Chocolate Lover’s Bunt Cake Coconut Whipped Cream

I started storing coconut milk as part of my food storage last summer.   I had found that I was using it more and more in my cooking and that I was always out.  So I bought a case of coconut milk.  Why did it take me so long to add it to my food storage?  It is now one of my go to ingredients.  

 I bought mine at Macey’s  (My local grocery store) during the case lot sale and keep it in my cold storage.  It doesn’t have to be kept cold but if you have the space to store it somewhere cool you will always be ready to make coconut whipped cream.  Yum!  I didn’t come up with the idea of coconut whipped cream, but when I first read about it on The Kitchn.  I knew it was an idea I would love.

 
Chocolate Lover’s Bunt Cake Coconut Whipped Cream

1 package chocolate cake mix

1  3-oz. package chocolate pudding mix

1 C. sour cream powder

4 eggs (1/4 cup powdered eggs plus 1/2 cup water)

1 C. water

½ C. oil

12 oz. chocolate chips

¾ C. walnuts, chopped (optional)

Coconut Whipped Cream-recipe follows

Shredded Coconut

Beat together all ingredients (except chocolate chips and nuts) for 10 min. Preheat oven to 350º. Stir in chips and nuts. Grease a Bunt pan and then sprinkle with cocoa to “flour” it, mainly on the bottom of the pan. Pour in batter; bake 50-55 minutes or until done. Invert cake on plate. Sprinkle with shredded coconut. Serve with coconut whipped cream.

Coconut Whipped Cream

One 15-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Place the can of coconut milk in the refrigerator and leave it there until well-chilled; Several hours or overnight. (Or store your coconut milk in your cold storage and it will always be ready)

2. Open the can of coconut milk. Scoop out the firm layer coconut cream that has solidified at the top of the can.  Stop as soon as you reach the water at the bottom of the can; don't include anything but the solid cream. (You can use the water in smoothies, or just drink it straight.)

3. Place this cream in the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large bowl.  Turn your mixer or hand beaters to high speed, and whip the coconut cream for 3 to 5 minutes or until it becomes fluffy and light, with soft peaks. Mix in sugar or vanilla, if using.

 

Food Storage Salads: Fruit Rice Salad

When my family was living out of our food storage (okay not totally out of our food storage I did have a small food budget) we had a problem.  It was summer, and in the summer there are a lot of potlucks.  It seemed like ever week we were going to a pot luck and were asked to bring a salad.  I hated it.  I didn't have anything to make a salad with and I did not want to spend my small food budget on it.   At the time I did not have a very good solution but now I do.  Over the next little while I am going to post some of our favorite salads that are made mostly from food storage ingredients.

Fruit Rice Salad 

1 (15 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice

1/2 cup Freeze Dried strawberries

1/4 cup Freeze Dried peaches

1 cup uncooked white rice

1/3 cup craisins or golden rains

2/3 cup flaked coconut

1 recipe THRIVE Whipped Topping, prepared **see below           

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1 pinch salt

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1.       In a saucepan bring salted water to a boil. Add rice, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer--without stirring--for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and chill until cold.

2.       In a medium bowl, mix together pineapple, strawberries, peaches.  The juice from the pineapple should cover the other fruit if not add a small amount of water.  Allow to soften 5 minutes, strain off excess juice/water.  Add a heaping cup of the cold rice, raisins and coconut. Set aside.

3.       In a separate large bowl, whip together THRIVE whipped topping, sugar, vanilla, ginger and salt until stiff. Fold in rice mixture, and stir in 1/4 cup slivered almonds.
4.  Serve immediately, if this salad is held the whipped topping looses some of its fluffiness, it is still good just not as fluffy. 

THRIVE Whipped Topping—made from THRIVE instant milk
   1 t vanilla extract
   1⁄2 c thrive powdered sugar
    1⁄2 c thrive instant milk, prepared and chilled
    1⁄2 c ice water
Combine ice water and powdered milk in bowl and beat for 10 minutes. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, continue to beat until thoroughly blended. Chill.

*This works best in a stand mixer with whip beaters. If mixture begins to fall, beat again.
 Notes:  MUST use THRIVE instant powdered milk and not the standard dry milk variety.