I had a bag of frozen tropical fruit from Costco, you know those huge bags that never seem to disappear in the freezer.  It had mango, papaya, pineapple and strawberries in it. It was time to use it up so I decided to make a crumble/crisp or something like that with the fruit.

To make this even more “tropical” I added shredded coconut to the crumble mixture and used coconut palm sugar to sweeten it.  Once baked and ready to eat, I topped each serving with a dollop of whipped coconut cream.

The fruit was a bit more watery than I would have liked once it was cooked; no problem, my trusty turkey baster came to the rescue! I blame it on not having totally defrosted fruit prior to cooking. I recommend defrosting the fruit completely before baking and if there’s a lot of liquid in the bowl, drain it or, if you want a “syrupy” fruit filling be sure to increase the amount of cornstarch so it will thicken better.

We loved this tropical spin on a delicious crumble recipe.  Hope you give it a try!

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Tropical Fruit Crumble with Coconut Cream

Ingredients

For the fruit mixture:

• 7-8 C. frozen mixed tropical fruit blend thawed (drain excess liquid)
• 1/4 C. sugar
• 1 Tbls. lemon juice
• 2 Tbls. corn starch

For the crumble:

• 1 C. flour
• 1/4 C. shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 C. coconut palm sugar
• 1/2 C. sliced almonds
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 stick butter softened

For the coconut cream:

• 1 can full fat coconut milk put in refrigerator overnight
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tbls. sugar

Instructions

• For the fruit: Put frozen fruit in bowl and let defrost completely. If you have a lot of liquid, drain off so it's not too watery when cooked. Toss fruit with sugar, lemon and cornstarch and place in 8X8 square baking dish.
• For the crumble: In separate bowl, combine crumble ingredients. With a pastry cutter, combine until coarse crumbles are formed.
• Sprinkle crumble over fruit. Bake in preheated 350° oven for about 30 minutes, until top is golden brown and bubbly along the edges. Set aside to cool and set up, then top each serving with a dollop of coconut cream.
• Make the coconut cream: Scoop the hardened cream from a can of full fat coconut milk (easiest to set the can in the refrigerator the night before so the cream will harden) into a bowl. Save the coconut water for another use. Add vanilla and sugar. Whip until creamy.

For more delicious recipes I hope you’ll visit my blog at I’m Bored Let’s Go or catch up with me on  Facebook,  Pinterest,  Instagram or Twitter. I’d love for you to follow along!

See you next month!  Judy

Here’s a couple more delicious recipes I think you’ll enjoy:

Coconut Mango Lime Popsicles

Quick and Easy Peach Dessert

Creamy Cheesecake with Berry Sauce

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Mandy here from Mandy’s Recipe Box today! I love old recipes. You know they are amazing when they keep getting passed down from generation to generation. This recipe for Coconut Crispy Balls was originally called Coconut Date Balls, but I didn’t want the name to deter anyone from the dates so I changed it. I don’t care for dates, but one of these little balls made me forget that. My stepmom made some and one bite was all it took for me to immediately ask for the recipe. It does put raw eggs in them, but the mixture is so hot when you add the eggs that you will be perfectly fine. I mean, people have been making these and eating them for years and no one has died from this tasty treat. Google it.

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Coconut Crispy Balls

Author Mandy | Mandy's Recipe Box

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cup chopped dates
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 6 cups crispy rice cereal like Rice Krispies
• 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts of your choice
• coconut flakes for coating

Instructions

• In a microwave safe bowl, melt butter 50-60 seconds in the mircowave.
• Add sugar, dates, milk and salt; stir.
• Microwave 6 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.
• Gradually whisk in the eggs and vanilla.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the cereal and nuts.
• Pour hot mixture over the cereal mixture; stir to combine all.
• Chill in the fridge until cold.
• Roll into balls and then into coconut flakes.

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Super Saturday #60 was another weekend full of inspiring ideas!  If you are looking for some new dishes to include in your family’s menu, look no further!  We spotted some really delicious entree recipes in the linkup.  Here are our answers to the question, “What’s for dinner?”

Crispy Quinoa Patties with Dill Greek Yogurt Dip from Natural Chow

Pan Seared Salmon with Mustard Sauce from Upstate Ramblings

Chicken Caprese Quesadillas from Amy’s Cooking Adventures

Creamy Tuna Dip and Spread from Day 2 Day Supermom

Spinach Feta Omelet from Practical Stewardship

Honey Garlic Chicken with Coconut Crust from Food Faith Fitness

Corn Chowder from Three Kids and a Fish

Healthy Turkey Meatball Subs from Simply Fresh Dinners

Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells from I Dig Pinterest

Scrod Picatta from A New York Foodie

 Thanks again for sharing your projects and recipes with us during Super Saturday #60!  We hope you were as inspired by these featured links as we were.   Please come back  for our next Super Saturday Link Party, starting at 7 P.M. EST on Friday night!  And keep an eye on your social media over the weekend, too.  We like to showcase links that catch our eye during the party via Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.  You might see your links featured there!

These amazing recipes have been shared with: Living Well Spending Less

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And I can’t think about Hawaii without thinking about when I went there as a teenager.

