Rose and cardamom coconut pie

 My husband's birthday was the inspiration for the development of this rose and cardamom coconut pie!

There are several things that make this pie so special. The first is it doesn't have eggs! That's right, you don't have to fight anyone off to acquire eggs at the grocery store for this recipe. And a big benefit to not using eggs is that it's pretty foolproof. If you over bake it a little bit, you don't have to worry about the surface cracking. 

ALSO, it has a phyllo crust. So if pie dough is a barrier to you making pie, this is the perfect solution. Another great part about a phyllo crust is you don't have to parbake the crust, which you would normally need to do before baking a custard pie.

This recipe has rose water, and if you're unfamiliar with rosewater, it's important to know a little goes a long way. You can go from a pleasant rose taste to straight perfume very quickly. I'm pushing the limits a little bit with two tablespoons, but my husband LOVES rosewater. So if you're unsure, I recommend starting with one tablespoon, smelling it, and then reevaluating whether you want to add more.

Rose and cardamom coconut pie

Yield: One 9-inch pie

Time: About 90 minutes

Ingredients

For the filling

• 1 1/2 cups (170 grams) shredded coconut
• 3/4 cup (90 grams) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (106 grams) light brown sugar 
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 400 milliliters unsweetened coconut cream
• 2 Tablespoons rose water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the crust

• 8 Tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted
• 8 sheets phyllo dough, thawed

Directions

For the filling

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Spread coconut flakes in even layer on baking sheet. Bake for 6 to 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes, until coconut is golden brown. Remove from oven and pour into medium mixing bowl.
3. Mix flour, both sugars, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt with coconut flakes.
4. Whisk in coconut cream, rose water, and vanilla extract until just combined. Set mixture aside.

For the crust

1. Brush 9-inch pie pan with melted butter and place on baking sheet for easier handling.
2. Unfold phyllo sheets and cover with damp towel.
3. Place one sheet of phyllo in pan and gently press it into bottom and sides with edges hanging over rim. Brush it lightly with butter.
4. Turn pan slightly and place another sheet of phyllo on top. The edges of the two sheets should be slightly staggered and not match up. Brush with butter.
5. Repeat with remaining phyllo and butter, making sure to stagger the sheets so the phyllo is evenly distributed.
6. Scrunch the overhanging phyllo around the edges to form a ruffled lip and brush with butter.
7. Pour filling mixture into crust and bake until filling is set around edges but still a little jiggly in center, about 45 to 55 minutes. 
8. Let pie cool to room temperature and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Samoas Brownies

This is a sponsored post by Challenge Butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

After a relaxing post-holiday vacation, I was finally starting to feel like I had my life back together. And then classes started back again... and I got the stomach flu (worst I've ever had in my life)... and then I found out I'm traveling to Washington DC for the inauguration!

So once again, it's a little crazy over here, but such is life!

Sometimes in the midst of chaos, it's satisfying and relaxing for me to bake. With baking, everything is very exact. I know that if I use the exact measurements and follow the directions, the recipe will turn out exactly how I want.

Baking is also great for stress-eating. And that's how these brownies came to be.

It was Saturday night and I really wanted some Girl Scout cookies. But for some reason they seem to be really hard to track down. No one at my work is selling them, no one has knocked on our door to sell them, and I have yet to see a troop selling them outside a grocery store or the mall. My neighbor down the street told me his granddaughter would be over to sell some, but I'm still waiting for that to happen.

How on earth is a girl supposed to get her cookie fix?!

So I took matters into my own hands and combined my favorite Girl Scout cookies, which are Samoas, with brownies.

The recipe is very similar to the Samoas Pie that I made last year; the ratio of ingredients is just a bit different. There's a little more coconut and a little less caramel so the brownies are easier to cut.

The end result was perfection. If you have a sweet tooth and love chocolate, caramel, and coconut, this is for you!



