Toasted Coconut Muffins with Dark Chocolate Flecks!

Last night I was looking through older recipes when I came upon one for coconut bread.  I decided to adapt that recipe for muffins. The coconut was toasted and mixed with the dry ingredients along with finely grated dark chocolate. The original recipe for coconut bread was from the former Canterbury Restaurant in Saratoga Springs, now home to Longfellows on Union Avenue, heading toward Saratoga Lake. I posted that recipe previously, and it can be found here.

The muffins came out beautifully. You can see the specks of dark chocolate and the bits of toasted coconut. Once cut open, you can see that the coconut and chocolate are a perfect pairing, suspended throughout the muffin, just waiting for a smear of butter (or not!).  You can even grill this open muffin to add another layer of toasty-ness!

TOASTED COCONUT MUFFINS WITH DARK CHOCOLATE FLECKS!
Oven 350 Farenheit, prepare 12-cup standard muffin tin (with spray or liners)

Mix together the wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl:

1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Then, in a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (below) and then add to the wet ingredients, mixing with a fork just until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.

1 cup toasted coconut (350-degree oven for 12-15 minutes, stirring once or twice)
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon (yes) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons finely grated dark chocolate (I used Dove dark chocolate, actually the remaining portion of an Easter Bunny that'd I'd cut chunks off of and put away! - It was fine!)

Divide batter among cups. I like to use a standard ice cream scoop for an even measure.  Bake for 22 minutes or until muffins test done.  Cool 10 minutes, remove muffins to rack to cool completely.

With a little smear of butter...

You can see the flecks of chocolate!

Hope you enjoy this recipe! I'm off to the boat with Katie, Bill, and the boys while the sun is shining this morning! :)  Have a great day, my friends!