Lemon Coconut Strawberry Cupcakes

Its strawberry time here in Florida!!!  These cupcakes have the delicious combo of lemon and coconut with some strawberries tossed in!!!
This light springtime cupcake is delicious–with my favorite thing–coconut.
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees and line muffing pan with paper muffin cups or butter muffin pan for use with out paper cups.

Don’t forget to check out our post on how to clean your strawberries!!!!

Ingredients
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/8  tsp salt
1/4  cup sugar
1/2 cup grated coconut
1/2  cup chopped fresh strawberries
2 Tablespoons butter melted
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1  tsp grated lemon rind

In large bowl sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Stir in grated coconut,  strawberries and  1/4 cup sugar.
In small bowl combine melted butter, lemon zest, lemon juice and milk and egg.  Add liquid mixture all at once to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.  Divide evenly into muffin cups.  Before baking cupcakes can be topped with a coconut crumble mixture.  This crumble topping is sweet enough to eat cupcakes without frosting or you can leave it off–or do both!!!
Coconut Crumble Topping
1/4 cup flour
3 Tablespoons butter
1/3 cup coconut
1 Tablespoon sugar
Mix all ingredients with your fingers until crumbly and sprinkle on top of cupcakes before baking.

Bake cupcakes for 20 to 25 minutes or until tops a springy.  Remove from oven and cool in pan a bit before moving to wire rack–about 5 minutes.    Cool completely before spreading with vanilla buttercream.

Vanilla Buttercream
1  1/2 cups powder sugar
1/2 cup butter (at room temp)
1/2  tsp vanilla
1-2  Tablespoons heavy cream
Beat ingredients together with electric mixer until consistency is ok for spreading.

Top with sliced fresh strawberry.  These cupcakes are moist and delicious.  A little on the sweet side for me—but still good.

*Christine*

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Muffins

Packed full of chocolate chips and juicy strawberries, these two flavors go together like hugs and kisses.  Be prepared to eat more than one, they become addicting!!!   And this recipe is healthy too..  Dark chocolate, berries, honey, whole wheat flour—all good for you stuff!  Check them out, I promise you wont be sorry.   I’m really getting the hang of this muffin thing and this is my own recipe…

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.   Line 12 cup muffin tin with paper cups.

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup ap unbleached flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup melted butter (can use oil here)
1/2  cup strong flavored dark honey
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
generous 1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 cup cubed strawberries

Stir the dry ingredients: flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, together in large bowl.  Add chocolate chips and strawberries.
In small bowl combine melted butter, honey, vanilla, buttermilk and egg and blend together well.  Fold  liquid mixture to dry ingredients and stir together until all dry ingredients are incorporated into wet.  Equally place in 12 muffin cups  and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.  The darker honey gives these muffins a pinkish look, which I like since they are strawberry muffins!  Cool and enjoy.  These will definitely cure that chocolate urge.  Be sure too pass them out or you’ll be tempted to eat them all!!
*Christine*