The summer that I was fifteen, my dad gathered the family together and asked where we would like to go on a summer vacation.  It took every member of our family about a millisecond to unanimously agree on Hawaii.

For whatever reason, (probably cost) Dad was a little reluctant and suggested that maybe we could go to Hawaii the following summer.

No sooner had these words left his mouth when I piped up and said “That would be GREAT!  Next summer I will be 16 and we can go to Hawaii and I can DATE!  (Our family rules were that we had to wait until we were 16 in order to date.)

We went to Hawaii that very summer.

There was no way that my dad wanted to worry about me in Hawaii, flirting with any boy that I could find and then wanting to go on a date with one.

Please tell me that you were boy crazy too when you were a teenage girl!

I have visited Hawaii a couple of times since that vacation as a teenager and always enjoy eating the pineapple and coconut there.  When I pinned this recipe for Coconut Cream Cheese Cake from Just a Pinch, I was hoping that it was as good as it looked.

It. was. better.

This cake is a dense cake more like a pound cake but definitely more moist.  The toasted coconut is a delight and you can NEVER go wrong with cream cheese frosting, right?

But enough of me yakking, let’s get cooking!

Print

Coconut Cream Cheese Cake

Course Dessert

Author Made From Pinterest

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter softened (2 sticks)
• 6 oz softened cream cheese
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp coconut extract You can also use vanilla extract if you like
• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup cream of coconut not coconut milk! You can sometimes find this in the liquor section of your grocery store.
• FROSTING
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 8 oz cream cheese softened
• 1 tsp coconut extract
• 3 to 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar depending on how thick you like your frosting!
• 1/2 cup cream of coconut
• 1 cup coconut- for toasting and sprinkling on top of the frosting

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spray a 9x13 cake pan with cooking spray.
• Cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar together, incorporating well.
• One at a time, beat in the 6 eggs and then add the coconut extract and cream of coconut.
• Finally add your flour.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Batter will be thick
• Bake 35 to 40 minutes.
• This cake might fall slightly after you take it out to cool. Not to worry! Remember this is a dense cake.

Frosting:

• Blend the butter, cream cheese, cream of coconut and coconut extract together. When creamy, add the sugar.
• Toast your coconut by lightly spraying a frying pan and add your coconut. On medium heat, keep tossing your coconut until golden.
• When your cake is cool, frost with your frosting and then sprinkle the toasted coconut on top.

With the sweet taste of coconut in this cake, I can close my eyes and almost imagine myself in the islands. Except this time, the only date that I’m thinking about is with my sweetheart hubby!

Aloha…..This Pin Rocks!

We’re sharing this post with:

Living Well Spending Less

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1 banana, optional

1/4 cup ice cubes

2 tsp. honey, optional

Whipped cream for topping, optional

• Place all but the whipped cream in a blender and blend until smooth.
• Pour into a tall glass or two smaller glasses and top with whipped cream, if desired.
• Serve.

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Amazing Monkey Butter Recipe To Try Right Now!

Monkey butter is a combination of natural, tropical fruits such as bananas, pineapples, and coconut. As a result, it is safe for everyone to eat. It is also fun to make. The primary ingredient in monkey butter is bananas!

In addition to being highly nutritious, bananas are an excellent source of vitamin B6, soluble fibers, and contain moderate amounts of vitamin C, manganese, and potassium, as seen here. Consumption of bananas is proven to be associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and renal cell carcinoma.

Okay, on to the recipe!  With only five ingredients, this was simple to make and even better to eat.

Before we go over the steps in preparing a homemade monkey butter recipe, here is a list of everything you will need to prepare delicious homemade monkey butter.

Monkey Butter Ingredients

• Five (5) medium-size perfectly ripe bananas (no brown spots)
• 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple – not drained
• 1/4 cup coconut
• 3 cups of white sugar
• 3 Tbsp bottled lemon juice

The original recipe for this Monkey Butter stated that the author preferred ground coconut over the flaked coconut and that she purchased it at Winco in the bulk food section.

We are lucky enough to have a Winco close by so I ran by and picked some up.  I have never used ground coconut before and have just always used the flaked coconut. So if you haven’t seen ground coconut, here is what it looks like:

It is much better than the flaked coconut.

Step 1. Prepare The Banana, Coconut, and Other Ingredients

To start, peel and slice the bananas and then put them into a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Add the rest of the ingredients – pineapple, coconut, sugar, and lemon juice, and put on the stove to bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Step 2. Cook Until The Mixture Thickens

After bringing to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook until thickened, still stirring constantly.

I was worried that maybe the bananas were going to stay in huge slices but after cooking, they were reduced down into a jam texture.

Mmm……

Step 3. Get Monkey Butter Ready

Your monkey banana mixture is ready when it coats the back of a spoon. At this point, it has properly thickened.

When properly thickened, spoon the mixture into sterilized glass jars and let cool.

