Key Lime-Coconut Cupcakes

I don’t own what is probably the most popular vegan cookbook out there – Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Neither do I own Moskowitz’s Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. I like to think that it's not that I'm slow or cheap, but that I was just waiting for the big kahuna – Veganomicon: the Ultimate Vegan Cookbook.

Ok, I'm cheap. I was waiting for someone (Santa) to give me one of Moskowitz’s cookbooks.

The first recipe I made out of Veganomicon was mini key lime-coconut cupcakes for the last Philly food blogger meetup. Can’t find key lime-coconut cupcakes in the index of your Veganomicon? That’s because it’s not there.

I knew I was making non-vegan mini key lime bars, but wanted a vegan counterpart. When I saw the coconut-lemon bundt cake recipe in Veganomicon, I immediately thought of banana-lime bread with lime glaze that I used to make that also used coconut. Bingo! Substitute lime for lemon, put the batter in a mini-cupcake pan, and slap a lime glaze on those suckers!

I liked these guys a lot. They were sweet, but not cloying. If you want cloying, just add a lime and cream cheese-like frosting. Cloying is good, too.

Key Lime-Coconut Cupcakes

1 ⅔ cups granulated sugar
⅔ cup vegetable oil
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
¼ cup rice or soy milk
¼ cup lime juice, (key lime or regular)
3 tablespoons grated lime zest
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cup shredded coconut, (sweetened or unsweetened)

Key Lime-Rum Glaze

¼ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon rum
3 tablespoons lime juice, (key lime or regular)

• For the cake, combine sugar, oil, coconut milk, rice milk, lime juice and zest, and vanilla in a large bowl.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the wet ingredients in batches, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the coconut.
• Pour the batter into a greased mini-cupcake pan, and bake for 18 minutes in a pre-heated 350° oven, or until the cake is done. Let cool.
• To make the glaze, combine brown sugar, rum, and lime juice in a small pan over low heat, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes until a thin syrup develops. Brush tops of cupcakes with glaze.

Key Lime Bars

My boyfriend needed a PO box because he was going away for a while – job, not jail. I suggested that he save his money and have his mail forwarded to my house. I told him I’d be able to open important letters if need be, but I had ulterior motives. I really just wanted his subscription to Cook’s Illustrated.

Cook’s Illustrated approaches recipes scientifically. They test all sorts of ingredients, methods and tools in order to come up with what they think is the best possible recipe. While most of the dishes are meat based, they usually throw in a few desserts or a vegetable side. Also, don’t miss their great tips on the best tools and store bought foods.

My birthday cake came from Cook’s Illustrated and it was awesome. Last week I tried Key Lime Bars from the current issue. I like things tart and almost added more zest than called for, but restrained myself and actually followed the recipe. It was tart to my liking, and to die for!

~I could eat sweetend condensed milk with a spoon. I love it so.~

Key Lime Bars
adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Crust
5 ounces animal crackers
3 tablespoons brown sugar
pinch of salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Filling
5 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 tablespoon minced lime zest
pinch of salt
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 large egg yolk
½ cup fresh lime juice

Garnish
¾ cup toasted shredded coconut

• Preheat oven to 350° and adjust oven rack to middle position.
• Line 8x8 inch baking pan with tin foil, leaving overhang that can be used as handles to lift the bars from the pan. Spray foil with non-stick spray.
• Pulse animal crackers in a food processor until finely crumbled. Add sugar and salt and pulse. Add butter and pulse until combined. Press crumbs firmly into bottom of baking pan. Bake until golden, 18-20 minutes. Cool.
• Stir cream cheese, lime zest, and salt in a bowl until softened and combined. Add sweetened condensed milk and whisk until incorporated and lumps are gone. Whisk in egg yolk. Gently whisk in lime juice.
• Poor filling into crust and smooth surface. Bake 15-20 minutes or until set and edges start to pull away slightly from the sides of the pan. Cool 1-1 ½ hours. Cover with tin foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Loosen edges and lift bars from the pan. Cut into squares and garnish with toasted coconut.