Coconut Shortbread Recipe Key West

COCONUT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Add flour, salt, and shredded coconut into a small mixing bowl, mix well to distribute thoroughly. Set aside.
• Add sugar, softened butter and vanilla extract to the stand mixer bowl and beat with the paddle attachment at medium low speed until combined. Increase speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Reduce mixer to low speed, and slowly add the flour mixture. Gradually increase mixer speed to medium and mix until dough comes together. It should start pulling away from the side of the mixing bowl.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board or counter top, and shape into a disk or rectangle. Wrap well with plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Roll dough to between 1/4"-1/2" thick and cut out cookies with desired cookie cutter. Re-roll the scrap dough and cut out more cookies until finished. A 2" cookie cutter will make a dozen cookies.
• Place the cookies in a container in layers, with parchment paper in between, and freeze for 30 minutes to 1 hour. If your freezer is large enough to accommodate a baking sheet, arrange the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze.
• Preheat oven to 350°F while the cookies are resting in the freezer.
• When the oven is ready, place cookies on a parchment line baking sheet an inch or two apart if frozen in a container, sprinkle granulated sugar over the top of cookies generously and bake for 15 minutes. Rotate pan half way through baking.
• Remove from the oven, let rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

COCONUT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add flour and mix well. Stir in coconut. Shape into two 8-in. rolls; wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm., Unwrap and cut into 1/4-in. slices. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. , Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Dip both sides of cookies in confectioners' sugar while warm. Cool on wire racks.

COCONUT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Spread coconut on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until coconut is light golden, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Cool completely.
• 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; divide in half. Flatten each half into disk; wrap each in plastic and chill at least 1 hour. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.)
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out 1 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. Repeat procedure with remaining dough disk until all of dough is used.
• 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.)
• *Available at natural foods stores and some supermarkets.

SLICE & BAKE COCONUT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat flour into creamed mixture. Stir in coconut., Using a sheet of waxed paper, shape dough into a 12x3x1-in. rectangle. Wrap in waxed paper; refrigerate 3 hours or overnight., Preheat oven to 300°. Unwrap and cut dough crosswise into 1/4-in. slices. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until edges are light golden, 18-20 minutes. Cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.

TOASTED COCONUT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Using an electric mixer and a medium bowl (or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed until super light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Using a spatula, scrape down sides of bowl. With mixer on low speed, slowly add flour, followed by 1/2 cup coconut and beat just to blend.
• Divide dough in half, then place each half on a large piece of plastic wrap. Sprinkle each piece of dough with half of the cinnamon, then fold plastic over to cover dough and protect your hands from getting all sticky. Start to form into a log (this will give a subtle cinnamon swirl-like effect - if this idea stresses you out, you can also just add the cinnamon with the flour and coconut in step 2).
• Using your hands (just like you're playing with clay), form dough into a log shape; rolling it on the counter will help you smooth it out, but don't worry about getting it totally perfect. Each half should form logs that are about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter. Chill until firm, at least 1 1/2 hours.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet (two, if you've got 'em) with parchment paper. Brush outside of logs with egg wash. Roll logs in unsweetened coconut.
• Slice each log into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Dip each round on one side into sanding sugar (no need to egg wash, the sugar should just stick). Arrange on prepared baking sheet, sugar-side up, about 1 inch apart (they won't spread much). Bake cookies until edges are just beginning to brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool slightly before eating them all.

HAWAIIAN COCONUT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream the butter until smooth. Add granulated sugar and vanilla, creaming again until smooth and slightly fluffy.
• Sift flour and then measure the 2 cups of flour. Add salt to flour and sift again.
• Gradually add to the creamed butter mixture until you have added all the flour and mixture is smooth. Mix the coconut into the cookie dough.
• Shape into a one and half (1.5) inch diameter roll and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until it the dough is firm, about 2-4 hours, or for several days until ready to use. May be frozen for later baking.
• Using a sharp knife, cut 1/4 inch slices from the cookie dough roll and place on a very lightly greased cookie sheet, about 1 inch apart.
• Bake at 300 degrees for about 20 minutes, until a light golden brown at edges, but not browned entirely across the top.
• Cool cookies on sheet just until they are set, easy to remove and have cooled slightly, usually about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove cookies with a spatula and place on the 1 cup of powdered sugar that you have sifted onto a piece of wax paper or similar surface. Cover cookies with powdered sugar on all sides by sifting more sugar over them or "rolling" them in the sugar. After they have cooled and the powdered sugar has "set", you can coat them with more powdered sugar if you would like. Cool completely and then store in an airtight container, for however long you can keep them from being eaten!
• Try these the first time following the recipe as given. The next time, you can play around with adding other ingredients to tweak these to your exact tastes. Some ideas, toasting some of the coconut before adding to the dough, adding finely chopped macadamia nuts, ginger, cardamom or any citrus zest. Key lime zest and macadamias is a great combo, truly a cookie that takes you to tropical islands without the frequent flier miles :).

TOASTED COCONUT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• 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.).
• 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. OR.
• Before chilling form dough into a log - 1 3/4- to 2-inch-diameter, wrap well in plastic and then place in a baggie or foil. After chilling, with a thin bladed sharp knife slice scant 1/4-inch thick rounds. Place on cookie sheets as above.
• 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.).
• Note 1 - If you can't find unsweetened, use sweetened and cut back the sugar by 2 tablespoons.
• Note 2 - for unsweetened coconut, the smaller amount of salt, with sweetened, the larger amount. If you don't have Kosher salt, halve the amount of table salt.