coconut Archives - Fresh From Oregon

Festive Yam Casserole

November 17, 2014 · by Carrie Trax ·

25 years ago I was given this recipe for Festive Yam Casserole from a co-worker and have been serving it at my Thanksgiving dinner since. The layer of creamy yam filling with the crunchy topping of pecans and coconut will become a family favorite at your dinner table. This is a great side dish at any holiday table or everyday meal.

Festive Yam Casserole
4 cups yams, cooked
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten

Topping
2/3 cup shredded coconut
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl add the yams and mash with a potato masher or fork. Add the sugar, milk, butter, vanilla and eggs and mix well. You can also combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a Ninja Food Processor and pulse until creamy, about 45 seconds. Spoon into an 8 inch baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. In the bowl of a food processor combine the coconut, brown sugar, flour, butter and pecans and pulse for 30 seconds. In the Ninja Food Processor pulse 4 times. Sprinkle over yam mixture and bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until golden brown and hot.

Chocolate Covered Easter Eggs…

March 25, 2013 · by Carrie Trax ·

With Easter less than a week away… you must be thinking about bunnies, coloring eggs and of course chocolate in the Easter basket. I got my 20# box of chocolate out this weekend and my favorite filling recipes and turned my kitchen into the Easter Bunny’s workshop. I added a new filling this year that is filled with Fresh From Oregon flavors, hazelnuts and cranberries. I took some hazelnuts out of the freezer (the best place to store them) and toasted them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 3-4 minutes. I then opened a box of dried cranberries I found the other day while shopping. These dried cranberries are grown and produced by the Vincent Family on the Southern Oregon coast, they cultivated their first cranberries in 1957, read more here about their story. So with these two great Oregon flavors and my fudge recipe I created a Hazelnut Cranberry Fudge filling. I also made my family’s other favorite fillings: coconut almond, peanut butter and pecan fudge caramel. These melt in your mouth recipes are easy and quick to make and the taste of homemade chocolate eggs will be the perfect surprise for your family and friends this coming Easter.

Once you have made your fillings and shaped them into eggs they will be ready to dip in the chocolate. I use a good grade of melting chocolate wafer, Merckens. You can find them at your local stores that sell candy making supplies or order online. It is best to melt in a double boiler or a bowl placed over simmering water. I find it is easier to dip just the bottoms in the chocolate first and let it set, about 10 minutes. Then when you dip the top into the chocolate you will have something to hold onto, the only downside you will need to lick the chocolate off your fingers often. You can also place that set chocolate bottom on a fork and dip it into the chocolate. Remember to place a piece of parchment paper on the pan you will place the eggs on to set the chocolate, this keeps them from sticking to the pan as the chocolate sets.

Hazelnut Cranberry Filling:
1 pound semisweet chocolate chips (about 1 1/2 bags)
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate squares, chopped
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing extra to hang over the sides and spray lightly with cooking spray, set aside.
In a double boiler toss chocolates, baking soda and salt. Stir in condensed milk and vanilla. Stir 2-5 minutes until only a few pieces of chocolate are left. Remove from heat and stir another 2 minutes, the mixture will become a little glossy. Stir in the hazelnuts and dried cranberries. Spread evenly in the prepared pan and let set for 3o minutes. Once cool enough to handle cut into 12 even pieces and make into an egg shape. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and let set for about 1 hour before you dip them in the chocolate.

Peanut Butter Filling:
1 cup butter
2 1/2 cups peanut butter
5 cups confectioners sugar
Cream together butter and peanut butter in the bowl of an stand mixer until creamy. Gradually add the confectioners sugar and mix until combined. Shape into the size eggs you want.

Coconut Almond Filling:
1 cup butter
4 cups confectioners sugar
1 pound shredded coconut
7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 cup almonds, finely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In bowl of a stand mixer cream butter and confectioners sugar. Add coconut, condensed milk, almonds and vanilla, mix until fully combined. Chill in refrigerator about 30 minutes and then shape into any size egg you want.

Pecan Carmel Fudge Filling:
1 pound semisweet chocolate chips (about 1 1/2 bags)
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate squares, chopped
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
6 ounce caramel squares
2 tablespoons milk
Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing extra to hang over the sides and spray lightly with cooking spray, set aside.
In a double boiler toss chocolates, baking soda and salt. Stir in condensed milk and vanilla. Stir 2-5 minutes until only a few pieces of chocolate are left. Remove from heat and stir another 2 minutes, the mixture will become a little glossy. Stir in the pecans and spread evenly in the prepared pan and let set for 3o minutes. Once cool enough to handle cut into 12 even pieces and make into egg shapes. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and let set for about 30 minutes before pouring caramel over. To melt caramels unwrap and place caramels and milk in a bowl over simmering water and stir until melted. Pour about a tablespoon of caramel over each egg, if it drips over the side its Ok. Let set 5 minutes and eggs are ready to dip in the chocolate.

Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter Cookies

March 20, 2013 · by Carrie Trax ·

Some of my Fresh From Oregon dishes do not always come from a trip to the local farmers market for local grown fruits and vegetable but from local Oregon made products. Wild Squirrel Peanut Butter is one of my most recent discovers of Oregon made products. Here is their story “One day, at their apartment in Eugene, Oregon, University sophomores Keeley and Erika were scraping the bottom of yet another jar of peanut butter. With no more peanut butter and a surplus of celery, they were faced with a familiar conundrum. Luckily, they had a bag of raw peanuts, a brand new food processor, and two squirrelly little minds. It didn’t take long before they had created a delicious batch of homemade peanut butter.” I picked up a jar of their Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter and a jar of the Honey Pretzel Peanut Butter to see what I could create. Their other flavors of peanut butter are Cinnamon Raisin and their newest Sesame Cranberry. They also have almond butters, Chocolate Sunflower and Vanilla Espresso. The first thing I wanted to make was a peanut butter cookie and give it a make over with the Wild Squirrel Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter. Enjoy the cookies below with a big glass of milk! You can find Wild Squirrel Peanut Butters and Almond Butters at these local stores or order online from their website.

Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter Cookies

Cookie:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup Wild Squirrel Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter
1/2 cup sugar (Plus additional for rolling cookies in before baking)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Garnish:
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup toasted coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter, peanut butter, sugars, egg and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until combined about 1 minute. In separate bowl add flour, baking soda and salt and mix to combine. Add to the wet ingredient and mix until fully combined, about 2 minutes. Form into 1-inch balls, roll in the sugar and place on baking sheet, flatten with a fork creating a criss-cross design. Bake 10-12 minutes until brown. If you under bake until lightly brown you will have a soft cookie but if you like a cookie with a crisp crunchy taste bake at the higher time until brown. When cool melt chocolate and drizzle over the cookies and immediately sprinkle with the toasted coconut. Tip: Make sure you fully mix the peanut butter when you open the jar, you will see the oil is separated and laying on the top.

Celebrate National Pie Day with Coconut Cream Pie

January 23, 2013 · by Carrie Trax ·

January 23rd is National Pie Day and what better way to celebrate the day than a delicious Coconut Cream Pie. This creamy pie has another surprise a layer of chocolate on the bottom.

Here is the Wikipedia definition of a pie: A pie is a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry dough casing that covers or completely contains a filling of various sweet or savoury ingredients.

Here are a few facts about the pie:

The pie is America’s favorite dessert
The average American eats six slices of pie a year
Pie has been around since the ancient Egyptians
Pie came to America with the first English settler

Coconut Cream Pie with Chocolate

Coconut Filling
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate, melted
1 baked pie shell
14 ounces coconut milk
1 cup milk
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 large egg yolks
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whipped Topping
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unsweetened coconut, toasted

Spread chocolate on the bottom of the baked pie shell and set aside.

Bring coconut milk, milk, ½ cup shredded coconut, ½ cup sugar and salt to simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to ensure sugar dissolves.

Whisk egg yolks, cornstarch and 1 tablespoon sugar in medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Whisking constantly, gradually ladle about 1 cup hot milk mixture over egg yolk mixture; whisk well to combine. Whisking constantly, gradually add remaining milk mixture to yolk mixture in 3-4 additions; whisk well to combine.

Return mixture to saucepan and cook until thickened and mixture reaches a boil, whisking constantly, about 1 minute; filling must boil in order to fully thicken. Large bubbles should quickly burst on surface.

Off heat, whisk in butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla until butter is fully incorporated. Pour hot filling into pie shell and smooth surface; press plastic wrap directly against surface of filling and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours.

Just before serving, beat heavy cream, 2 Tbsp sugar and ½ tsp vanilla with electric mixer until soft peaks form about 1 ½ – 2 minutes. Top pie with whipped cream topping and then sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Festive Yam Casserole

Chocolate Covered Easter Eggs…

Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter Cookies

Celebrate National Pie Day with Coconut Cream Pie

Experience fresh food from Oregon!

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