We were looking for a fun and tasty Saturday baking adventure for our 3 year old. It had to be something quick since snack time was upon us. Muffins are easy and force you to be quick since once the dry ingredients are wet you need to get everything in the oven within 30 minutes. I am a fan of anything with coconut (as is the namesake of my site). I had recently done a coconut cake with chocolate ganache for my mothers birthday, so these flavors were on my mine already. Here is a recipe from The Ultimate Muffin book by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough that I think you will enjoy.

Equipment:
Nonstick spray or paper muffin tins
2 mixing bowls – medium and large
wooden spoon

Ingredients
1½ cups unsweetened coconut flakes.
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 cups all-purpose flour
^_2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
^_1/2 teaspoon baking soda
^_1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
^_1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
5 ^_1/2 ounces coconut milk. Full cream will make for a more tender muffin.
^_1/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line the muffin tins with paper liners. In a food processor grind 1 tablespoon brown sugar with 1/4 cup of the coconut flakes until coarsely ground. Add to a mixing bowl along with 4 tablespoons of the melted butter. Set Aside
2. Whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, chocolate chips and salt until well combined. Stir in the remaining coconut flakes. Set Aside.
3. In the large bowl, whisk the eggs until lightly beaten. Then add the coconut milk, whole milk, lemon zest, and the remaining melted butter. Stir in the prepared flour mixture with a wooden spoon.
4. Add a chocolate chip or 2 to the bottom and top of the mixture. Fill the muffin tins three-quarters full. Bake for 25 minutes. The let cool 10 minutes.
5. Store muffins at room temperature for 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Flat bread preparations can be as versatile as pizzas. Feel free to experiment with your own flavour profiles to come up with your own favourite.

2 chicken breasts brined (recipe below)

6 tbsp olive oil

4 home made or store bought flat bread, approximately 10″ long.

1 cup no salt tomato sauce

1/2 cup diced red onions

1 cup thinly sliced tomatoes

1 cup mozzarella cheese

3 cups washed arugula

5 tbsp goat cheese crumbles

Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil on medium for 1 minute then add cut up chicken breasts. Cooked until done – 7-8 minutes. Set aside.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat flat bread on a crepe pan or similar, one piece at a time on medium until bread becomes slightly brown. Remove from from heat and place onto foil or ceramic pizza pan. Brush with 1 tbsp olive oil.

Layer tomato sauce, red onions, chicken, tomatoes, mozzarella, arugula, and goat cheese onto flat bread. Bake on 400 degrees for 8 minutes.

To brine the chicken breasts:

3 tbsp kosher salt

2 tbsp dark brown sugar

10 peppercorns

Add kosher salt, sugar, and peppercorns to a container along with 2 liters of cool tap water. Stir in until salt and sugar dissolves

Layer a cutting board with 2 layers of saran wrap, place chicken breast on the cutting board. Add another 2 layers of Saran wrap to cover chicken. Using a mallet beat the chicken breast until 1/2 its current thickness. Add to brine and refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove from brine and cut into desired size.

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