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.)

Gingerbread cookie madness

So tonight I made a batch of gingerbread cookies ! They turned out yummy but a little on the lemon side, so if you make them with less lemon juice they would make the perfect gingerbread cookie. I snag this from the food network ! This is what you need ...


6 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
6 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon ginger
Pinch of salt
5 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup honey
1 3/4 cups sugar
Juice of 2 lemons
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 orange
2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Sift the flour, baking powder, spices and salt together in a large bowl, and set aside.

In a small saucepan combine the butter, honey, sugar, lemon juice and the lemon and orange zest. Bring this to medium heat and cook until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Let cool to about room temperature and beat in the eggs.

Make a well in the flour/spice mixture and add the egg/sugar mixture to the well. Using a fork, begin to gradually incorporate the flour into the egg mixture. When the flour has mostly been incorporated, turn the mixture out onto a clean work surface and gently knead until the mixture is smooth and homogenous. Knead in a little more flour if the dough seems sticky. Chill dough for 1 hour or overnight.

Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to an even thickness of about 1/4-inch. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place on a lightly greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cookies are firm and lightly browned. Let the cookies cool for 3 to 4 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.

When the cookies are completely cool decorate, as desired.

Cook's Note: If you are planning to hang the cookies, make a hole for the string before baking.