Snow-Capped Coconut Fudge Bites

Cookie number two!!

Next up is a rich chocolaty coconut treat! These bite-sized brownie like treats couldn't be any simpler to make and they are a favorite of mine-I love anything chocolate and coconut.

There are a few things you need to keep in mind during cookie week:

These are cookies, not diet food...so yes they're full of sugar and butter! (Everything in moderation, right?)

When you are storing your cookies, wrap each cookie separately otherwise they all start to taste the same.

If you are planning on freezing cookies that are coated with powdered sugar, plan on sprinkling a little extra after thawing.

Snow-Capped Coconut Fudge Bites

1 cup butter, softened

1 (11.5 ounce) package Bittersweet (not unsweetened) chocolate

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon coconut extract (you may substitute vanilla extract)

3 large eggs

1 cup flour

1 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Melt the butter and chocolate in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently; cool completely.

Using a large spoon, stir in the sugar, heavy cream and coconut extract; stir until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring after each until incorporated. Gradually stir in the flour and the coconut.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a mini muffin pan lightly with cooking spray. Spoon the batter into the cups filling each 2/3 full. Bake in the oven 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Gently remove bites from the pan and transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 48 bites.

Note: Let the cakes cool for 5 minutes in the pan before gently removing bites and transferring to the wire rack to cool completely. Use a small spatula or knife to remove the bites being careful to not not break them. The "cookies" will be slightly crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.

Bittersweet Chocolate Coconut Bread

I have always been a tea drinker. I remember happily drinking tea with my brothers and cousins at the dining room table of my grandmother's house. The tea, thick with milk and sugar, was more of a dessert than a beverage, but I felt so grown up drinking it. Now I drink it black. Oh my sweet tooth hasn't gone away, I just prefer not to drink my sweets-I much prefer to eat them.

Bittersweet chocolate to me is the best kind of chocolate; it has a chocolate sweetness that is...well..not too sweet. This bread, a tea bread if you will, is just that-not too sweet. The texture is definitely bread-like as opposed to cake-like and I love to nibble on it in the evening with a cup of green tea.

You can usually find bittersweet chocolate in the baking section of the supermarket. I like the bar form and will usually crack it with the back end of a knife while it's still wrapped in the package-I like the non-uniformity of the pieces as opposed to using chips, but if you prefer you can substitute chips. Try to find the bittersweet chocolate, but if all else fails semi-sweet chocolate will work just fine.

Bittersweet Chocolate Coconut Bread

1 egg

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon coconut extract

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup sweetened coconut

1 (3 ounce) bar Bittersweet (not unsweetened) chocolate, crushed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a small bowl whisk together the egg, milk, coconut extract and vegetable oil. In a large mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder; stir in 3/4 cup of the coconut and the chocolate.

Using a wooden spoon, gradually stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.