Glam Granola: Vanilla Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting

This one is going out to my closet male readers who have requested more recipes. You know who you are.

I made a yummy Sunday dinner for my mom: roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, a salad with our homegrown lettuce, and these vanilla coconut cupcakes for dessert. I really wish I could share the roast chicken recipe, but it is not public domain; it's from the Big Sur Bakery Cookbook, and since it's my favorite restaurant and a local institution, I don't really feel okay about about pilfering their copyrighted recipe. I will highly encourage you to grab a copy of the cookbook. Every recipe I have made is delicious. You won't be disappointed!

One quick word on roasting chicken or any foul - brining for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight, is the key. It comes out moist every time guaranteed, regardless of weather you roast in the oven or throw it on the BBQ. Everyone will think you are a culinary genius, but it is so simple and easy!

Okay, on to dessert.

Here's the final product...

Recipe from Epicurious.com

The first step is to reduce your coconut milk by boiling two 13 to 14 oz cans of unsweetened coconut milk over medium high heat. The coconut milk will boil up high, at which point reduce the heat to medium low and boiled until reduced to 1-1/2 cups, or until it looks like this:

Now it's time to work on the cupcakes.

Ingredients for cupcakes:
2 cups all purpose flour
2-1/4 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
3/4 (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1-1/3 c sugar
3 large eggs
1-1/2 t vanilla extract

1 c reduced coconut milk (see above)

Directions for cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 1/3 cup cupcake tin with paper liners. Whisk dry ingredients (flour, salt, backing powder) in a bowl and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter in a large bowl until smooth.

Add sugar; beat on medium-high speed until well blended, about 2 minutes. (No picture. Sorry.) Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl. Beat in vanilla and remaining egg. Add 1 cup reduced coconut milk.

Mix in half of flour mixture on low speed until just blended. Scrape down sides of the bowl and add remaining flour mixture, again mixing on a low speed until just blended.

Divide batter among cupcake tins.

Bake cupcakes until tops spring back when gently touched and/or fork inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 mins. Cool completely before frosting.

Speaking of frosting...

Ingredients for frosting:
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2-1/2 c powdered sugar
1/3 c reduced coconut milk, room temperature
1-1/2 t vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups sweetened coconut, lightly toasted (for garnish)

Directions for frosting:
Beat butter using an electric mixer until smooth. Add sugar, coconut milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on medium-low speed until blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy.