coconut

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter U

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: Unrivaled Chocolate Caramel Treats! Do you get weak in the knees over chocolate? You may be tempted once you taste this salty sweet confection. One little piece will have you rolling your eyes in delirium. The crust keeps this bar crunchy, kinda like a shortbread cookie. And the sea salt crystals form a balance that is unrivaled! This recipe has a few shortcuts, so it can be thrown together in a matter of minutes. No baking is required. Don’t hate me!
UNRIVALED CHOCOLATE CARAMEL TREATS
Ingredients:

Club crackers, whole

1 cup crushed Club crackers

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup coconut, flaked

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter, melted

16-ounce can of Chocolate Fudge Frosting

1/4 cup pecans, chopped

1 teaspoon sea salt crystals
Instructions:

Put one layer of whole Club crackers on the bottom of a 7″X11″ pan. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, coconut, milk, and melted butter. Boil ingredients for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; let cool. Form a layer of caramel mixture over crackers. Put another layer of Club crackers on top. Frost with canned frosting, sprinkle with pecans and sea salt crystals. Store in the refrigerator. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter T

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: Tropicana Bars! When you combine exotic fruits, flaky coconut, and macadamia nuts, you may feel as though you stepped off an airplane onto a tropical island in the Pacific. This mouthwatering dessert is perfect for summer. Go ahead, take a bite for a quick trip to a faraway destination. Let your mind wander to swaying palm trees, magical waterfalls, and sunshine that warms the body as well as the spirit. 
TROPICANA BARS
Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 cups flour

1teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 1/2 cups Zucchini Jam*

1/4 cup flaked coconut 

1/4 cup macadamia nuts, crushed 

1 tablespoon crystallized sugar
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Cream together sugar and butter. Set aside. Whisk flour, salt, and baking soda together until blended. Combine dry ingredients with sugar mixture until crumbly. Spread 3/4 of batter into a 9″x13″ greased dish to make a crust. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Layer with Zucchini Jam, coconut, and nuts. Crumble remaining batter over all. Sprinkle with crystallized sugar. Bake for 20-30 minutes. Cool slightly and cut into 24 squares. 
* For Zucchini Jam recipe, please follow the link below. 

http://Snapshotsincursive.com/2016/04/12

FOOD NETWORK “Favorited” My Tweet! ✨

Every day I post the featured recipe and photo from Snapshotsincursive on Twitter (by the same name). Today’s Daily Special of “Eating My Way Through the Alphabet” was the Letter X. Therefore, X Marks the Spot: Xylocarp Coconut Bars was highlighted. Imagine my elation when I received notification that Food Network “favorited” my tweet! Friends, that means I’m still on their radar. They also “favorited” Letter Z for Zucchini Boats recently.
https://snapshotsincursive.com/2015/08/19
https://snapshotsincursive.com/2015/05/12

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter X

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Xylocarp Coconut Bars! Although it’s not typically a word in my vocabulary, I discovered the word xylocarp means “a fruit, such as a coconut, having a hard woody pericarp.” Bingo! It’s the answer to my alphabet challenge when I get to this letter. Everyone is already aware coconut has health benefits. Some even classify it as a superfood. Personally, I just like the taste of it. It can magically transport me to a tropical island with swaying palm trees and hypnotic reggae music. Ahhhhh. 
XYLOCARP COCONUT BARS
Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

1 1/3 cups of coconut, flaked

1 cup pecans, chopped
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9″x13″ baking pan lightly with nonstick oil. Pour butter in pan to cover the bottom. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs evenly over butter. Slowly pour the sweetened condensed milk to form another layer. Top evenly with chocolate morsels, coconut, and pecans. Press down firmly. Bake 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool thoroughly before cutting. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter B

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Banana Bottom Parfaits! Three cheers for a dessert that is will make everyone smile. It’s light and creamy with a touch of sweetness, and a fruit finish that has you pushing back from the table and saying, “Ahhhhh!” Whether you choose a mini shot-glass portion or a stemmed goblet, the presentation on this dessert is rated 5-star, according to my husband. 
BANANA BOTTOM PARFAITS
Ingredients:

Shortbread cookies, broken into pieces*

1 box 3.4 ounce Banana Cream Instant Pudding

2 cups cold milk

3/4 cup Cool Whip whipped topping 

2 bananas, peeled and sliced

Carmel Pecan Topping (see recipe below)

Toasted Coconut for Garnish

French Vanilla Cookie Straws

* I used Kauai Kookie Banzai bite-sized cookies. 
Instructions:

