Happy Easter to those celebrating today. I was going to take a mental day off, but by popular request (there were three of ’em), I am posting a recipe for chocolate coconut cupcakes.

However, as I based this on another recipe, but sorta winged the changes to it, this is all approximate. I really must try to write down my procedures better – that C in OAC Chemistry obviously taught me nothing.

Big props to Isa Chandra Moscowitz for the foundations on this one:

Set the oven to 350F. Set up some muffin tins with liners (the original recipe says it makes 12, but I got about 10).

In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, sift together:

3/4 (plus maybe an extra tablespoon) cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (minus a tablespoon) cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 baking soda
large pinch of salt

In a mug in the microwave, melt together:
a heaping tablespoon of chocolate chips
a heaping tablespoon of coconut oil

Pour into a 1/4 cup measure. If it doesn’t quite fill said measure, top it up with canola oil.

Place oil-chocolate mess in a large-ish bowl with:

1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup white sugar
1/8 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract (or, if you wanna get crazy, 1 capful of Malibu)

Whisk together until the sugar is dissolved, then add the dry ingredients. Stir until smooth than add:

1 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut

Stir until integrated. Do not overmix or your cupcakes will be short and tough.

Fill muffin cups and 2/3 to 3/4 of the way and place tin in the oven for about 20 minutes. Put on a cooling rack. Try not to stick your face in one of the cupcakes before it is cool.

Now, the icing is a bit more problematic. It involves melted chocolate, coconut oil, some vegan margarine (yep, this is one of those newfangled vegan recipes y’all have been hearing about) and confectioners sugar, but I’ll be damned if I can remember the proportions (my frosting-making method is of the ‘too liquidy – more sugar’, ‘oh, too stiff – more liquid’ , ‘not spreadable enough – more fat’ adding bits and bobs variety), so apologies for that.

Ice cupcakes. Then devour or, like me, add some coloured dried coconut in a decorative splort (mine was dyed with a bit of strawberry juice from some defrosted berries), then devour.

These are good, if slightly fally-apart-y. But fucking delicious. You should make them. They end up looking like this:

In retrospect, maybe the coconut topping looks pretty lame and half-assed. Decorate yours differently, folks!

Miaaaaammmm.