Pina Colada Muffins

There is a saying in Missouri "If you don't like the weather, stick around, it will change"  Ya'll, Missouri weather is 18 times of crazy, in the last week, we have seen temperatures in the high 50's and in the low teens, we have seen rain and snow, thunder and lightning, sun and clouds.  I am so ready to see blue skies, puffy clouds, bright sun and temperatures in the 80's!

While I try my best to NOT let the weather get to me, the dark dreary wet days really put me in a funk.  I want to sleep all the time, or rather lay on the couch with a good book.  I don't want to leave the house, it makes it impossible to get good pictures...it is just Yucky!

So...I made a little something to make me happy, feel warm and fuzzy and brighten my day with the flavors of the tropics!  These Pina Colada Muffins, just scream tropical.  I would have put a cute little drink umbrella in them..but I did not want to go to the store, as I was loosing what little sunlight I had very fast.

These muffins are packed full of pineapple and coconut, which remind me of a Pina Colada, hence the name of them.  I do have to tell you that these muffins are all about the topping.  Do you love the crumble topping on muffins as much as I do?  Ya'll, for me the topping is the best part.  So, I doubled my original recipe so that there was an abundance of topping, because it is the best part, don't ya know?  But, if you are not a topping loving freak like me, feel free to cut the topping recipe in half, they will still be yummy.  Oh...and they get better over time...the flavors just get better and better, and if you pop them in the microwave for a bit..you have a warm muffin to warm you up a little, because warm muffins are the best, right?

Give them a try..I promise you will love them

Pina Colada Muffins

by thecookiepuzzle

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes

Cook Time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients

For Muffins

• 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1/4 cup Pineapple Juice (reserved from well drained crushed Pineapple)
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 1/2 cup well drained crushed Pineapple (reserve juice)
• 1/2 cup Sweetened Flaked Coconut

For Topping

• 6 Tablespoons Flour
• 6 Tablespoons Sugar
• 6 Tablespoons Flaked Sweetened Coconut
• 2 Tablespoons Melted Butter

Instructions

For Muffins

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees. Prepare muffin tin with either wrappers or spray well with non-stick baking spay. In a large bowl, combine, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt, set aside. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, milk, pineapple juice eggs and vanilla, mix well. Mix wet ingredients with dry ingredients just until combined, small lumps are ok. Gently fold in the coconut and pineapple. Fill muffin tin with batter, I use a large cookie scoop, the tins will be 3/4 full. I got 12 muffins.Prepare topping.

For Topping

Combine flour, sugar and coconut, stir in melted butter, this will be a crumbly mixture.

Generously top muffin batter with topping. Bake for 25-30 minutes until tops are lightly brown and tooth pick inserted into middle comes out clean. Cool for 10-15 minutes in tin, then remove to cooling rack to completely cool. Store in airtight container.

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More Muffins you might enjoy

Triple Chocolate Muffin Tops by Simply Sweet by Honeybee

Samoa Muffins by Ellie's Bites Decorated Cookies

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Pieces of My Puzzle 2-23-14

Another week has come and gone.  I am so happy to have sunlight for longer and warmer temperatures.  I have put away my Columbia Omni Heat coat, and moved to a lighter weight jacket. This makes me happy.
While I am sure we will have more cold days,  I think the snow is done for the year.  WOOT WOOT!

This has been another rough week for me, crazy busy at work, which causes me to want to do nothing when I get home.  Thankfully my husband is ok with frozen pizza for dinner, for a night or two #wifefail #supportivehusband!

So...Friday it happened!  I had a Senior Parent Meeting!  WOW...talk about a slap of reality!  Collin will be graduating on May 18th!  This done got real!  We got all the details for the 8 gazillion activites the Seniors have to participate in.  In the span of two weeks they have Senior Activity Day, Senior Awards Night, Baccalaureate, Graduation Practice, Senior Brunch, Graduation and Project Graduation. We are also planning a small celebration for Collin in the middle of all of this.  I was thinking I was going to get to purchase a cake for it, but Collin was not having that...I have to make cookies.  Ugghh!  I am praying that Autism goes to bed, and Collin can make it through all of this!  The Senior Parents are in charge of the Project Graduation, and some how I ended up on the Price Committee.  Not sure that how...but I am so, for the next few months, I will be out and about begging for prizes.  Thankfully, they have letter for me to hand out, and a list of companies who have donated in the past.  So..bottom line is...if I am MIA..you know why.

