Trainwreck Cookies with Toasted Coconut

I have so many memories attached to these particular cookies.

The story behind the naming of the Trainwreck Cookies:

It took me a very long time to figure out how to make these delicious cookies look presentable (and even now, they're frustrating as hell, and break easily when you try to get them off the foil... but totally worth it). The first time I ever made them was for Thanksgiving a few years back, when my grandparents, my mother, my brother and I visited my mom's sister and her family in Texas. I must say up front that when I was younger I always adored and idolized my Uncle Mike. As I was wrestling with the tin foil, and subsequently looking like a fool, my uncle came into the kitchen, stopped, looking at me, laughed, and said "Well, this looks like a trainwreck." He ate his words later (and, like, the entire plate of cookies... hah!).

Another (less interesting) memory attached to these cookies is when I would make them and bring them into IB English 12 every couple of weeks. It was one of my first experiences wherein I was liked implicitly by people (aka Brittany and the swimmer boys) who really didn't give a damn about me beforehand. Because I brought in cookies, they not only were nice to me, they also requested my baked goods with increasing frequency. It was nice to be of value, but not too nice. Ultimately, it just solidified my dislike of mean and snobby people.

Anyway, this time, I made them to celebrate my 20th birthday, which was on Monday.

Trainwreck Cookies are chocolate-caramel graham cracker cookies with accentuation. These cookies are tied with my Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies for the most universally well-liked of my cookies. The Trainwreck Cookies have the added benefit of being very versatile, and can be topped with just about anything: chopped and toasted nuts, M&Ms, other kinds of chocolate, or (as in this case) coconut. I have vowed to get this recipe completely perfect, and am well on my way. See my notes, at the end.

Trainwreck Cookies

Ingredients:

• nonstick cooking spray
• 1 1/2 packs graham crackers (they usually come 3 packs/box)
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
• about 1 1/2-1 c of desired topping

To Make:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking pan with high sides (trust me, it's important) with NONSTICK foil (also important), so that there is a couple inches of overhang on every side. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray. This will make your life so much easier in the long run.
2. Place graham crackers on baking sheet in a single layer, as tightly packed as possible, so you have a sheet of graham crackers.
3. In a pot on medium heat, melt the butter, then add brown sugar. Stir until the mixture resembles caramel, for about 5 minutes.
4. Pour caramel evenly over graham crackers, and spread with spatula. Bake for 6-8 minutes, until the caramel is violently bubbly (and the kitchen smells delicious).
5. Take pan out of over, sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over graham crackers. Bake for another 2 minutes. Using spatula, spread melty chocolate evenly over graham crackers. Top with desired accenting topping(s).
6. Allow to cool in pan for 30 minutes, then place in freezer for 15. After frozen, allow to thaw for a few minutes, then using a sharp knife, make deep cuts in the sheet of cookies to delineate intended cookie size. Then, pray that the foil comes off.

Some Notes:

• My Canadian roommate suggested using parchment paper instead of foil next time. I am absolutely going to do so. If you try it before me, let me know how it works!

Coconut-Banana Tartlets

Well, bummer... I failed at the challenge. There was just not enough time to use up all those chocolate chips. If my grandmother doesn't use them before the holidays, then you guys will probably see the return of the challenge once I get home from school!

These tartlets I made for a dinner party at my mom's house. They turned out awesomely, and so pretty (especially considering I don't own tartlet pans), but they were heavy. Whipped cream improved the taste a lot, balancing the heavy flavors with the light.

Coconut-Banana Tartlets

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients:

For crust

• 1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/3 c. sweetened shredded coconut
• 3 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp. ice water

For filling

• 1 1/3 c. sweetened shredded coconut
• 3 ripe bananas, cut into 1/2 in. pieces
• 3/4 c. whipping cream
• 3/4 c. granulated sugar

To Make:

1. Blend flour, coconut (for crust), sugar and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix in vanilla and water, and knead until doughy. Wrap in tin foil and freeze for 45 minutes. 
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 6 jumbo muffin tins with non-stick spray.
3. Divide dough into 6 parts. Keeping other parts in the freezer while you roll each one out into 6 in. rounds on a floured surface. Gently place rounds into muffin tins, folding the extra dough where it creases. Freeze for 15 more minutes.
4. Bake crusts for 20 minutes, popping any bubbles that form. Cool crusts in muffin tin. Reduce oven to 350 degrees F.
5. In a large bowl, combine coconut and banana. In a medium saucepan stir cream and sugar together until the mixture boils. Pour mixture oven bananas and coconut. Stir to combine and spoon into shells, making the tartlets level.
6. Bake tartlets for 25 minutes. Cool in pan, then remove.

Some Notes:

• Definitely use whipped cream in your serving of these tarts.
• Next time I will also cut the banana more coarsely to make the tarts easier to eat.

Coconut-Lime Tartlets

(pictures coming soon)

Admittedly, I've been on a lime kick lately. I don't know what it is about summer that makes me want to gorge myself on citrus fruits, but since lime is generally one of the more versatile of the citrus flavors I've been playing with it a lot in my baking. I made these tartlets for a reunion of many of my high school girlfriends. They've been exposed to lots of my baking (it was routine for me to bring baked goods into my senior year English class at least once a week) and they proclaimed it to be up to snuff with the best of the best that I've made! I, however, was a little less impressed than they were... see the notes section for what I would change next time.

Coconut-Lime Tartlets

Adapted from Gourmet

Ingredients:

For crust:

• 3/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 6 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 1/3 c. sweetened flaked coconut, toasted and cooled
• 1/4 c. powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt

For custard:

• 4 eggs
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. plus 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice (about 5 limes)
• 1 tbsp. freshly grated lime zest (about 2 limes)
• 1/3 c. sweetened flaked coconut, toasted and cooled

To Make:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line about 24 mini muffin cups with mini muffin liners.
2. Make crust by combining all crust ingredients with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Pack about 1/2 tbsp. of mixture into each mini muffin liner. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden.
3. Make custard by whisking together eggs and sugar in a bowl until combined, then stirring in flour, lime juice, and zest. Pour about 1 tbsp. of custard mixture on top of each crust. Reduce oven to 300 degrees F. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until custard is nearly set.
4. Remove mini muffin pans and top each custard with toasted coconut. Bake 5 more minutes. Chill at least one hour before serving.

Some Notes:

• The flavor of the fresh lime juice really shines in this dish. While that is wonderful, I felt that the flavor of the coconut was lost amidst the lime. In the future I would substitute the 2 extra tbsp. of lime juice in the custard for 2 tbsp. coconut milk.