Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Coconut Cookies

I have just been swooning for coconut cookies lately, I can't explain it. For so long I have ignored this wonderful food but no more, now I truly appreciate the taste and texture of this amazing food. I keep trying new recipes, especially cookies, to test this fruit and I've yet to find a cookie or bread that had coconut that I didn't like. This new cookie, found on Epicurious.com, was no exception.

I followed the recipe almost exactly only changing a few things. The main differences were simple changes, how the nuts were prepared, the kind of chocolate used, the baking temperature and the baking time. I brought these cookies to my book group the night I baked them and one of the girls who said she usually doesn't like coconut had two. I count that as success in my book.

Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Coconut Cookies

Ingredients

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats

1 1/2 cups packaged finely shredded unsweetened coconut

12 oz semisweet chips (or chunks to stick with the name)

3/4 cup almonds with skins (I used ground almonds)

Directions

1.) Preheat oven to 350°F.

2.) Beat together butter and sugars in a bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add eggs and beat until just blended, then beat in vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Add flour and mix at low speed until just blended. Stir in oats, coconut, chocolate, and almonds.

3.) Arrange 1/4-cup mounds of cookie dough about 3 inches apart on 2 lightly buttered large baking sheets (about 8 cookies per sheet), then gently pat down each mound to about 1/2 inch thick. Bake 9-11 minutes.

4.) Cool cookies on sheets 1 minute, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

Yields approx. 2 dozen

Chewy Coconut Cookies

I began this blog because I had been baking a lot in the fall and realized how much I loved to be in the kitchen with my fists in the flour container and because the amount of time I was perusing cooking sites had surpassed the amount of time I spent on all other sites combined. I thought it would be fun to bake and cook and have a place to share my recipes and experiences as well as a chance to work on my food photography.

I realized however that where as I had measuring cups galore and half a dozen loaf pans, I didn't have but one or two plates on which to present the decadent things I was baking. I decided that I would begin collecting plates and platters of any size and design and that in and of itself has been a bit of fun.

Why am I telling you all this? Well, the plate in the picture above was a surprise a week or so ago from my brother's girlfriend. I had told her about my plate collecting venture and she had found this at Target and thought of me. The plate and my brother's girlfriend are grand, are they not?

Ok, so on to today's cookie. Remember when I told you I was losing my hair? Well, I can't forget because every morning I have to unclog my drain. But after making those cookies that didn't have any coconut in them I decided to bake up a cookie that was almost nothing but coconut and boy were they simple and sweet. I took half of them to my grandmother today because it looks as though I am the only one around here eating them. Coconut is not everyone's favorite fruit but keep in mind that it has more protein than many other fruits, it also has many minerals your body loves like iron and zinc. My point? I think you should give these cookies a try even if coconut is not your usual thing . If coconut is your thing I definitely think you will find these chewy treats a must.

Chewy Coconut Cookies

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/3 cup flaked coconut

Directions

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, soda and salt.

2.) In medium bowl cream butter and sugars until smooth. Add egg and vanilla. Gradually stir in flour mixture and then add coconut.

3.) Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets. Cookies should be 3 inches apart.

4.) Bake 10 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool or racks.