Coconut Macadamia Fingers Recipes

MACADAMIA NUT CREAM PIE

Steps:

• Make the crust: Pulse the flour, coconut and salt in a food processor until the coconut is finely chopped. Add the butter and shortening and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal with pea-size bits of butter. Drizzle in 3 tablespoons ice water and pulse until the dough begins to come together (add more water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, if necessary). Turn out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and pat into a disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Roll out the dough into an 11-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Ease into a 9-inch pie plate. Fold the overhanging dough under itself and crimp the edges with your fingers. Pierce the bottom all over with a fork. Refrigerate the crust until firm, about 15 minutes. Line the crust with foil, then fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the edges are golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and continue baking until golden all over, 10 to 15 more minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Heat 1 1/2 cups milk and the macadamia nuts in a medium saucepan over medium heat (do not boil). Whisk the egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, the cornstarch, vanilla and the remaining 1/4 cup milk in a bowl until combined. Gradually whisk half of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, then pour back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens and just begins to boil, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the white chocolate until smooth. Transfer the filling to a large bowl and let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
• Once the filling is cool, bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Whisk the egg whites and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a large heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over the pan (do not let the bowl touch the water) and whisk until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is warm. Remove the bowl from the pan and beat with a hand mixer until the egg whites are glossy and stiff, about 5 minutes. Fold the beaten egg whites into the filling, then spread in the prepared crust. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Just before serving, make the whipped cream for topping: Beat the heavy cream and confectioners' sugar with a mixer until medium peaks form. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe around the edge of the pie. Top with the macadamia nuts and toasted coconut.

COCONUT-MACADAMIA FINGERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees, with rack in upper third. Sift flour and salt into a bowl; set aside. Put butter into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl. Gradually add sugar; beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Add coconut and macadamia nuts; mix to combine.
• Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture all at once; mix until just combined.
• Butter an 11 1/2- by-8 1/2-inch rimmed baking sheet, and line with parchment, allowing a 2-inch overhang on long sides; butter parchment. Using plastic wrap, press dough into prepared pan. Leave plastic on dough, and refrigerate 20 minutes. Cut into 32 rectangles (about 3 by 1 inch each); prick top all over with a wooden skewer. Refrigerate 15 minutes.
• Bake until golden brown and firm in center, about 40 minutes. Lift out by overhang; transfer to a wire rack to cool. Recut into rectangles.

CHILLED LIME-COCONUT PIE WITH MACADAMIA-COCONUT CRUST

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Finely grind cookies and nuts in processor. Transfer to medium bowl. Mix in coconut. Add butter and stir until blended. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter metal or glass pie dish. Cover and freeze 30 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead. Keep frozen.) Bake until crust is golden, about 20 minutes. Cool completely.
• Make filling:
• Whisk first 4 ingredients in 4-cup measuring cup or large bowl to blend.
• Pour 3 tablespoons cold water into small metal bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 10 minutes. Set bowl in small saucepan of barely simmering water; whisk until gelatin dissolves, about 1 minute. Whisk into coconut mixture. Pour into crust (filling will reach top of crust). Chill until set, about 4 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
• Beat cream and 2 tablespoons powdered sugar in medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Transfer to pastry bag fitted with large star tip. Pipe around edge of pie. Dip lime rounds into additional powdered sugar. Garnish pie with lime.

MACADAMIA-COCONUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Butter cookie sheet and large saucepan.
• In buttered saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup and water, mix well.
• Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
• Cook until candy thermometer registers 275 (soft-crack stage).
• Add butter, vanilla and nuts; cook, stirring constantly, until thermometer registers 300 (hard-crack stage).
• Remove from heat.
• Add baking soda; mix well.
• Stir in coconut.
• Quickly pour mixture onto buttered cookie sheet; spread very thinly.
• Cool 30 minutes or until completely cooled.
• (After 5 to 10 minutes of cooling, brittle can be stretched thinner with 2 forks.).
• Break into pieces.

CHEWY COCONUT MACADAMIA BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° F. and butter a 13- by 9-inch baking pan.
• Make shortbread layer:
• In a food processor pulse shortbread ingredients until mixture just forms a dough. Pat dough evenly onto bottom of pan and bake 20 minutes, or until pale golden.
• Make topping while shortbread is baking:
• In a large saucepan melt butter over low heat and remove pan from heat. Whisk in brown sugar until dissolved and whisk in coconut cream, heavy cream, and lemon juice until combined well. Stir in flaked coconut and nuts.
• Pour topping over shortbread. Reduce temperature to 325° F. and bake confection until top is golden and center is bubbling, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool confection completely in pan on a rack and cut into bars. Bars may be made ahead and kept, wrapped well, chilled 4 days or frozen 3 weeks. Serve bars chilled or at room temperature.