Toasted Coconut Shortbreads

Ok so these cookies are probable the best tasting cookies i've made so far. They are crispy and butter and have a ton of flavor. I thought they tasted a bit almondy when I first tired them. I think next time when I make them i'm going to switch the vanilla with some almond to bring the flavor out more. Warning , one batch will not be enough to enjoy. I would say At least triple up on everything. My roommate and I ate all of them in a day.

Toasted Coconut Shortbread

What you'll need:

1/2 cup (about 1.5 ounces) unsweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks or 6 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt (Updated: for unsweetened coconut, the smaller amount; sweetened, the larger amount)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract ( or almond)
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spread coconut on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until coconut is light golden, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Cool completely, then grind in a coffee grinder, food processor or blender until coarsely ground.

Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Mix in salt and vanilla. Beat in flour in 2 additions. Stir in toasted coconut. Gather dough together, flatten into a disc and wrap in plastic. Chill at least 1 hour. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out. I needed to let it sit for about an hour before being able to do anything with it)

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out dough disk on lightly floured work surface to scant 1/4-inch thickness. Using 1 3/4- to 2-inch-diameter cookie cutters, cut dough into rounds. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Gather dough scraps and reroll; cut out additional cookies.

What you can also do is make little balls and flatten them really flat on the pans, this is easier and faster then having to roll out. Don't forget that if you dip a spoon in warm water you can use to to smooth out and flatten batters. It prevents it from sticking to the spoon. This is something my mom showed me.

Bake cookies until light golden, about 20 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool completely. (Can be made ahead. Store airtight at room temperature up to 1 week.)