Toasted Coconut-Lime Muffins

My husband is coming home from a tiring business trip. He spent his birthday on the road. He doesn't have a huge sweet tooth. He doesn't even like cake, which is mind boggling to me. So instead of a birthday cake, I made muffins. He loves muffins. I whip up lots of different kinds, like my Incredibly Moist Blueberry Muffins and French Vanilla Pear Muffins. You can view all of them in the Recipe Index. He's a fan of the cozy, toasted coconut and lime combination in this recipe. I love that there's no mixer needed to prepare them. They have moist centers, slightly crunchy exteriors, with a texture and flavor similar to scones. They're delicious eaten warm, minutes after they're made, with a little butter or tart marmalade. Brew some coffee or tea!

Toasted Coconut-Lime Muffin Recipe

Makes 12

Some Notes:

The batter will be thick.

The tops of the muffins stay mostly blonde when done. The bottoms are golden brown.

Pure coconut extract really boosts their flavor. In a pinch, vanilla extract will work too.

If you want to eat them the day after they're made, store them in an airtight container in the fridge and pop them in the microwave to warm. We enjoy them for several days this way.

A reader wrote she used coconut oil instead of butter and baked them for 15 minutes.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup light brown sugar. Don't pack it down in the cup. I use Florida Crystals Brown Sugar.  
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt. I use fine sea salt.
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup of full fat coconut milk
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled 
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 large or two small limes, zested. Reserve some zest for serving.
• 1 teaspoon of pure coconut extract 
• To Serve: butter, marmalade, jam 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 and liberally grease a muffin tin.

Toast the coconut by placing it in a dry skillet over medium heat. Once it's golden brown, put it into a medium bowl. Stir in the flour, light brown sugar, baking powder and salt.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg with a fork. Stir in the coconut milk, melted butter, most of lime zest and the coconut extract. Mix the dry ingredients with the wet until just combined. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick, inserted in the center of a muffin, comes out clean. Cool in the pan for a few minutes. Remove from the pan and sprinkle with the reserved lime zest.

Bon Appetit!