Ingredients

• 1 tsp. vegetable oil
• 3 stalks lemon grass, sliced thin
• 3 large shallots, chopped
• 8 sprigs fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• 3 tbsp. fish sauce
• 4 c. chicken broth
• 2 14 oz. cans coconut milk
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• ½ lb. white mushrooms, cut into 1/4" slices
• 1 lb. pork tenderloin, halved lengthwise, sliced into 1/8" thick pieces
• 3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 2 tsp. red curry paste

Preparation

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add lemon grass, shallots, cilantro, and 1 tbsp. fish sauce; cook, stirring frequently, until just softened, 2 to 5 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and 1 can coconut milk; bring to simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 10 minutes. Strain broth, return to pan.

Return pan to medium-high heat. Stir remaining can coconut milk and sugar into broth mixture and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium, add mushrooms, and cook until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add pork and cook, stirring constantly, until no longer pink, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove soup from heat.

Combine lime juice, curry paste, and remaining 2 tablespoons fish sauce in small bowl; stir into soup.

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 1 ¼ cups milk, heated to 110°F
• 2 ¼ teaspoons (one package) active dry yeast
• 2 eggs
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the dough
• 2 quarts canola oil

For the topping:

• 4 ½ cups shredded sweetened coconut
• 22 ounces soft caramels
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the chocolate glaze:

• 8 ounces dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preparation

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine warm milk with yeast. Stir lightly and let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.

Attach mixer with a dough hook and beat eggs, butter, sugar, and salt into the yeast mixture. Add half of the flour and mix until combined. Gradually add the rest of the flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Grease a large bowl with a little oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and roll it out until 1/2-inch thick. Using floured 3½" and 1½" cookie cutters, cut out 6 donuts and holes.

Put the donuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet with plenty of room between each one. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until puffy, about 45 minutes.

Pour oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F on an oil thermometer.

Carefully add the donuts to the oil, a few at a time. Fry, flipping once until puffed and golden, about 4 minutes.

Transfer donuts to a wire rack to drain.

Make the topping while donuts cool. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spread coconut on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Melt caramels, milk, and salt in a double-boiler by placing a medium bowl over a smaller pot of simmering water.

Cook, stirring constantly, until the caramels are melted. Remove from heat.

Carefully spread 1 tablespoon of caramel on the top of each donut. Combine the remaining caramel with toasted coconut in a large bowl. Mix well. Spoon 1/4 cup of the coconut mixture on the top of each donut, covering the caramel layer.

Make the chocolate glaze by mixing chocolate, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a bowl. Bring cream and butter to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour cream over chocolate; let sit for 2 minutes without stirring. Whisk until smooth.

Dip the bottom half of each donut in the chocolate glaze and return to wire rack to let excess drip off. Use a fork to drizzle the tops with chocolate. Let donuts sit until the chocolate hardens, about 20 minutes.

Thrillist

Ingredients

• 2 large egg whites
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 7 ounces unsweetened coconut shavings (about 4 cups)

Preparation

Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 325°F. Whisk egg whites and sugar in a large bowl just until frothy. Whisk in lime zest and salt. Add coconut and fold to coat.

Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of coconut mixture onto 2 parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheets. Bake, rotating pans halfway through from top to bottom and back to front, until golden brown, 18-22 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets.

Bon Appetit, March 2013

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of ground coriander
• 2/3 cup sugar
• Grated zest of 1 lime
• 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup finely chopped macademia nuts (don’t be afraid to use salted nuts)

Preparation

Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt and coriander.

If you want to get a little more flavor out of the lime zest, put the sugar and zest in the mixer bowl and, using your fingertips, work the zest into the sugar until the sugar is moist and the mixture fragrant.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and zest on medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing only until the dry ingredients disappear. Add the coconut and nuts and pulse to incorporate them. There will probably be some dry ingredients in the bottom of the bowl–don’t work them in with the mixer, just reach into the bowl and knead them in.

Transfer the soft, sticky dough to a gallon-size zipper-lock bag. Put the bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough into a 9-x-10 1/2-inch rectangle that’s 1/4 inch thick. As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough so it doesn’t cause creases. When you get the right size and thickness, seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or for up to 2 days.

GETTING READY TO BAKE: Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

Put the plastic bag on a cutting board and slit it open. Turn the dough out onto the board (discard the bag), and, using a ruler as a guide and a sharp knife, cut it into 32 squares, each roughly 1 1/2 inches on a side. Transfer the squares to the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between them, and carefully prick each one twice with a fork, gently pushing the tines through the cookies to the sheet.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and fromt to back at the midway point. The shortbreads will be very pale–they shouldn’t take on much color. Transfer the cookies to a rack and cool to room temperature.

Makes 32 cookies.

Dorie Greenspan, Baking: From My Home to Yours, pg 145, from Barefoot Kitchen Witch

Ingredients

Crust:

• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted, cooled
• 7 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee crystals
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 6 1/4 teaspoons instant coffee crystals
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons whipping cream
• 6 tablespoons cream of coconut (such as Coco Lopez)
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

• 3/4 cup chilled whipping cream
• 1/4 cup cream of coconut (such as Coco Lopez)
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• Sweetened shredded coconut, toasted

Preparation

For crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine all ingredients in processor. Process until moist clumps form, about 1 minute. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Freeze crust until firm, about 10 minutes.

Place crust on baking sheet. Pierce all over with toothpick. Bake crust until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool.

For filling: Whisk sugar, coffee crystals and cornstarch in heavy medium saucepan until no cornstarch lumps remain. Gradually whisk in cream, then cream of coconut (coffee crystals will not dissolve completely). Mix in yolks. Whisk over medium heat until mixture thickens and boils, about 8 minutes. Cool in pan, whisking occasionally. Whisk in vanilla. Spread filling in crust. Chill until cold, about 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead; cover and keep chilled.)

For topping: Beat whipping cream, cream of coconut and powdered sugar in medium bowl until firm peaks form. Spoon into pastry bag fitted with medium star tip. Pipe decoratively over filling.

Sprinkle with shredded coconut. Refrigerate until cold about 1 hour

Bon Appetit, October 1995