2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt

1 cup toasted coconut (bake on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees. Set timer and stir every 5 minutes until light golden brown. Takes about 15–20 minutes total. Watch carefully as the coconut browns quickly the last few minutes).

1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup coconut cream
1/2 tsp coconut extract
1/2 sweetened pineapple, chopped

In a large bowl mix dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt and toasted coconut. Set aside. In another bowl mix together wet ingredients: First stir melted butter together with coconut cream. Next stir in buttermilk, eggs, coconut extract and sweetened pineapple. Take the bowl of dry ingredients and make a “well” in the middle of the dry mixture. Pour the wet ingredients into this “well” of dry ingredients. Fold wet and dry ingredients together carefully by hand with a large spoon. Mix until the dry ingredients are just moist. Batter will be thick but light as the buttermilk reacts to the baking soda. You do not want to over-mix this batter or your muffins will be rubbery instead of light, fluffy and soft inside. Generously grease 24 muffin tins. Spoon thick batter into greased muffin tins about 2/3 full. Top with 1 Tble of Coconut Streusel Topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool slightly and then remove muffins from muffin tins. Finish cooling on a cooling rack. ENJOY your tropical vacation!

Coconut Streusel Topping:

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup coconut

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

pinch of salt

Mix all together and set aside. Sprinkle 1 Tble on top of each muffin before baking.