Toasted Coconut Blueberry Muffins

Utah has started to throw in more and more thunderstorms here in the valley. From our balcony, we can usually see if one is rolling it's way in from the south. It starts pretty small, a couple of dark clouds here and there, and eventually it roars into this huge thunderstorm that makes our dry crusted little desert surroundings jump for joy from the impending torrential downpour headed it's way. We LOVE it. It gives me an excuse in the heat of the summer to fling open the windows and balcony doors, and turn on the oven for a little overcast baking. 

I wanted to make something simple, but something we could enjoy bit by bit, piece by piece, and well, muffin by muffin! I tossed these darling little blueberries into the batter without batting an eye. But I knew we didn't want to just have regular blueberry muffins (even though I have nothing against the classics), so I headed to my recently organized-beyond-reason pantry, and found some leftover coconut as the thunder cracked outside my windows. I was scared to death  loving the firework display nature decided to broadcast off our balcony. 

I knew just regular coconut wouldn't be enough of the flavor I wanted. I wanted warmth and depth. I wanted a little crunch, and more of a rustic undertone. So toasting the coconut was a must. A little extract was tossed in the recipe as well to echo those beautiful coconut flavors, and darn it, we had a muffin for the ages. 

These little beauties popped right up and exploded with all the flavor I could have ever dreamed of for a muffin. They were soft, they were fluffy and light, they had just enough sweetness, but not so much they'd feel more like a cupcake. I loved the way some of the blueberries held their circle shape perfectly, waiting to burst with each bite, but also how some bled their gorgeous color through the sides of the muffins. We ate a few when they were warm, and then saved the rest for breakfast the rest of the week. 

Well, at least we thought they'd last the rest of the week... 

Waiting until breakfast was torture. I think these were gone within a day or two from snacking. 

Totally worth it. 

Toasted Coconut Blueberry Muffins
makes 16 muffins

ingredients:

3 C all-purpose flour

4 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1 t ground cinnamon

2/3 C toasted coconut flakes 

2 eggs, room temperature

1 C granulated sugar

1 C buttermilk

1/2 C vegetable oil

1/2 t vanilla extract

1 t coconut extract

1 & 1/2 C fresh blueberries 

coarse sugar 

method:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Prep muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray or line with muffin liners. Set aside while preparing the muffins. 

2. Whisk together dry ingredients in a medium bowl (flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and toasted coconut) until just combined. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk together eggs and sugar until thoroughly combined. With the mixer speed on low, mix together milk, oil, and vanilla + coconut extracts. Remove mixing bowl from mixer. 

4. By hand, gently fold wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix. Make sure all flour pockets are gone, but don't overmix it. The batter will be lumpy and very thick. Fold in blueberries. 

5. Using a large cookie scoop or ice cream scoop, scoop batter into prepared muffin tins until filled to the top. Top with a little coarse sugar. Bake for 5 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 375, and bake for 13-15 minutes at the new temperature. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan before serving. 

recipe adapted from: Sally's Baking Addiction "Sparkling Jumbo Blueberry Muffins"