Samoas Brownies
Yield: Makes about 16 brownies
Ingredients

• 1/3 cup Challenge butter, melted
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 18-ounce brownie mix
• 1 cup chocolate chips 
• 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut 
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup caramel sauce
• 1/4 cup melted chocolate to drizzle on top

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit; line 8x8 pan with aluminum foil and set aside.
2. Combine butter, milk, and egg; add brownie mix and stir until just combined. Pour batter into lined pan.
3. Sprinkle chocolate chips and coconut on top of batter.
4. Pour sweetened condensed milk on top of coconut and drizzle caramel sauce on top.
5. Bake brownies for about 40 to 45 minutes or until the coconut starts to turn golden brown.
6. Remove from oven. Using a spoon or sealed bag, drizzle melted chocolate on top in long, parallel lines.
7. Allow pie to set for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving; brownies need plenty of time to set or they won't cut well.
8. Store brownies in airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Samoa Waffles

This is a sponsored post by Challenge Butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

Why is it that chocolate, caramel, and coconut go together so well? I have been obsessed with the flavor combination ever since I made Samoa Pie for Pi Day back in March. Lately, all I think about is, “Hmmm I wonder if I can turn that into a Samoa.”

If I made every Samoa-flavored food that popped into my head, I’m quite certain I would have a Samoa cookbook by now. Also, there’s a very good chance I would look like a Samoa cookie.

Fortunately (or unfortunately), I’ve used some restraint.

Until now…

When I found out about National Waffle Day on Wednesday, my first thought was, ”I could make a Samoa waffle.”

And I was totally right.

Last month when I did my segment about unexpected uses for a waffle iron, I remembered reading about cake mix waffles.

They consist of just four ingredients: cake mix, milk, eggs, and butter. The box of the cake mix will tell you to use water and oil, but don’t do that. Using milk and melted butter make the cake richer. Especially when you use a product like Challenge butter. Challenge churns their butter from real cream and salt. That’s it. There’s no artificial coloring or flavoring.

Once the mix is combined, you can use it the same way you use waffle batter.  I found that about 1/2 cup of waffle mixture works best in the waffle iron at one time.

The chocolate waffles are delicious, but I think the real winner of the recipe is the caramel coconut syrup. Believe it or not, there are only 2 ingredients: coconut milk and brown sugar. Combine the ingredients together in a saucepan with a 1:1 ratio and boil for just about 5 minutes. The syrup is so flavorful and pairs PERFECTLY with the waffles!

It doesn’t get easier than that, kids!

Samoa Waffles

Serving: Makes about 6 waffles

Ingredients

For the waffles

• 1 (15.25 ounce) chocolate cake mix
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup Challenge butter, melted
• 3 eggs

For the caramel coconut syrup

• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup brown sugar

Directions

For the waffles

1. Mix cake mix, milk, butter, and eggs in large bowl for about 2 minutes until very few lumps remain
2. Cook waffles according to your waffle maker's instructions. I recommend using 1/2 cup batter per waffle.

For the syrup

1. Combine coconut milk and brown sugar in saucepan and bring to a light boil. Let syrup boil for about 5 minutes. Syrup will begin to thicken.
2. Remove from heat.
3. Pour syrup over waffles and sprinkle with shredded sweetened coconut if desired.

Chewy Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Granola bars have been a staple in lunchboxes for years. They’re convenient and they’re definitely tasty. And most people consider them to be healthy. But it’s important to note that not all granola bars are created equal.

If you look at the ingredients of some granola bars, they contain high fructose corn syrup, and that’s not all that healthy.

But fortunately it’s just as easy to make your own granola bars.

I’ve been making this granola bar recipe about once every other week for the past year because it is so easy and so good! The ingredient list is very simple (only 6 ingredients!) and I love that it keeps you feeling full.

You can also customize it to your own liking. Instead of chocolate chips, you could substitute Craisins. Instead of peanut butter, you could substitute sunflower butter. And if you don’t like coconut, just omit it!

And also, I should add that I used the Baked Goods Recipe Cost Calculator to compare the cost of these granola bars to store-bought granola bars. It costs $3.72 to make this entire recipe, and the cost per granola bar is 15 cents! Compare that to an 8-pack box of Quaker Chewy Granola Bars, which costs $4.19 for a box and 52 cents per granola bar. That’s a huge difference!

Chewy Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Servings: Makes about 24 bars

Calories per serving: 84

• 2/3 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 cup quick oats
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Disperse shredded coconut on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. Bake coconut for 5 minutes, just until the coconut is lightly toasted, and remove from oven.
4. Mix toasted coconut with quick oats, peanut butter, honey, mini chocolate chips, and vanilla.
5. Line 8 x 8 pan with aluminum foil and press mixture into bottom of pan
6. Refrigerate pan for at least a half hour before cutting.
7. Granola bars will stay fresh for about a week; refrigerate to increase freshness time.

