Baked Coconut Shrimp

I'm so utterly pooped this week that I had no idea what I was going to make for you.  So, while I stood in the grocery store, trying to decide which ingredients might need to hop into my cart, an email from Allrecipes came through on my phone, showcasing this recipe.  Hmmmm.... The only ingredient I didn't have was shrimp, and they happened to be on sale.  Perfect!

What I love about these buggers is that they're not fried.  They're rich and flavorful, and would make the perfect snack or party food.  We tried them dipped in all kinds of sauces in our fridge, but our big favorite was just a mix of equal parts honey and dijon mustard (sound familiar??).  Bo love love loves these, and thanked me no fewer than 6 times during dinner.  I thought they were rich and definitely filling.  I might bust this recipe out again the next time we have people over for snacks.

Enjoy!

Baked Coconut Shrimp
adapted from Allrecipes.com

1lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/3 c. cornstarch (yes, 1/3 cup)
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. Old Bay Garlic & Herb seasoning
2 c. flaked sweetened coconut
3 egg whites, beaten until foamy

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Rinse and pat-dry shrimp with paper towels.  Mix cornstarch, cayenne, and Old Bay in a shallow bowl.  Pour coconut into a separate shallow bowl.  Working with one shrimp at a time, dredge it in the cornstarch mixture, dip it in the egg whites, and then lightly dredge it in the coconut.  Place on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining shrimp.  Bake 15-20 minutes until coconut is golden and shrimp are done, flipping over (carefully) halfway through baking.

It's easiest if you use 2 hands -

one for the cornstarch (dry) and one for the egg whites and coconut (wet).

Try to just lightly coat the shrimp with coconut.

The first time I made these, I coated them so thick that you couldn't 

see the shrimp for the coconut.  They were way, way too coconutty.

Zoomed in shrimpyness.