Coconut Rice Pudding

I was reading Martha Stewart a while ago, and she had a recipe for coconut rice pudding.  I was intrigued.  I wanted to make it today, but I was concerned about the eggs in her recipe.  I often find pudding made with eggs has an eggy flavor which I don't like.  Plus, she only called for 1/2 c. coconut milk.  That didn't sound like nearly enough coconut flavor.  After looking around, I decided to make my own recipe.  Here it is.  I think it turned out delicious.  5 out of 7 Abbotts concurred.  Well, you can't win them all.

Coconut Rice Pudding

1 1/2 c. cooked rice (from 1 c. uncooked, I think)
1/2 c. coconut
1 can cream of coconut
whole milk to make 4 cups
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Measure the cream of coconut, add the whole milk to equal 4 cups liquid.  Combine the rice, coconut, liquids, and salt in a saucepan.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat, turn down to low/med. low to keep a slow simmer.  Cook for 40-45 minutes until it looks like pudding, stirring often. (It will be a little loose when hot, but will thicken up as it cools.)  Stir in the vanilla.  Cool and refrigerate or serve warm.

Look for cream of coconut in the mixed drinks section of the grocery store.

Coconut Cake

When I was in CA visiting, somehow we made the Lethal Peppermint Chocolate Cake. Mom, of course, wasn't interested, and the topic turned to coconut cake. This is a recipe is from the side of the Western Family white cake mix.

Super Moist Coconut Cake

1 pkg white cake mix

1/4 c. oil

3 eggs

1 c. sour cream

1 8oz. can cream of coconut*

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. sweetened flake coconut

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, oil, eggs, sour cream, cream of coconut, vanilla, and coconut. Mix until well blended.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool completely.

Frosting

1/2 c butter, softened

12 oz. cream cheese

1 Tbsp. vanilla

4 c. powdered sugar

1 c. sweetened flake coconut, toasted in the oven until light golden brown

Beat butter and cream cheese together until fluffy and free of lumps. Add vanilla and powdered sugar, beat until well blended and fluffy.

Frost cooled cake with frosting.

Sprinkle 1 c. toasted coconut evenly over the frosting.

*Do not buy plain coconut milk. The two are not the same and are not interchangeable. Coconut milk is found in the Asian section and is thinner and not sweetened. Cream of coconut, which you use in this recipe, is thick and sweet. It is found in the drink mixers section of the grocery store. Also, I have never found an 8 oz. can of cream of coconut. I usually pour/scoop the cream of coconut out of the can, mix it together (It's always separated in the can.) and use half of it. The other half I use for pina coladas. Yum!