Coconut Cupcakes

Continuing my love affair with The Barefoot Contessa, today I played in the kitchen and made Ina's Coconut Cupcakes (from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, page 175).

The college girl has been begging for coconut cupcakes, and tomorrow she and her friends will have a VERY yummy and delicious treat.

Usually when I'm baking a recipe for the first time, I follow the instructions exactly. This time though, I didn't have exactly what I needed -- large eggs rather than the extra large called for; not quite enough all-purpose flour (filled in with cake flour); not quite enough coconut... so I just made do.

I know cupcakes are THE thing right now, and I've purchased from a couple of local cupcake bakeries recently. On one recent visit, I found the cupcakes to be dry and bland. I wondered why I had purchased them, when I knew I could bake just as well (or better?).

I had planned to bake a second Ina cupcake today too: Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing (Barefoot Contessa at Home, page 187), but they will have to wait until another day. I'm out of flour, out of eggs, out of unsalted butter, and out of time. It is date night.

Until next time...