The Olympics have come and are just about gone.  While I had it on most nights....I can not say I was glued to all of it.  I am ready for my regular shows to start up again.

Grey's Anatomy starts on Thursday!  So many questions!  Who does April choose, Matthew or Jackson?  Why is the President calling Derick?  What happened to Alex's Dad?  Will Bailey get treatment for her OCD?  What will happen to Callie and Arizona?  AND...what about the Twisted Sisters, Meredith and Cristina?  Can they find their way back to one another?

Scandal is back too!  This has to be my favorite show on television. When will Fitz find out about Olivia's mom?  Olivia's mom, who she thought was dead, but found out was alive, thought she was a "good guy", helped her excape her evil dad, only to find out her mom is the evil one, and her dad is the good guy.  What the heck is going on with Quinn?  Has she gone to the dark side?  I hope not, because I want to see her and Huck together.  Cyrus....oh Cyrus, he is just crazy...I think Mellie did it to him.  Mellie is all kinds of WACKADOODLE!!  Now Sally has done gone and killed her husband....talk about crazy in Washington DC!  WOW!


I need a book to read.  I finished my last book, and have been with out my nightly reading for about a week.  Collin has started reading "The Hobbit", he wants me to read it too, but honestly, I am not sure I will like it.  Not sure why, I just never thought it was "my thing"  Have you read it?  Would I like it?  Should I give it a try?  Do you have a book you can recommend.  I really like reading book series, I like following characters over several books.

So...that is about that...this week on the blog I was pretty quiet...one post...#bloggerfail #sorryihavealifeoutsidemyblog

Eggless Cookie Dough (3 ways)

Until next time...tomorrow I hope!

Eggless Cookie Dough (3 ways)

My dad had shoulder replacement surgery on late last month.  The day he had surgery, was the day that we got A LOT of snow.  So much snow that, my parents had to go to the hospital early to beat the snow.  So much snow that, my sister and I could not get to the hospital.  So much snow, that my mom had to stay at the hospital with my dad, because the road were bad.  So much snow that my uncle had to go to the hospital two days after the surgery, to drive my mom home.  Thank you Uncle Bob!

The surgery was a success...but the recovery has been hard on him.  My daddy is a tough man.  He has survived a car crash that should have killed him, knee replacement, a terrifying intestinal problem last year that scared us all, and raising my sister and I, which I know caused him an ulcer or two.  He is way past the age of retirement, but still works almost full time.  He is an wonderful father, husband, Papa, and friend.  But this surgery...this has knocked him, and knocked him hard.  Seeing my dad in pain, and my mom hurting because he is hurting, well, it is not a good feeling.

I wanted to make his favorite treat, raw cookie dough.  Every time we make chocolate chip cookies, we HAVE to save him a bowl of raw dough to eat.  But...well...with the concern of him eating raw eggs, I decided to make him an egg less version.  I have never made one like this before...but OMG...I will be making it again!

It comes together very quickly, is rich and sweet and just yummy!  You can use any type of chip you want.  I made three different batches, using chocolate chips, mini M&Ms and chocolate toffee bits.  Confession time, the chocolate toffee bits one was so good.....I kept it for myself.  I gave the other two to my daddy, and he loves it.  I think using only brown sugar really help give it a rich and full flavor of regular egg cookie dough.  The amount of milk needed to make this is really a personal preference, if you like a thinner dough, use more milk, a thicker dough, use less milk.  I like my dough THICK so I just used 2 tablespoons of milk.  I also found that melting the butter, allowed the dough to come together quickly, and since it will not be baked, using melted butter does not matter, like it would with a baked cookie.

If you love eating cookie dough, right out of the bowl while making cookies...this one is for you.

