I have long since given up on trying to figure out what to get my husband for Valentine's Day. This year, I decided that instead of trying to find something sentimental that he would tuck into a drawer, I would just get him something completely perishable that I knew he would enjoy: cookies.
But instead of my usual chocolate chip cookies, I let him pick out of a new book I picked up. I don't buy many cook books, because I don't cook much. But I do bake cookies, so I couldn't resist Martha Stewart's Cookies when I found it at Costco:
One of the nice things about this book is that the front pages contain glossy pictures of all the cookies, grouped by type so that you don't have to page through the book to find something you like -- ideal for the cookie monster in your life who doesn't have a lot of interest in digging into cook books. What did he pick?
Double Chocolate Coconut Cookies. Which pretty much puts all my favorite sweets in one place! Whenever I try a new recipe, I always worry about how it will turn out. These turned out fabulously. Normally John gobbles through any cookies I make as fast as he can, but these, he told me, were so good that he was actually trying to eat them slowly so that he could savor them. He estimated them to be in my top 5 batches of cookies ever made. So I figured that that was worth pictures and sharing on the blog.The base for this recipe is pretty close to my regular chocolate chip cookie recipe. It's the extras that make it a winner.
Double Chocolate Coconut Cookies
Makes about 5 dozen
1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs*
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp coarse salt
2 cups white chocolate chunks**
1-3/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1-3/4 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Put butter and sugar in mixing bowl, mix on medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes). Mix in eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla.
Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Mix into butter mixture on low speed until combined. Stir in chocolate, coconut and walnuts.
Using a small ice cream scoop, drop batter onto baking sheets, spacing about 2" apart. Flatten slightly. Bake until set (10-12 minutes). Let cool a bit before transferring to wire racks to complete the process.
These cookies are like eating the cookie version of German chocolate cake. But if you don't like any of the ingredients, the dough is a great chocolate base dough, and you could easily substitute in dark chocolate chunks, dried cherries, or other kinds of nuts -- or many other cookie fixins.Even with significant savoring efforts, these lovelies are long since gone. And given the success of this recipe, it's a pretty surefire bet that I will be trying out more of the cookies in the future.
* I found some pasteurized eggs at my grocery store and used them -- that way we could all sample while we were making them. Since I had a baby helping me, I figured this was the best way to keep little tastes safe from Salmonella.
** a note about white chocolate... I was going to get white baking chips, then put them back when I realized that they did not have any real cocoa butter in them -- which is what defines white chocolate for me (this was true of all the baking chips at my grocery store -- even the Ghiradelli ones) -- so I bought three Ghiradelli White Chocolate Bars and chunked them up myself.
Wow, I'll have to try that recipe soon! Also, what's the world coming to when there's no chocolate in the chocolate anymore? Thanks for pointing that out.
Those look SO scrumptious.
I wonder if the white chocolate chunk issue has to do with the very low temperature at which cocoa butter melts? Maybe that makes teeny-tiny portions less shelf-stable? Interesting.
The white chocolate issue is I believe the reason why it is not recommended to use white chocolate chips for things like ganaches and the like where melting quality is important. Whatever is in the chips doesn't want to melt! I have some white chocolate bars to use for my next batch of fudge, so hopefully I will get to try it out soon.
Those pasteurized eggs are fantastic! I use them for everything now.
These cookies look delicious! I'm going to give them a try.
Yum! Thanks for sharing. I will have to try those. My husband loves anything with chocolate and coconut.
Those cookies look exceptionally delicious. Mmmmm. Cookies.
I've heard about pasteurized eggs and have seen the pasteurized egg whites at the supermarket. Do they come as a whole egg still in the shell too? What kind of pasteurized eggs did you use?
mmmmm. I want cookies. Thanks for the recipe.
Those cookies look fabulous, but please enlighten a non-american: How much does a cup of butter weigh, and about how large is a small ice cream scoop? Thanks!