Well, we were recently in Hawaii for about a week to attend our son’s graduation! It was a wonderful, emotional ceremony:) The rest of the trip was spent helping Jesse and Lois pack up and clean up(and watch Caleb:)) to head back to the mainland:) Moving is usually a pain, but moving from Hawaii is a bit of a bigger pain (and added cost) because you can’t just pack up the U-haul and head out!
Since we weren’t able to run around and play, I left Hawaii without grabbing my favorite cinnamon macadamia nuts from the macadamia nut farm:( I had to settle for buying some Mauna Loa Dry Roasted Macadamias with Sea Salt at Costco to make these Blueberry-Coconut- Macadamia Muffins.
Hawaii definitely came to mind when I first found this muffin recipe and I thought it would be the perfect little treat to bid a fond Aloha to Hawaii…Mahalo for the memories! I have the feeling it will be a looooooong time before we return.
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/blueberry_coconut_macadamia_muffins.html
From EatingWell: August/September 2006
The one-two punch of coconut and macadamia nuts in this luxurious muffin will make you think you’re having your morning coffee in Hawaii. Drizzle with honey for an added touch of sweetness.
12 muffins | Active Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
- 2 tablespoons plus 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided
- 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup brown sugar, divided
- 5 tablespoons chopped macadamia nuts, divided
- 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
- 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (see Source) or whole-wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg white
- 3/4 cup nonfat buttermilk, (see Tip)
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon coconut or vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) blueberries
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.
- Combine coconut, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 2 tablespoons macadamia nuts in a small bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil; stir to combine. Set aside.
- Whisk the remaining 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, egg, egg white, buttermilk, butter and coconut (or vanilla) extract in a medium bowl until well combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients; stir until just combined. Add blueberries and the remaining 3 tablespoons nuts; stir just to combine. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with the reserved coconut topping and gently press into the batter.
- Bake the muffins until golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack at least 5 minutes more before serving.
Nutrition
Per muffin : 202 Calories; 9 g Fat; 3 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 23 mg Cholesterol; 28 g Carbohydrates; 4 g Protein; 2 g Fiber; 122 mg Sodium; 55 mg Potassium
2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 1/2 fat