Eggless Cookie Dough

by thecookiepuzzle

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes

Cook Time: none

Keywords: cookie

Ingredients (approx 2 cups)

• 1/2 cup soften butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1.25 cups flour
• 2-4 tablespoons milk (you might not need all of the milk)
• 1 cup mix ins, ie chocolate chips, M&M's, chocolate toffee chips

Instructions

Cream butter and sugar. Stir in vanilla and 2 tablespoons of milk. Mix in salt and flour, add more milk if needed. Gently Stir in chips. Enjoy. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

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Pieces of My Puzzle 2-16-14

Happy Sunday!  Did you have a good week?  I had a crazy busy week, for some reason, I feel like I was busy but was not able to get anything done.  Is that weird?  Does that ever happen to you.

I was very busy at my full time job,and when I got home, I just had no energy to do anything.  So have spent this weekend, trying to catch up on all my housework, trying to figure out what to post on the blog next week, editing pictures, working on projects.  There just does not seem to be enough time in the day to get everything done.  Why is it that the older you get, the faster time moves?

One thing I did get to do this week is watch some mindless TV.  Well, if I am being honest, lots of mindless TV.

I am loving American Idol this year!  After taking several years away from it, it has become new and exciting for me again.  I am trying NOT pick a favorite until they get to the final 10-12, but a few have caught my eye.

Did you watch "The Curse of Oak Island' on The History Channel?  It is over now, but I had recorded the entire series, and I really enjoyed it.  It was about a pair of brothers, who were searching for treasure on a small island off the coast of Canada.  A little mystery, a little "reality TV", a little history...good stuff.  I am sure you can watch it online..check it out, if you are into that type of stuff.

I used to watch "Dance Moms" years ago on TLC.  I caught a few this weekend.  WOW...that Abby Lee is crazy!  That women should be removed from TV!  And those mom's....horrible.  Need to feel good about yourself...watch this show...you will fee normal as Apple Pie.

So...that is about it...that is what my life looked like this week...nothing exciting....and that is ok..simple is good, peaceful is fine.  Mindless TV does the body good sometimes.  Ya gotta do what ya gotta do.  Sometimes you just need it.  Next week...time to hit the ground running...some crochet...some crafts...and a yummy quick recipe to share.

In case you missed it...this was what I was up to this week on the blog.

Chocolate Cherry Crackle Cookies

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies For Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day Marshmallow Pops

Valentine Marshmallow Pops

Time is ticking..Valentine's Day is in just a few days.  I wanted to post one last quick and easy item that you can whip to for your sweetie.  You can run to the Walmarts, or Dollar Tree on your lunch hour, while the kiddos are at school, or on the way to an important meeting and get all you need to make this quick and simple treat.

Here is what you need

Valentine Peeps, or large Marshmallows

Melting chocolate, Almond Bark, Candy Melts or Candiquick

Paper Straws or sucker sticks

Valentine Sprinkles

glass container, vase or jar

conversation hearts (I used about 1.5 bags, and ate the rest...don't judge)

block of foam, or something to stick the dipped marshmallow in while they dry.

OK...got all the stuff?  Here is what you do.

Melt your chocolate according to package direction.  I dip the end of the straw or stick into the chocolate then carefully into the marshmallow.  I then put it into the foam to set.  By the time I got them all on sticks, they were set.  Carefully dip the marshmallow into the chocolate, using a spoon to help you get it completely covered.  GENTLY tap and wiggle the coated marshmallow to remove as much chocolate as you can, don't worry about perfection, that is what the sprinkles are for.  Set it into the foam and then immediately sprinkle with sprinkles.  Finish all the marshmallows and let them dry, which happens pretty quickly.  Now all you have to do is arrange them in the vase, and your are ready to do.  You could also use Valentine M&M's if conversation hearts are not your thing.  If I am being honest, I would use M&M's, as it was hard to arrange the Marshmallow pops in the conversation heart...those boogers are HARD!

But...that is what I had...and this was a quick and simple last minute Valentine's day idea...so...I used what had.

So there you go..in three days, I have posted three simple and easy Valentine's Day treats to make and give to your special someone.

Day One

Chocolate Cherry Crackle Cookies

Day Two 

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies for Valentine's Day

And from last week 

I love you to Pieces Cookies w/free printable

I love U 2 Pieces Cookies

OK..that is all I got...Valentine's Day is now officially over on The Cookie Puzzle for 2014!  Now..what next? What should I work on next?  What do you want to see here...crafts, recipes, mindless rambles about Reality TV?  Give me some suggestions.....I am all ears!

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