I want so badly to love mornings.
I love the idea of mornings: a fresh new start, the cool, quiet morning house, a still-clean kitchen, and plans for the day.
But sometimes the kitchen isn’t so clean, the plans aren’t that inspiring, and the early-morning house is anything but quiet as kids awake at various early morning hours. Days like those, my cozy bed is literally screaming my name and reaching out its cushiony hands to pull me back as I struggle mightily to swing my legs sideways and over, away from its alluring grip.
The minute my feet hit the floor, anyone who wasn’t already asking to get up is up and the swarm begins. Time to pack the lunch (which I’ve hopefully but not always prepped the night before), get breakfast on the table, make sure outfits are decent, if not coordinated, wonder if it’s library day or any other special work-requiring day, and notice how badly short hair does on a pillow when I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the microwave.
Those of you who wonder about my obsession with muffins should wonder no more. Muffins in the freezer are a saving grace when we wake up even 10 minutes behind schedule and don’t have time for the favourite breakfast of toast with eggs and cheese. Having an assortment means we can make sure everyone is reasonably happy, so I’m constantly trying new varieties to see which ones will be a hit with at least two out of the three muffin-eating kids. These muffins were a winner, and an especially big hit with me since I seem to like coconut more and more each day.
Muffins are, besides breakfast, my go-to evening snack of choice, and serve as my lunch more than once a week, so variety in my muffins is about as full of spice as my life gets these days. The smell of coconut reminding me of Mexican beaches and slushy girly drinks certainly doesn’t hurt either. Mmmmm.
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup shredded coconut (if using sweetened, you can reduce sugar to ½ cup)
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1¼ cups buttermilk or sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ tsp coconut extract (optional - if you don't have it, they'll still taste great)
- 1 cup chopped fresh cranberries (a food processor does this easiest)
- ⅓ cup coconut + 2 Tbsp sugar for topping
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, ½ cup coconut, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In smaller bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, oil, and extracts. Pour over dry ingredients and stir just until well combined. Sprinkle chopped cranberries in and stir gently to combine.
- Divide over 12 paper-lined muffin cups. Combine ⅓ cup coconut with 2 Tbsp sugar and sprinkle evenly over muffins.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, until edges are golden and tops are firm to the touch. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing to cooling rack.
Love freezing muffins for quick morning and these look amazing, shall bake some today to add to my rotation. 1 question, is the baking powder measurement correct? 1 tablespoon seems higher than normal muffin recipes.
Thanks!!!
Yes, it’s a Tablespoon :)
These look delicious. Pinning and making this weekend!
Good lordy, the absolute last thing I would ever consider doing in the a.m is getting my cook on, but I do rather like that you bake for the freezer to assist with the morning eating. Brill idea, shall start doing this too. :)
I love coconut too! I try to add coconut to anything sweet I bake. And I love muffins… so I will definitely be trying these soon!!
I have never thought about keeping a stash of muffins in the freezer! I must try it! :)
These sound so good. I’m the only coconut lover in my house, but I love the idea of freezing them. I’ll make them all for myself!