Hanalei Sunrise Muffins

Inspired by our summer vacation in Hanalei Bay, Kauai, these muffins take me back to those glorious mornings on the pier. My favorite flavors of the Hawaiian islands are included – coconut, pineapple and macadamia nuts. These start with a mix, so they embrace that laid-back Hanalei attitude. Jonah Bear loves these!

2 pkgs Martha White Pound Cake Muffin Mix (7.4 ounces each)
1 cup evaporated milk (see notes)
1 can crushed pineapple (8 ounces), drained
2 pkgs macadamia nuts (2 ounces each)
1½ cups coconut flakes, sweetened
½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat the oven to 425F. Dump all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir only until dry ingredients are incorporated and no dry mix can be detected. Do not over mix muffins, or they will be chewy instead of light and fluffy. Divide batter into a greased or paper-lined muffin pan. I like to use an old fashioned ice cream scoop to get evenly-sized muffins. Bake 15-20 minutes (depending on your oven), until the muffins are golden brown on top, and a toothpick comes out clean. This makes 10-12 regular size muffins.

Note: In place of evaporated milk, you can use the juice off the crushed pineapple and enough milk to bring it to one cup. Or you can substitute almond milk or rice milk instead of evaporated milk.