Isn’t it funny how we only eat certain foods once a year?  Often times they are some of our favorite things, but we save them for special occasions or associate them with certain traditions and so we only eat them once a year.  That’s how it goes for me with German chocolate cake.  My mom made me the same German chocolate cake every single year for my birthday and now my husband has carried on the tradition.  As much as I adore the cake, I NEVER make it any other time of year!  When I saw a recipe for a chocolate coconut cake, I couldn’t wait to turn the recipe into these Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes!

The flavors of these Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes will remind you of German chocolate cake but the frosting is thick and chocolatey rather than the caramel flavor of traditional German chocolate frosting.

Even though this recipe uses traditional cocoa powder, the cupcakes themselves are super dark brown, almost black which usually happens when you use Dutch-processed cocoa powder.  I left a few of the cupcakes unfrosted and just the cake alone is one of the moistest, most flavorful chocolate cakes I have tasted.  A common technique for getting that rich chocolate flavor is to add coffee to your chocolate baked goods and these recipe gives you a double dose of that technique with coffee added to the cake and the frosting.   You may detect a slight coffee undertone, but mostly, as I mentioned, the coffee just enhances the flavor of the cocoa.

If you are a fan of coffee-infused desserts, I have a few other recipes in my repertoire that will be worth your time to check out!

Coffee-Spiked Chocolate Caramel Bars

Vanilla Latte Cookies

What is a recipe that you love but only eat once a year?

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Nothing is more comforting to me that a warm latte or cup of hot chocolate.  I especially love when I have something tasty to dip into my warm beverage such as these Almond Coconut Chocolate Chip Biscotti.  Some biscotti is so hard that dipping is absolutely necessary to soften the cookie before you eat it.  This Almond Coconut Chocolate Chip Biscotti on the other hand is still crunchy, but it is not so crispy that you risk a visit to the dentist if you don’t dip it into something before you eat it.

The toasted almonds provide a perfectly nutty aftertaste and the coconut and chocolate chips are just sweet enough to keep you wanting another piece of biscotti.  I love to dip my biscotti in melted chocolate one side because if you have learned anything about me it is that I am a super chocoholic, so more is always better in the chocolate department for me, but you could certainly skip this step if you prefer.

And don’t forget about my other favorite biscotti recipes:

Cherry Almond White Chocolate Biscotti

White Chocolate, Pistachio and Dried Berry Biscotti

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While I was watching the red carpet pre-show for the Golden Globes last Sunday, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes as the hosts went on and on about how “freezing” it was in LA.  Living in the midwest my entire life, there is nothing “arctic” about 55 degrees to me!  When the raw temperature drops below 20 degrees people start to add a few more layers before heading outdoors.  But in the spring, by the time the temperature reaches 50, I guarantee you will see people outside exercising in shorts and tank tops.  I feel that our midwest cold winters really allow us to appreciate any warm, tropical vacations that we are fortunate enough to take.  These Lime Coconut Bars will get you feeling closer to a tropical paradise.

Even if you don’t have any plans of putting your toes in the sand anytime soon, these Lime Coconut Bars will make you feel a bit closer to a tropical paradise.

Just the crust of these bars would be great on it’s own as a cookie.  This buttery, white chocolate, coconut crust is topped with a custardy lime mixture that will remind you of a classic lemon bar but with a different citrus as the star.  Go ahead, put a cocktail umbrella in your cup of tea, enjoy one of these tropical-tasting bars and imagine that you can hear the waves crashing against the beach.

in a food processor, pulse butter, brown sugar, flour and salt to combine

add white chocolate and coconut and pulse

press into prepared pan and bake

make filling

pour over crust and bake again

If you are in the mood for citrus my Perfect Lemon Tart will also satisfy your craving!

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Hello friends!  I am sharing another recipe with you via Best Friends For Frosting today!  These adorable, personal-sized almond flavored cakes are filled with vanilla buttercream and coated with crunchy toasted coconut.  They are rich and sweet and would be perfectly accompanied by a hot cup of tea or coffee.

I think it would be so cute to serve each of your party guests one of these Mini Almond Coconut Cakes.  Who doesn’t want their own personal cake to eat all by themselves?

Click here for the detailed recipe.

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Does anybody else remember Fanny Farmer?  Is this a total midwestern thing?  Fanny Farmer was a candy store that I remember going to with my grandma at the mall.  They had these crispy coconut clusters that were such a special treat.  I have always loved the combination of chocolate and coconut.  I find that most people either love or strongly dislike coconut.  I will admit that artificial coconut tastes a bit like Hawaiian Tropic suntan lotion, but good old flaked coconut is so subtly sweet and provides such perfect chewy texture to baked goods.

I have been wanting to make this recipe for Coconut Wafers ever since I tore the recipe out of a Rachel Ray magazine over a year ago.  Rachel served hers with a coconut granita which I am sure would be a lovely combination, but I wanted to smear mine with chocolate.

These wafer cookies are paper thin and get crunchier with age.  You could use your favorite milk or dark chocolate to coat them and even sprinkle some toasted coconut over the melted chocolate if you were so inclined.

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