Mini Coconut Muffins with Pineapple Jam

So. I got sick of the "Vegetarian Bakeshop". I don't really feel that the it describes what I do. It makes people think of vegetarian everything, i.e. vegan confections or lots of vegetarian posts. Vegetarian or not, I mostly bake, and last time I checked cupcakes did NOT normally contain meat. I hate to be a quitter, but it wasn't a very good fit.

So...I think Sarah Cupcake feels better. It feels more like me!! I'm Sarah, and I like cupcakes and ranting about them (and other things). I like to let people know how much I love to bake delicious things and share them. I like to rant about how much I love to diet and obsess over what is actually healthy.

I discover a recipe I really really want to make. When this happens I can't get my mind off it until I bake it. Sometimes it's just an idea and other times it's something I've seen. First, I have to wait until my daughter goes to bed (maybe a little impatiently), bake my recipe, take lots of pictures, devour one or two, package the rest up, and ship them out with a friend or family member (usually my boyfriend who brings them to work). It takes care of my itch to bake, curbs one of my cravings, AND quickly gets rid of the results like so much crack-cocaine. Sometimes I will take the excess batter, if I have any, and make a few mini cupcakes for my daughter. One day I would love to have the ability to bake all the time and then get rid of the evidence. I'd do it for free! Maybe someday when nursing school is but a memory...

Mini Coconut Muffins with Pineapple Jam

For the muffins:
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 and spray a mini muffin pan with non-stick spray. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until moistened. Carefully mix in the remaining two ingredients (the coconut milk and shredded coconut) until just combined. Scoop into the mini muffin tins until they are about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool in the pan before removing to a wire rack.
*Yield: about 18 mini muffins

For the pineapple jam:
1 pineapple
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
juice of 2 limes

First, peel your pineapple. Don't know how to peel a pineapple? Slice off the top and bottom to create a flat surface. Then, using your paring knife, slice off the skin down the sides of the pineapple in long strips. When the pineapple is grated in the next step be careful not to grate the core of the pineapple which is the long, cylindrical, fibrous center. I hope this picture helps.

Grate the pineapple. You should have somewhere around 2 cups. Add the pineapple (with any juices) and 1 cup water into a medium saucepan to cook. Cook for about 35 minutes on medium-low heat to soften the pineapple. Once this is done you can add in the sugar and lime juice and continue cooking it for another 45 minutes to an hour. It will thicken considerably. Chill the jam in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. It will last for up to 3 months kept cold in the fridge.
*Yield: about 20 ounces

Slice mini muffins in half and preheat a pan with some butter. Toast the muffin halves and spread with more butter and the pineapple jam. Enjoy pineapple-coconut bliss!

All recipes stolen and slightly adapted from Lucinda Scala Quinn (who I adore <3)