Step 4. Serve Monkey Butter/Jam

There are so many ways you can serve Monkey butter! Try it on:

• ice cream
• yogurt smoothies
• pancakes
• or spread it on English muffins
• toast (it is a great companion for peanut butter)
• crepe filling (with Nutella)

Step 5. Refrigerate Or Can Your Monkey Butter Mixture If You Wish

At this point in the recipe, this jam can just be refrigerated and will keep for approx. 4-6 weeks. The lemon juice in the recipe will keep the bananas fresh. But once your family tries it, it might not last that long.

Or after putting the jam in the jars, you can seal the jars with sealing lids and rings and process them in a water bath for 15 minutes. Just a note that if you process your Monkey Butter in this method, it will turn out to be a little pink instead of the mellow yellow color like this:

What You Can Serve With Monkey Butter 

Monkey butter is a great add-on to your breakfast. They also taste very good with pancakes, waffles, or even biscuits. You can also spread it on English muffins. 

It is also very amazing on toast, where it is a great companion for peanut butter. You can use it as a crepe filling with Nutella. You can serve your monkey butter over ice cream or yogurt smoothies by adding a couple of spoonfuls. Better still, you can just eat it by the spoonful straight from the jar.

How To Store And Preserve Your Monkey Butter

One of the easy ways to store monkey butter is to store them in a water bath. This is okay if you want to serve it all at once. But if you wish to keep it to use at another time, it’s best to store them in a fridge. This way they can last for four to six weeks without getting bad. This is an even better way to preserve them since you don’t get to throw them away.

It’s so nice just knowing that you can preserve them in the fridge. This way you can make a double batch at once especially when you have a full house. This way you get to eat from it before the grandkids get it all.

How To Keep Bananas From Going Brown 

The main ingredient in the monkey butter mixture is banana. The recipe calls for bananas that do not have brown spots.  If you live in a humid region, it becomes more difficult to prevent this. 

The easiest method is to purchase green, under-ripe bananas and wait for them to ripen. However, this requires close attention as they could turn brown under your nose.

As soon as they turn yellow, use them immediately before they turn brown. Brown bananas just don’t work well with this recipe. So make sure you’re using bananas without brown spots. Yellow bananas precisely.

Making Monkey Butter Without Sugar

If your Dietician does not recommend sugar as part of your diet, you can also enjoy monkey butter by following this recipe am about to show you. You may try it out on your own.

List of supplies you will need

• 5 ripe bananas sliced (yellow banana not brown)
• 1 fresh pineapple trimmed and chopped or crushed
• 2 cups shredded or crushed sweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 1 Tablespoon gelatin 

Instructions

1. Prepare The Water Bath Can

Fill your water bath canner with water, and place it over a burner with the lid on to bring it to a boil. Lower the empty canning jars down into the water to keep them clean and sterilized while you prepare the monkey butter. In a small saucepan, place the lids and rings to the jars in water over low heat to keep them hot while you work.

2. Heat Crushed Pineapple And Shredded Coconut

Add one can of crushed pineapple to a large pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle in ¼ cup of shredded coconut. 

3. Add Lemon Juice And Gelatin

Add three tablespoons of lemon juice. Stir the mixture to combine everything well. The lemon juice will help the recipe keep in your fridge for a while. Also, add the gelatin to the mixture.

4. Add Banana

Slice 5 ripe bananas, cutting off any brown spots they might have. Mix the sliced bananas into the pineapple mixture on the stove.

Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes so that the mixture can thicken. While the mix cooks down, mash the bananas using a potato masher until it is a consistency that you would like for your jam. 

5. Store Your Jam

Once the monkey butter mixture is ready, remove the hot jars from the water bath canner with a jar lifter, be sure to pour out the water that was inside them. Fill the jars with the monkey butter, leaving ¼ inch of headspace at the top of each jar. 

Wipe the rim of each jar clean with a damp paper towel, and place the lids and rings on the jars.  Place the jars into the water bath canner and process underwater for 15 minutes. 

Remove the jars and leave them undisturbed on the counter to seal. When the button in the center of each lid pops down and does not come back up, the lids are sealed correctly and can be stored. 

6. Preferably Refrigerate Monkey Butter

To ensure they last for a longer period say 4-6 weeks, you could store them in the fridge. It’s easier, safer, and lasts longer. If not you could water bath can it as noted above.

Of course, I couldn’t wait until this completely cooled before tasting and,

Oh.

My.

Word.

Monkey butter is crazy good! Like monkeys swinging from the rafters good. Like Gorilla pounding on their chest well. Like, okay. I know, that’s enough!

Just a warning that it is on the sweet side. But it’s crazy good. I’m thinkin’ I’m putting this on PB&J’s, English muffins, and even over ice cream.

I know that your family will go “Ape” over this Monkey Butter because, This Pin Rocks!

We have a recipe on our blog that is been pinned over 38,000 times!  What is, you ask? Lipton Onion Potatoes! Check it out here.  {{shameful plug!}}

If you loved this monkey butter recipe, check out these other amazing recipes!

• Paula Deen’s Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
• Roasted Chickpeas Recipe
• Polyjuice Potion Recipe
• Soy Sauce Brown Sugar Salmon Marinade
• Strawberry Filled Angel Food Cake Recipe

***Update Jan 19, 2014 – Whether or not you cook this jam or use the 15-minute water bath process, this jam should be kept in the refrigerator or freezer***

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