Pina Colada Muffins

Ingredients

1 yellow cake mix, any brand

1 ¼ cup whole milk

3 large eggs

½ cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon coconut extract

1 box instant vanilla pudding mix

¾ cup sweetened flaked coconut

¾  cup toasted and chopped pecans

½ cup chopped candied cherries + 1 Tablespoon all purpose flour and 1 Tablespoon Imperial granulated sugar

½ cup crushed pineapple with juice

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.  NOTE:  You will need 2, dozen count muffin pans, plus 1, six count muffin pan.  Stagger the muffin liners so you’re only filling every other one.  Leave other wells open.

Toast pecans 25 – 30 seconds at a time in microwave, stirring after each.  Let cool and then chop.  Make sure not to get any of the bitter pieces from pecans into your batter.  The easiest way to do this is to put the chopped pecan pieces on a paper plate, or paper towel.

Chop candied cherries and toss with 1 Tablespoon flour and 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar.

Sift cake mix into large mixing bowl.  Add instant vanilla pudding mix; whisk together.  Add oil, eggs, vanilla,  coconut extract & milk.  Mix with electric mixer until combined.  Gently fold in pineapple, coconut, chopped cherries & chopped pecans.  Let set for about 8 minutes.  Using an extra large cookie scoop, fill muffin paper liners full.  Bake for 7 minutes at 400 degrees.  Turn oven down to 350 and finish baking, about 14 minutes, or until done.  Do not overbake. 

Glaze for muffins

1 ½ cup Imperial powdered sugar

1 – 2 Tablespoons pineapple juice (if you opened a big can, use juice from remaining pineapple

1 – 2 Tablespoons whole milk

Instructions

Whisk together Imperial powdered sugar, pineapple juice and whole milk. Should be a consistency that’s thick enough to coat a spoon but not so thick it won’t drizzle easily. 

Drizzle glaze over warm muffins.  Let cool and store in airtight container.