White Chocolate Coconut Cookies
This cookie is a simple variation of Chocolate Chip Cookies (page 24). By switching out the chocolate chips for white chocolate and coconut, you get something a little more exotic. Play around with this base cookie dough and change up the flavor with a variety of different mix-ins. This particular recipe goes well with tropical themes or summery occasions.
Recipe information
Yield
makes about 3 dozen cookies
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl and set aside.
Step 2
Beat the butter in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment at high speed until it is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Step 3
Add the brown and granulated sugars, crumbling the brown sugar with your hands as you add it to get rid of any lumps. Mix on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula halfway through mixing to ensure that the butter and sugar are well mixed.
Step 4
Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Again, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure that the ingredients are incorporated.
Step 5
Add approximately half the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until the flour is incorporated, about 30 seconds. Repeat with the remaining flour and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure that the flour is fully incorporated.
Step 6
Stir in the white chocolate and coconut and mix just until combined, about 10 seconds. Remove the dough from the bowl, press it into a flat mound, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
Step 7
While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper or spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 8
Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and scoop or roll it into balls about 1 tablespoon in size. At this point, the cookie dough can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month (separate layers of dough balls with waxed paper).
Step 9
Place the balls of dough about 1 inch apart on the prepared pans. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the pans once halfway through, until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. Remove the cookies from the oven, let them cool slightly, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool to room temperature (or serve warm).
Step 10
Keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Polish your look
Step 11
For another popular flavor combination, reduce the coconut to 1/4 cup and add 1/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts, or substitute macadamia nuts for all the coconut. To evoke fall flavors, add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and use dried fruit (such as cranberries or chopped apricots) instead of the coconut. Or, for another everyday version, use 1/2 cup butterscotch chips and 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Just keep in mind the ratio of dough to mix-ins (about 3/4 to 1 cup mix-ins per recipe) and experiment!
