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!

The Canterbury Restaurant's Coconut Bread!

Before there was Longfellow's on Rt. 9P/Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, the big beautiful barn was home to the Canterbury Restaurant.  It was much like its successor in appearance, except that the center wooden floor of the main dining room wasn't a floor at all.  In its previous incarnation, that space was a pond, with tables situated around the perimeter and indoor trees with little lights making a beautiful, park-like setting.  It was beautiful then, and it is beautiful now.  Longfellow's has lovely nooks and little rooms as well as larger dining areas. 

One of my favorite things at the Canterbury was their coconut bread.  Every table was graced with a little loaf upon seating, and it was incredibly popular because it was so moist and delicious.  I remember the Saratogian once printed the famous recipe.  Decades have passed and today I was trying to find my recipe.  It's lost in recipe never-land, so I asked and my friend Diane came through.  The recipe that follows is the original, and if you make it, you won't lose this recipe.  You'll keep it in a safe place forever.

CANTERBURY COCONUT BREAD
thanks to Diane Hinckley Loviza

1 cup toasted coconut (spread coconut on sheet pan, toast in 350 oven 15 minutes stirring often)

1 TBS baking powder
1 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg well beaten
3/4 cup sugar

Mix wet ingredients with dry, stir well. Spoon into a greased/floured 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan

Bake 1 hour @ 350 or until cake tester comes out clean.
 
Image:  http://genaw.com/lowcarb/food_photos/coconut_bread_zoom.jpg