Spicy & Sassy Grilled Pork Chops

Makes 2 chops

I dedicate this recipe to Kacie, for being a brat.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cloves minced garlic
2 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp honey
3 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp ketchup
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
small pinch cayenne (about 1/8 tsp, add more for more heat)
2 bone-in pork chops

DIRECTIONS:

• Mix the garlic, brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, ginger, onion powder, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl. Pour half it into a Ziploc bag, and add in the chops. Toss it all around. Squeeze the air out and seal the bag. Refrigerate 4 to 8 hours, turning occasionally and making sure the chops are evenly coated. Put the rest of the marinade in a small container and stick it in the fridge.
• Preheat grill to high, grease with Grilling Pam.
• Remove the pork chops from the plastic bag, and shake excess droplets of liquid from the chops. Grill chops, basting with the reserved marinade until meat is browned, no longer pink inside, and shows good grill marks, 8 to 10 minutes per side. A meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a chop should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).
• Pour remaining reserved marinade into a saucepan over medium heat, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook the marinade until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly; serve sauce over chops. 

***I served with baked potatoes that I grilled alongside the chops and some steamed veggies.***

Coconut Cupcakes

I've gone coco-nuts! For Easter, I wanted to make something that was light, cheerful and springy. For me, there's nothing that says springtime like coconut. Because it's white, it's easily dyed with food coloring, so if you feel compelled to dye the cupcakes or the icing, go ahead and go nuts!

CAKES:

1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

¾ tsp vanilla extract

¾ tsp almond extract

1 ½ cup flour

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

½ cup buttermilk

7 ounces sweetened, shredded coconut

FROSTING:

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

½ tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp almond extract

¾ lb sifted powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 325
• Cream butter and sugar on high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes
• Add eggs, one at a time, while mixing on low speed. Scrape bowl after each egg.
• Add vanilla and almond extracts, mix well.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in separate bowl. Alternately add dry ingredients and buttermilk to batter, beginning and ending with dry. Mix until just combined.
• Fold in half of the coconut.
• Line a muffin tin with paper liners, fill each with batter. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and tops are lightly browned. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, remove to rack and let cool completely.
• Make the frosting by creaming together cream cheese, butter and extracts. Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Frost cakes and sprinkle with remaining coconut.

Coconut Macaroons

Last night I made some chocolate-dipped coconut macaroons. They were delicious. A little crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Josh likes them dipped in chocolate, I prefer the au naturel. Either way, they are wonderful. Here's the recipe!

For the macaroons:

7 ounces flaked coconut (almost 3 cups)
2/3 c sugar
1/3 c flour
small pinch salt (1/4 tsp)
3 egg whites
1/2 tsp almond extract (you could also use vanilla or lemon!)

1. Preheat oven to 325. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine coconut, sugar, flour and salt. Give it a little stir.
3. With a wooden spoon! add in the egg whites and extract of choice.
4.  Drop small mounds (I had to make a coconut joke in here) of your batter onto the cookie sheet. They should be about 1 inch around. Drop them about 2 inches apart. Use your fingers to make the coconut flyaways more uniform if you want, that prevents them from getting a little too crispy around the edges.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges are a nice golden color. Let them cool on a wire rack.

For the chocolate:

Melt a small handful of milk chocolate chips with about 1/2 teaspoon of shortening in a small saucepan over medium heat. You could also do that in the microwave. Dip the macaroons in the chocolate, or drizzle it on top. Lay out a sheet of wax paper, and put the dipped cookies on to set. Let them set, then go (coco)nuts!

Hello!

I have given in to peer pressure. As a teacher, I feel badly about that. What kind of example am I setting? I am starting a blog. Yikes. I am wise in the ways of baked goods, and so I have decided to share my insights, recipes and deliciousness. Hopefully I can help make your lives taste a little better, and your pants fit a little tighter.

Bon Appetit!