Milk & Honey Cake with Toasted Coconut Topping

*Yes, this is my image. I ate most of this cake myself. It was delicious.

Milk & Honey Cake (Toasted Honey-Coconut Topping)  

This is one of my favorite recipes to make, because it fills the whole house with this delicious baking smell... there is nothing like it. Plus, it's one of those recipes where the more you mix, the better... and I like to mix it up! 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease one 8" round pan. 

1 1/2 C flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 C sugar
1 egg
1/3 C butter (soft)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 C honey (pick your favorite)
2/3 C milk

Combine flour, powder, salt, set aside.

Cream butter. Gradually beat in sugar and vanilla. Then beat in egg and honey. 

Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with milk, stirring lightly after each addition. 

Bake for 30-35 minutes... it should be golden, and a tester should come out totally clean. The top of your cake may crack... no biggee, you won't be able to tell anyway once you get the topping on it :).

Cool on wire rack. 

Once it's cool, transfer to  a piece of foil. 

Honey -Coconut Topping

Turn on the broiler! 

1 C flaked or shredded coconut (I use sweetened. Your call.)
1/2 C liquid honey
1 Tbsp melted butter

Combine these ingredients until thoroughly mixed.

Put a thick layer of topping on the top of the cake, then frost the sides. Or not. It's your call. 

I like to cover the top in thick frosting and then just drizzle down the sides... 

Once it's properly frosted, place your cake on a pizza pan or cookie sheet (an old crappy one). Place the cake (on the foil) on the cookie sheet and place it under the broiler. 

DO NOT. LEAVE. YOUR CAKE. I cannot say this loudly or obnoxiously enough. Watch it like a hawk. Butter and coconut brown quickly and easily and this cake is no good if it's on fire. 

Toast the topping until it is bubbling and golden brown.  Remove, and allow to cool before serving. 

You could serve this cake still warm with a dollop of fresh whip cream on it if you wanted to. Personally, I find it stands alone just fine. It's very rich and moist, and with the honey seeping through it... divine. 

Coconut Chicken Strips

*Yes, this is my (gloriously blurry) image

Baked Coconut Chicken Strips

This was a Pinterest find, and I'm glad I found it! So easy, so yummy... a great upgrade to classic chicken fingers. It was originally posted on Back To Her Roots' recipe blog. Here is what you need:

What you need:

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (Or one package of pre-trimmed chicken breast tenderloins, 1 to 1.5 lbs)
3 C white flour
2 eggs
Splash of milk
Salt and Pepper
2 C each unsweetened shredded coconut and panko bread crumbs (I used coconut flakes, but I would recommend shredded if it's available.)
Oil spray (I used Pam).

Here is what you do:

Preheat oven to 400°.

If you're using whole chicken breasts, place them in a large zip-top bag and pound down to about 1/2″ thickness. Slice into 3/4″ strips.

Next grab three bowls, each larger than your chicken breast strips. 

Bowl 1: Just the flour, baby. 

Bowl 2: Whisk together eggs and splash of milk. 

Bowl 3: Mix panko and coconut in one bowl, season with salt and pepper.

Here comes the fun part! You can use any technique you like. I prefer a wet-hand / dry-hand system. 

You'll want to run your chicken through the bowls in order... first in the flour, then in the egg, and then press it into the coconut-panko mix. If you're using coconut flakes, like I did, you'll really want to press the chicken into the coconut-panko mix to get the larger flakes to stick. 

Place each strip onto a greased cookie sheet. 

Bake at 400 for 20ish minutes, flipping after 10. Let your strips rest for a few minutes before serving. 

I paired mine with President's Choice "Memories of Thailand" spicy chili dipping sauce. Unfortunately, it's only available in Canada, but if you can get it, it's worth it! If not, I think any sweet and spicy sauce would add a little zing to these yummy strips.