Samoas Pie

I love Girl Scout cookies so much! Girl Scout cookie-selling season was always my favorite season growing up. I worked my rear end off to be the top cookie-seller! I walked around the neighborhood in below-freezing temps, working up the courage to knock on every single door to sell my cookies. It was a nerve-wracking experience for young, shy Kylee, but it really shaped my character. And there was nothing more gratifying than selling a box all by myself.

For me, Samoas cookies were always the real MVP of Girl Scout cookies. Some areas of the country call them Caramel deLites, but I don't like that name. First of all, they are so much more than a caramel cookie! They are a caramel, chocolate, coconut, shortbread cookie all wrapped up into a delicious treat. Second of all, that’s not even how you spell delight. Case settled.

Okay, now I’m done venting. So let’s talk about pie. Pie is supposed to make people happy!

You can use any pie crust your heart desires for this particular pie. You can use a graham cracker pie crust, a chocolate pie crust, a shortbread pie crust or a cookie pie crust. The recipe below is for a cookie pie crust, and that’s what you’ll see in my pictures. But like I said, it doesn’t really matter because the real MVP of this pie is the filling (I’ve never said that phrase before in my life, and I’ve already used it twice in this blog post).

I’ve been calling this pie a “no-mix” pie because you don’t need to mix the filling at all. Just dump everything on top of the pie crust. Have you ever heard of magic bars? It’s kind of the same concept. And I like that concept because it’s one less bowl to clean. And you know what the secret to a girl’s heart is? Less dishes.

After you finish the pie, make sure to let it set for at least 4 hours, otherwise you’ll have a hot mess.

No-Mix Samoas Pie

Ingredients

For the crust

• 1/2 cup Challenge butter (1 stick), melted
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (104 grams)
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (157 grams)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the filling

• 1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 3/4 cup salted caramel sauce
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted (for drizzling on top after pie is done)

Directions

For the crust

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9-inch pie dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Combine melted butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract in a bowl and mix until smooth.
3. Add the flour and salt and stir until jut combined.
4. Pour batter into prepared pie dish and smooth the top.
5. Bake for 10 minutes; the crust will not appear done, but that’s okay because it’s going back in the oven.
6. Remove pie crust from oven.

For the filling

1. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of pie crust.
2. Sprinkle coconut on top of chocolate chips
3. Pour sweetened condensed milk on top of coconut.
4. Pour caramel on top.
5. Bake for 25 minutes.
6. Remove pie from oven.
7. Using a spoon or Ziploc bag or pastry bag, drizzle melted chocolate on top of pie in long, parallel lines.
8. Allow pie to cool at least 4 hours or overnight before serving; pie needs plenty of time to set.
9. Keep pie an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Recipe adapted from Averie Cooks.

Coconut Macaroon Easter Egg Nests

Easter has always been my favorite holiday. I love the pastel colors. I love the candy and chocolates. I love the warmer weather of spring. I love witnessing the earth come alive again after being dead all winter. And most importantly, I love the real reason that we celebrate – Jesus. 

Jesus paid the ultimate price for each and every one of us. He was nailed to the cross and died for our salvation. But His death was not the end because he rose from the dead. And on Easter we celebrate his resurrection.

Easter is a beautiful celebration of life, and I am eternally grateful for the sacrifice that was made for me. 

This year, I will be attending Easter service at Traders Point Christian Church, and I welcome all of you to attend and celebrate the Risen Lord with me.

Coconut Macaroon Easter Egg Nests

Yield: Makes about 24 nests
Approximate 160 calories for 2 nests

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup (from 5 large) egg whites
• 10 ounces sweetened coconut flakes (I used Baker's)
• 6 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 48 mini egg-shaped candies (I chose M&Ms peanut butter eggs)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a heavy saucepan combine egg whites, coconut flakes, and sugar and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until all the ingredients combine together, about 12 minutes. The mixture will be sticky and moist.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the almond and vanilla extracts. Set aside and let it cool 10 minutes.
4. Spray a nonstick mini muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.
5. Drop heaping tablespoons of coconut mixture into tin and lightly press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the tin to make "nests.”
6. Bake 22 to 25 minutes, or until golden.
7. Let the nests cool 10 minutes in the pan, then carefully remove from the tin.
8. Top each nest with two mini eggs.

Recipe adapted from SkinnyTaste.com