Coconut Muffins
If you think coconut muffins run a distant second to Mangia's other, more traditional muffins, like blueberry or bran, think again. These fly out the door. They are sweet and tender-a little bit of coconut cake, really, baked in a muffin pan. Special for breakfast, they are superb served alongside a pot of black tea and slices of lemon. They are also grand with a scoop of ice cream, for dessert.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ pound which is 2 sticks of unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 8 ounces sweetened dried coconut flakes
- 1 cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour muffin cups.
- Into a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl. Add the eggs in three batches, scraping down the bowl after each addition.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and add half the dry ingredients, beating just until combined. By hand, fold in the coconut flakes. Pour in the buttermilk; then add the remaining dry ingredients, mixing briefly until just combined.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling each three-quarters full. Bake about 35 minutes, until the tops are golden and spring back when touched. Let the muffins cool in the pan and serve warm or at room temperature. Store, well wrapped in plastic, at room temperature or in the freezer.