Crush shortbread cookies into coarse crumbs. Using a hand mixer, beat pudding mix and milk in medium bowl for 2 minutes. Fold in whipped topping. Reserve 4 banana slices for garnish. Between the dessert dishes, layer a few banana slices in the bottom of each parfait glass. Add a spoonful of caramel sauce. Next layer the shortbread pieces. Carefully spoon in the banana pudding, making sure the layers remain separated. Repeat layers ending with pudding on top. Refrigerate 15 minutes or longer. Before serving, sprinkle with toasted coconut, garnish with one banana slice, and a cookie straw. 
Hint: To prevent sliced bananas from turning brown, toss them with lemon juice. Pat bananas dry with paper towel before using.  
Pecan Caramel Sauce Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup half and half

1 teaspoon vanilla 

3 teaspoons Crown Royal

Pinch of sea salt

1/4 cup pecans, chopped
Instructions:

Mix all ingredients except pecans, in a 2-quart sauce pan over medium-low heat. Cook while gently stirring 5-7 minutes, or until thicker. Turn off heat. Add pecans. Pour into jar. Store in refrigerator. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter N

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: No-Bake Hazelnut Bars! Here you go. A delicious nutty chocolate treat that can be a dessert or a snack. And there is no need to heat up the oven during the Summer months. This combination of dietary coconut fiber and heart-healthy hazelnuts are sure to become your personal favorite. One bar may provide the nutritious energy boost you need to keep going strong. But the question is…..can you stop at just one?

NO-BAKE HAZELNUT BARS
Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1/3 milk

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup coconut, flaked

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 13-ounce jar of Nutella Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread
Instructions:
Boil butter, milk, brown sugar, coconut, and cracker crumbs in a medium saucepan for 7 minutes, stirring constantly. Mix in vanilla extract. Line a 9″x13″ pan with club crackers. Pour the filling over crackers. Top another layer of crackers. Warm Nutella in microwave for 20 seconds. Spread over all. Garnish with nut meats. Cool in refrigerator until firm. Cut into squares.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter Y

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Second Helping of Yogurt Cups! Talk about healthy, nutritious, calcium-rich, and yummy! The best part is you create the parfait of flavors bursting in every spoonful. Will you make it Raspberry-White Chocolate? Strawberry-Kiwi? Banana-Chocolate Chip? Or Pineapple-Macadamia Nut? I chose four different combinations. The possibilities are endless. 
YOGURT CUPS
Ingredients:

1 16-ounce carton of Greek yogurt 

Assorted Fruit (blueberries, peaches, mandarin oranges, and Rainier cherries)

Mini marshmallows 

Dried cranberries

Toasted Coconut Flakes

Almond Slivers

Cinnamon Powder
Instructions:

Divide yogurt into individual servings. (If you like fruit on the bottom, layer some first.) Then assemble combined flavors together. Shown in photo from the top and going clockwise are:
Blueberries & Dried Cranberries

Toasted Coconut Flakes & Cinnamon Peach

Rainier Cherries & Almond Slivers

Mandarin Orange-Mini Marshmallow Puffs
See what I mean? What combination will you create? Please share your ideas with me! I’d love to hear from you. I’ll see you next time in Gail’s Kitchen!

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter P

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Second Helping of Pina Colada Pie! Sometimes it’s necessary to serve your guests a dessert low in sugar. This one is perfect because it boasts tropical flavor with enough fruity sweetness to satisfy that sugar craving which follows at the end of a meal. Please note you may substitute a sugar-free graham cracker crust for the homemade cookie crust. 
PINA COLADA PIE
Ingredients for Homemade Cookie Crust:

2 cups Macadamia Nut Shortbread Cookies, crushed

1/4 cup butter, melted
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix crushed shortbread cookies and melted butter. Press crumb mixture into a pie plate sprayed with nonstick oil. Bake 10 minutes. Cool before filling. 
Ingredients for Filling:

2 8-ounce blocks of Neufchâtel cheese

1 small box Sugar Free/Fat Free Lemon Jello

1 small box Sugar Free/Fat Free Vanilla Instant Pudding 

4-ounce of Lite Cool Whip

1 8-ounce can crushed Pineapple in Natural Juices, do not drain

1 teaspoon Coconut flavor
Instructions:

Soften Neufchâtel cheese and add other ingredients. Stir until well blended. Pour into pie crust and chill for several hours or overnight. 
*Garnish: Toast 1/2 cup flake coconut in 350° oven for 4 minutes. Watch! Set aside to cool. Fresh strawberries also make an appealing garnish.