Toasted Coconut Spritz Cookies

It's almost hard to believe Thanksgiving was just last week. After spending several days in Alabama for the holiday with family, we returned home to a November snow storm. One with some significant snowfall. Winter technically doesn't arrive for almost four weeks, although it seems winter has decided to come earlier than usual this year. Way too early, that is. No, I am not going to go on a rant about climate change as most of us have become all to aware of the scientific data explaining the seriousness of the effects and extremes related to global warming. Regardless of where one stands on the issue, all I know is a foodblog isn't necessarily the best space to engage in a debate on such a critical, yet highly political issue. Although I would be remiss if I didn't share an article or two with you as this foodblog should always be a learning space. And not just always about food.

Speaking of change, our Thanksgiving traditions have shifted considerably in the last six years. We have had only two Thanksgiving dinners 'at home' while four were spent away. Colorado, Kentucky, Rhode Island, and this year, Alabama have been the places where my favorite holiday has been celebrated. Who knows where we will be for next year's Thanksgiving, but chances are likely it won't be around my dining room table. If you would have asked me a year ago if I would ever order a Thanksgiving dinner from a grocery store, I would have told you 'probably not'. What I wouldn't have said is that I couldn't imagine a take out dinner being as good as or better than one homemade with favorite recipes. As it turns out, we not only ordered our Thanksgiving dinner from a grocery store (Whole Foods), it was surprisingly really pretty good. Considering I am pretty food fussy and a bit of a holiday traditionalist, some who know me well are likely thinking 'Who are you?' right about now. Apparently someone who can still be a little unpredictable.

If you ask me if I thought a store bought cookie could taste better than a homemade one, I would say 'it depends on the recipe for the homemade one'. In other words, cookies made from great recipes and with great ingredients are almost always better than their store-bought versions. These Toasted Coconut Spritz Cookies would be a perfect example of why homemade is hands-down so much better than any similar cookie found in grocery or gourmet stores. Seriously, these cookies are insanely, mouthwatering delicious. And oh, by the way, they fall into both the swoonworthy and addictive categories. They are the kind of cookies your recipients will want to hoard for themselves. One of those exception to the holiday sharing spirit rules kind of confections.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I made these cookies twice. The first time I used a larger than called for pastry tip, wasn't exactly steady with my piping skills, and didn't chill them for as long as recommended. Which meant, the first time, their prettiness didn't match up to their wow-factor deliciousness. However, if I had you taste the first and second batches blindfolded, you wouldn't have been able to tell the difference in flavor or texture between them. So I took what I liked about the first batch and applied it to the second batch. But more on that later.

If you are looking to add a new cookie to your Christmas gift boxes and platters this year, put these Toasted Coconut Spritz Cookies at the top of your list! These are beyond heavenly! And if by chance you are participating in a cookie exchange, these are the cookies you want to bring to the party.

The depth of coconut flavor in these cookies comes in part from toasting the flakes of sweetened coconut, but also from using some (one cup) of the toasted coconut to create a coconut-flour meal. The result is a crisp, shortbread like cookie. To ensure your coconut toasts evenly, use a large enough baking sheet to spread the coconut out and stir a couple of times during the baking process. The other ingredient contributing to the cookie's flavor is cream of coconut. Not to be confused with coconut milk or coconut cream, cream of coconut is thick and rich. When you open the can, make certain to stir it well before measuring it out, as there is some settling of the cream of coconut in the can. I used the one made by Goya, but you could also use the one made by Coco Lopez.

There will be one point when you are making the cookie dough where you might wonder if you had messed up. When the cream of coconut and vanilla is first added to the butter/confectionary sugar mixture, it will initially look a little like cottage cheese. After scraping the bowl and mixing it for an additional 20-30 seconds, it will look a little more homogenous. However, once the toasted coconut/flour mixture is added in, the dough comes together perfectly. You want your dough to have a slightly shaggy look. So be careful not to over mix.

Instead of piping these cookies out into straight 3" to 3 1/2" logs, I liked them better piped into an S-shape. To help keep my cookies a similar size, I usually cut a straw into my desired length. This gives me a good visual each time I pipe out the cookie.

I dipped these cookies in melted dark chocolate and then topped with the remaining half-cup of reserved toasted coconut.

As much as I love chocolate, I loved these cookies equally well without the additional chocolate and toasted coconut adornment.

If you ask any of your family or friends if they like coconut cookies and they immediately answer 'no, not really', they need to taste these Toasted Coconut Spritz Cookies. These are the most mind-blowing, mind-changing coconut cookies ever made! You absolutely have to make them! More importantly, you have to convince the coconut nay-sayers to try them. Because seriously, there isn't a better Toasted Coconut Spritz Cookie than this one. 

Recipe
Toasted Coconut Spritz Cookies (inspired by Mindy Segal's Toasted Coconut Spritz cookies shared in her cookbook "Cookie Love")
Makes 27-28 3"-3 1/2" S-shaped cookies

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (5 1/4 ounces, 150 g) shredded sweetened coconut, divided
2 1/4 cups (10 1/4 ounces, 292 g) unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup (3 ounces, 85 g) confectionary sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons cream of coconut
2 teaspoons vanilla

8  - 9 ounces dark, milk or white chocolate, melted (Note: I used dark chocolate.)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Scatter the coconut evenly across a half sheet pan. Place in oven. Stir several times until the coconut is an even light brown. Approximately 10-14 minutes. Cool completely.
3. In the bowl of large food processor, pulse one cup of the toasted coconut with 1/2 cup of the flour until a coconut meal forms. Note: Reserve remaining 1/2 cup of the toasted coconut for finishing the cookies.
4. Pulse in remaining 1 3/4 cups of the flour and kosher salt. 
5. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Fit a pastry bag with Ateco star baking tip #826.
6. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the butter on medium speed for 10 seconds. Add the confectionary sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, resembling a frosting (approximately 3-4 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
7. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the cream of coconut and vanilla. Whisk to blend.
8. On medium speed add the coconut/vanilla mixture and mix until the batter resembles cottage cheese (approximately 10-15 seconds). Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed for 20-30 seconds to make the batter nearly homogenous.
9. With mixer on low, gradually add in the toasted coconut/flour mixture. Mix until dough comes together but still looks a little shaggy (approximately 30 seconds). Do not over mix. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Note: If the dough seems to thick to pipe, add more of the cream of coconut, one tablespoon at a time. 
10. Fill the pastry bag  halfway with the batter. Pipe 3 to 3 1/2 inch S-shapes on the prepared pans. Allow at least 1 1/2 inches of space between each cookie. Chill for 15-30 minutes.
11. Bake cookies one pan at a time for 15-18 minutes, rotating the pan midway through the baking process, until they are lightly golden in color. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking tray.
12. Line a large tray or baking sheet with parchment paper.
13. Dip the ends or sides of the cookies in the melted chocolate. Lightly sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of toasted coconut on the cookies before the chocolate sets. Allow cookies to set completely before serving and/or storing in a tightly sealed container.

Notes: (1) Instead of making S-shaped cookies, you can make 3" to 3 1/2" spritz finger cookies. Your yield on the cookies will almost double. Baking time may need to be adjusted. (2) While one baking sheet is in the oven, place the other in the refrigerator to allow the cookies to chill. (3) If you like dunking your cookies in milk or coffee, skip dipping them in the chocolate. (4) When toasting the coconut, place the coconut directly on the pan. If you place it on parchment paper, it will take slightly longer to toast.

Roses blooming in downtown Birmingham, Alabama (November 2018)