Sweet Tooth Sunday

 I have a sweet tooth. 

Duh.  

If you didn't know that, you haven't met me.  Or read more than one blog entry.  It's fairly obvious.

Since I rather enjoy mixing up sweet things (oven + sugar = cheaper than therapy), I thought I'd start sharing some of the recipes.  'Cause sometimes people ask for them.   And it might make me look productive.  Or something.

Maybe one day I'll share the cheesecake recipe.  

Then again, maybe not.  

Hey, that recipe has literally been worth hundreds of dollars.  

But that's a different story for a different day.

Anyhoo-

Today will thus be known as the debut of Sweet Tooth Sunday.  If it ends up being the only time it ever happens, oh well.  Sometimes I get busy.  Don't know why.

And the winner recipe for today is.......

Coconut Cupcakes!

They are easy, they are divine, and I was craving them tonight.  

(you may recognize these from Heaven in my Kitchen)

It also makes a great cake (that I will make miniatures of one day-who can resist a little layered cake?), but I feel less guilty popping three or four cupcakes than I do when I repeatedly slice off pieces of cake for myself.  Cupcakes are nice that way.  And they're cute.

The Cake

1 box white cake mix

3 egg whites

1 can (approx 12 oz) Unsweetened coconut milk 

  (you can find this in the asian foods section at the grocery store)

Mix all ingredients together like you would any other cake mix.  The batter will be a little bit more stiff than most batters.  Beat it for 3 min or more until it's nice and full.  Drop them into cupcake cups and bake away.  350 degrees for about 15-17min.  (a cake bakes for about 22)

Mmmmm.....Smell the yummy-ness.........

Look how nicely they bake up!  Perfect round little tops!

Now, if you can manage to not just eat them all, we get to frost them.  More sugar!  Yay!

You can shortcut here and use whatever frosting recipe you like and just add coconut extract in place of vanilla or almond or whatever usually tickles your fancy, OR you can really indulge with this stuff:

The Frosting

8oz cream cheese

1/2 cup butter

1lb powdered sugar (that's 3 3/4 c folks)

2 tsp coconut extract (or if you're me, 4 or 5 tsp!)

Common sense tells you to soften the butter and cream cheese before you make this, but I don't.  Of course not.  I throw them both in and attack them with my hand mixer.  It's a little awkward at first, but the mixer always wins.  This frosting can be pretty soft, so I've found that not softening the butter and cream cheese first gives it a little more.....oomph.  

Oomph is a good thing.  

We like Oomph.

Top those pretty little cupcakes with as much of the addictive frosting as you please, and then you can sprinkle flaked coconut on the top for that little something extra.  

Voila!  

Y.U.M.

Oh, and dang it, SOMEbody is going to have to finish off that frosting that's left.  Wonder who that will be.......