dense when I use applesauce instead of eggs, is there a way to avoid that?
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I have never used eggs, so I wouldn’t know what the difference is, exactly. One technique to adopt would be to incorporate air in the batter with an electric mixer. I always use it for cake/muffin batters. 🙂
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