Yippee, Herbally Speaking!

I'm enjoying going to the local grocery store these days and today was extra exciting!  My favorite issue of Martha Stewart Living is out of the stands, the gardening issue.  Means spring is just around the corner!  We are seeing more of the ground and may be 60 by Friday!  Yippee!

I'm also a little late with my valentine greeting.  So here is a Martha recipe that I made for The Herbal Husband for Valentine's Day actually I made them the day I got back from Ohio!  Now that's love!

Coconut Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes

3 cups cake flour (not self-rising
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 sticks (1-1/2 cups) unsalted butter,
room temperature
2-1/4 cups sugar (divided)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup coconut milk
8 large egg whites
1-1/4 cups shredded sweetened coconut
Seven-Minute Frosting
Fresh Roasted Coconut for garnish

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two standard 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners; set aside.
2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
3.  In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed.  Beat in vanilla.  With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until just combined.  Transfer mixture to a large bowl; set aside.
4.  In the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on low speed until foamy.  With mixer running, gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar; beat on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 4 minutes.  Do not overbeat.  Gently fold a third of the egg-white mixture into the butter-flour mixture until combined.  Gently fold in remaining egg-white mixture; stir in shredded coconut.
5.  Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each with a heaping 1/4 cup batter.  Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until the cupcakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.  Frost cupcakes with your choice of frosting.  Martha's choice was seven minute frosting.  I chose CoolWhip and walnuts.  Cupcakes may be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.  Garnish with fresh coconut just before serving.

I have given you links to Martha's seven-minute frosting and fresh roasted coconut.  There is a link for the original cupcake recipe under the roasted coconut link.  They are delicious.  Here is a photo of my finished product.  They are about 300 calories per cupcake with CoolWhip and walnuts.   The cupcakes are about 231 in calories per cupcake.  I made 1/2 of the recipe and it made 16 cupcakes!  Well, hope you enjoy them.  Got to run.  Talk to you later.

A quote sent to me by my master gardening friend, Shelley:

Out of Gardens fleeting flowers but lasting friendships grow.

--Beverly Rose Hopper