Coconut Bread

 

My New Years plan is to keep things simple in 2026!  Life is full and that is a blessing but there are somethings that just don't need to be so complicated.

When I saw this recipe, the first thing I thought was that I have all but one ingredient already in the house!  It was meant to be!  I hope that you love this as much as I do!  Simple and oh so delicious!

You'll need:

2 cups self-rising flour (I prefer White Lilly)
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
2 eggs 
1 stick butter or 8 tablespoons or 1/2 cup softened
1 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract (could use vanilla extract instead)
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup of sweetened flake coconut

Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda and set aside.  Cream sugar, butter and eggs in a mixing bowl.

Pour in flour mixture along with buttermilk and coconut extract and continue mixing until all ingredients are wet. Gently fold in the coconut flakes.

Sprinkle coconut and a little extra white sugar on top of the loaf before it goes in the oven for added texture and it looks great that way.  Spray a 9 x 5 loaf pan with cooking spray and bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes until center tests done.  Makes 1 loaf.

Caprese Cups

 

This is the perfect solution for any occasion that asks you to bring a dish!  These caprese cups have a ton of flavor and takes only 10 minutes to make!  

You'll need:

Salami slices
8 oz Mozzarella Pearls

1 pint Cherry Tomatoes

1 cup Olives 

1 cup Banana Pepper Rings

Salt and Pepper  

Balsamic Glaze

 

Add the salami slices into a muffin tin to form a cup.  No need to grease the tin. Bake at 400 degrees for 5-10 minutes.

In a large bowl, add the mozzarella pearls and 1 cup of cherry tomatoes (halved or quartered).  Add the olive of your choice (I picked the red pepper filled olives).  Add the banana peppers then sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste (I like more pepper than salt).  Toss all together and set aside.

Remove salami cups from the oven.  Add your filling to each cup then plate and serve!

You can easily customize this to your personal taste.  Any sliced protein to form the cup then fill with goodies of your choosing.  I'd recommend ham, mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes and pepper rings or even large pepperoni slices with mozzarella and your favorite pizza toppings,