gone too soon, it happens to me every year I try to relish each day.
Trying to juggle a healthy mix of chilling on the couch air conditioner breeze blowing through my hair
and running like a wild cavemen through the concrete jungle also known as the amusement park.
Trying to escape the 105 degree summer sun while standing on line for the colossal jumbo vertical stand-up twister with the 300 ft drop.
Either way I tried it both ways and trying to focus on keeping summer from going away too soon helped me not to realize that summer was halfway over....
and now I can't help but pay attention because I'm receiving letters stuffed with homeroom numbers, binder and paper size requirements and kids requesting Converse sneakers with pictures of doughnuts printed on the sides.
Summer's over but I'm just not ready to let it go so I'm enjoying the sweeter side of summer with these
Grilled Pineapple Coco Cupcakes...
they give me the excuse to light up my grill sit in the grass and soak up the leftover rays of the beautiful summer sun!
A La Cocina!
ingredients (yields approx. 12 cupcakes)
2 1/4 c. flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter
1 1/3 c. sugar
1 c. milk (or 1/2 c. milk and 1/2 c. pineapple juice)
3 eggs, separated
2/3 c. grilled pineapple cut into chunks, drained
1 tsp. good quality vanilla extract
12 pineapple rings (approx. 2 cans keep in mind you'll need extra pineapples for the batter)
grilled pineapple directions
Grill pineapple wedges, a cut side down, on a lightly oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals until just charred, about 2 minutes on each cut side.
(If you don't feel like lighting up the grill you can also use your oven being careful to lay the pineapples over the oven rack so that they won't fall through the cracks)
cupcake directions
1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.
2.In separate bowl cream together butter, sugar, vanilla and egg yolks until well blended.
3.Pour flour mixture and milk and pineapple juice into your butter mixture, alternating between the two. Add in your crushed pineapples then gently fold in your egg whites.
4. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until done. Cupcakes will be moist.
coconut buttercream
1 stick butter, softened
1 teaspoon coconut extract
4 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons coconut milk
buttercream directions
1.Beat butter with a mixer until smooth.
2.Slowly beat in powdered sugar and mix until crumbly.
3. Add in the coconut extract and 3 tablespoons of coconut milk and mix until smooth. If needed, add another tablespoon of milk to reach desired consistency.
4. Once buttercream is done, you can either frost with spatula or place buttercream in a piping bag and swirl it on top of the cupcake.
5. Once cupcake is frosted and set, take your grilled pineapple rings and place them on top.
Now it's time to taste la vida dulce!
