Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie

Hi all! I'm sorry it's been so long since my last post! With Nationals, and giving myself some mean 2nd degree burns, I've been a little busy. But now that the season is over, and I have some more down time I promise I will be posting more frequently! I can't believe our season is over, time has flown by! A huge thanks to all the fans! Your support means the world to Colin and I, and we are so excited for next season!

 Now, back to the baking. I love the combination of chocolate and coconut, so I definitely wanted to do something with those flavors. There isn't a lot of chocolate, just a little layer of ganache under the pie filling, but I think it does the trick ;). 

Coconut Crust - recipe from Jan Can Cook

• 3 cups sweetened coconut flakes

• 1 stick butter (1/2 cup)

Butter or spray your favorite pie plate. In a large skillet over medium heat combine butter and coconut. Cook until the butter is completely melted and the coconut flakes are golden brown. 

By the way, I've decided its impossible to be neat when there is coconut involved. Towards the end, I just stopped trying. Place the coconut in the prepared pie plate, and firmly pack with the back of a metal spoon. I started out using my hands, but quickly switched when I decided I wanted to keep my finger prints. You would think since I burned myself I'd be more cautious…but apparently that's not the case. I really am trying to be more careful though, one burn was enough for me! Place in the fridge until firm, about 30 minutes. 

Chocolate Ganache

• 4oz semisweet chocolate

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 1/2 tablespoon butter

Place chocolate in a small bowl. Heat heavy cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat until it just simmers. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let sit for about 5 minutes. Add in the butter and stir to combine. Once the crust has hardened, spread the ganache over the bottom of the crust. Stick in the fridge until firm, about 15 minutes. 

Cream Filling - recipe from Jan Can Cook

• 4 egg yolks

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup flour

• 3 cups half and half

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a small bowl whisk together the egg yolks, 1/4 cup of sugar, cornstarch, flour, and salt. Slowly mix in 1 cup of half and half. 

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the remaining 2 cups of half and half and 1/2 cup of sugar. Bring just to a boil. Add the egg mixture and cook and whisk until the mixture returns to a boil and thickens. 

Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Transfer to a bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool. 

Once the filling has cooled pour into the crust and spread evenly.

Whipped Cream 

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1 1/2 tablespoons powdered sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whip heavy cream until it starts to thicken. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until light and airy. Spread on top of the pie and enjoy! You can top it with coconut or just leave it as is :). 

If theres anything in particular you'd like to see me post next feel free to send suggestions to me on twitter @stasiarose! 

Chocolate Cupcakes with Nutella Bark

As an athlete I'm obviously not supposed to have a lot of sweets, but I have to admit that I do indulge a little from time to time. After all, I'm only human! My partner Colin McManus usually bites the bullet and takes the job as taste tester. Sounds like a tough job, right? For my first post I decided to go the not so healthy route. I didn't want to scare you guys off by starting off with a dessert made with black beans. Although, that will eventually come ;). My favorite flavor combination is chocolate and hazelnut, so I wanted to incorporate that into my first post. I made Chocolate cupcakes with a chocolate buttercream frosting, pretty simple right? Well, I also made Nutella bark to go on top! Not only does the bark have Nutella, it also has pieces of Ferrero Rocher chocolates (my personal favorite chocolate) crumbled on top. First things first...the bark. 

Nutella Bark
• 1lb (16oz) semisweet chocolate
• 3/4 cup Nutella
• 10 Ferrero Rocher chocolates

Coarsely chop the Ferrero Rocher chocolates and set aside. It will be a little messy, but it's worth it :)

Place the chocolate in a microwavable safe bowl. I used squares of chocolate, but you could use chips, or bars. If you do use a bar just make sure to chop it into like-sized pieces. Microwave for 1 minute, stir, and then microwave in 30 second intervals until smooth. 

Spread the melted chocolate out on a parchment lined baking sheet. Microwave the Nutella for 30 seconds. Use a spoon to drizzle the Nutella over the melted chocolate, and try to distribute it as evenly as possibly. Then, take a knife, kabob stick, or anything you prefer (I used a small inverted spatula) and swirl the chocolate and Nutella together. 

Sprinkle the chopped Ferrero Rocher on top and stick it in the fridge for 2 hours or until firm. The Nutella will stay slightly soft.

Cupcakes - adapted from Hershey's chocolate cupcakes 

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 3/4 cup cocoa powder

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup milk

• 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350° and line a muffin pan with paper liners. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Give it a quick spin to combine.  Add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until incorporated. Stir in the boiling water (the batter will be thin).  Fill liners 2/3 of the way with batter. Bake for 22-25 minutes and cool on a wire rack. Makes about 30 cupcakes. 

Frosting

• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature

• 7 cups confectioners sugar (I don't like my frosting very sweet, but if you do feel free to add more)

• 1 1/2 cups cocoa powder

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 8 tablespoons heavy cream or milk (I prefer heavy cream)

Place the butter in a bowl and beat until smooth. Add the cocoa powder and mix until incorporated. Add the confectioners sugar 1 cup at a time. Trust me, if you add more than a cup at a time the sugar will go everywhere! Powdered sugar really is a pain to clean up, and after hearing my sister say, "Stasia! You got powdered sugar everywhere!" one too many times, I finally learned my lesson. I say, if you don't make a little bit of a mess while baking you're doing it wrong. Although, my sister clearly disagrees :P. Once all the sugar is incorporated add the salt and vanilla. Add the heavy cream and beat for 2 minutes on high. 

Once the cupcakes are cool its time to frost! You can frost them however you like, but I prefer to pipe :) Once the bark has hardened you can either break it up by hand for a more homemade look, or if you're feeling super fancy you can cut it into triangles with a knife. Whatever happens to float your boat. Top each cupcake with a piece of delicious Nutella bark. Enjoy!

Hope you enjoyed the first blog, there will be many more to come! Maybe next time I'll do a healthy recipe…or maybe not ;)