Coconut and Pineapple Cupcakes

Since I've started working its been both hard to find the time to find something I want to bake as well as being able to organize the ingredients. But finally I had a whole weekend off! So I decided I would bake. I'd been eager to try and make french macarons but I'd been postponing it for a while (and I decided to do it again). Instead I decided to have something more refreshing since its become so hot and humid lately. 

About a month ago I bought the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook and a recipe that had caught my eye was the coconut and pineapple cupcakes which reminded me and pina coladas and vacations. On the cover of the cookbook they have them decorated with shaved coconut and a small gumpaste rose and I thought they were adorable.

Coconut and Pineapple Cupcakes (makes "12", I got 10, from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook)

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

a pinch of salt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup coconut milk (I used unsweetened)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

9 canned pineapple rings chopped into small pieces (we didn't use canned pineapple and used about a third of a pineapple)

shaved coconut for decoration

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a mixer on slow until a sandy consistency is reached and the butter is no longer visible.

Mix coconut milk and vanilla together in a separate bowl and add to flour mixture, mixing on medium speed.

Add an egg and beat until fully combined, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Divide the chopped pineapple into the fluted paper cups and add batter until 3/4 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes. I baked for about 30 (my oven usually takes longer) but found they still looked soft and "not ready" when I took them out however after cooling they lost that consistency. Then let cool on a wire rack.

For the frosting mix 2 cups of confectioners' sugar and 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter until combined  with the appearance of icing consistency. Slow the speed and add two tablespoons of coconut milk. Continue to beat, increasing the speed, until light and fluffy.