Everything Coconut. Coconut Pancakes;-)

I was reading a fantasy book the other day and the hero ordered coconut pancakes. I had never imagined such a thing, but since I’m a coconut fanatic I decided to find a recipe. Warning! You don’t want to have these every day, they are not low calorie. I used pineapple syrup to top them off, they are pretty great. If you’re one of those coconut haters this meal is not for you. However, it just goes to show that books can become reality.

Coconut Pancakes

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: SERVES 2-3

Ingredients:•
1 can good-quality coconut milk (14 oz./398-400 ml)
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbsp. white sugar
• 2 Tbsp. Oil or melted butter
• 1 tsp. coconut flavoring
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• PAM
Mix the coconut milk, shredded coconut, eggs, Oil, and coconut flavoring together, set aside.
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together and add dry ingredients. These pancakes need to be cooked on a pre-heated pan at a medium low setting. I use PAM to prevent sticking.

Pineapple Syrup•

1 20 OZ can crushed pineapple
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 and ½ Tablespoons corn starch
In a small sauce pan, add sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch to crushed pineapple, bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Ball

This is a sweet spin on the traditional cheese ball. I took it to a New Year's Eve party and it was a huge hit. My friend called me the next day told me she would bring over the ingredients if I would make another one.

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
3 T brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 - 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup crushed Heath bars (or finely chopped nuts if you prefer)
1 box graham crackers

1. In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in the sugars and vanilla. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

2. Shape chilled cream cheese mixture into a ball. Wrap with plastic, and chill for an hour or more.

3. Roll the cheese ball in the crushed Heath bars (or nuts) before serving. Serve with graham crackers. ENJOY!

Note: Do not use low-fat products or the cheese ball will not harden sufficiently.

This picture is actually the second cheese ball that I made. Kassidy was trying to "help" me and held it in the car on the way over and it got pretty mushed and out of shape---it looks a lot prettier in real life--I promise :-)

Tobi's Quiche

In general I'm not a fan of eggs. They just don't appeal to me. But happily at one point in my life someone forced me to try Quiche. One happy explosion of deliciousness in my mouth and I was hooked.

Here is my favorite way to prepare Quiche.

Ingredients

• 1 Frozen Pie Crust
• 1 1/2 cups cubed cooked ham
• 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup frozen broccoli florets, thawed, well drained on paper towel or you can use fresh
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
•  2 to 3 tablespoon finely chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. 
2. Layer ham, cheese, broccoli and onion in the frozen crust pan. In medium bowl, beat eggs and milk with fork. Stir in black pepper and salt. Pour over broccoli, cheese, ham and onions.
3. Bake for 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving. 

And of course you can put just about anything you want in a Quiche. Because even though I don't love eggs. I must admit they are quite versatile.