Guest ~ Lemon Filled Coconut Cupcakes

Photo by Kathy Long

No food history today, my friends. If you would like to be a guest on Christine's Pantry contact me at christinespantry@gmail.com. We would love to have you here. Today's guest is Karen Long Cox. Karen doesn't have a blog. I know you will enjoy it. Thank you very much Karen for sharing your recipe. Thank you to all for being a part of Christine's Pantry.

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Lemon-Filled Coconut Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 (18.25 oz.) pkg yellow cake mix (recommended: Duncan Hines)
• 1 (4-serving size) pkg instant lemon pudding & pie filling mix (recommended: Jell-O)
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ cups coconut milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• ¼ teaspoon yellow food coloring
• 2 (12-ounce) containers whipped cream whipped frosting (recommended: Betty Crocker)
• ¾ cup prepared lemon curd
• 1 teaspoon imitation coconut extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 (2 ½-inch) muffin cups with paper liners: set aside.

Spread 1 cup coconut on a baking sheet. Toast for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on wire rack.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, coconut milk, oil & yellow food coloring; beat with an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds. Scrape down the side of bowl, Beat on medium for 2 minutes more. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each about ¾ of the way full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups & cool completely on wire rack.

For Lemon Filling:

In a medium bowl, stir together ½ cup whipped cream frosting & the lemon curd until combined.

With a sharp knife, make a ½-inch slit in the top center of each cooled cupcake. Place lemon filling in a disposable piping bag; snip a small end of one corner of the bag, & pipe filling into cupcakes.

In a medium bowl, stir the coconut extract into the remaining whipped cream frosting & frost the cupcakes.

Toss together the toasted coconut & the remaining ½ cup untoasted coconut. Sprinkle the coconut mixture over the frosted cupcakes.

(As a side note, Karen put the coconut inside the cupcake mix instead toasting it & putting it in the frosting) 

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