Description
These buttery and crispy coconut cookies are versatile with a hint of coconut and vanilla, and an addictively tender and buttery texture.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1/4 cup* desiccated coconut (30 grams)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120 grams)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick minus 1 tablespoon softened, unsalted butter (100 grams)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon coconut emulsion (optional)
Instructions
- Optional step: In a dry nonstick skillet, toast the desiccated coconut on medium heat until it smells aromatic and almost nutty. It should be a little brown around the edges, set aside to cool.
- Once cool, food process the desiccated coconut. Or better yet, use a spice grinder. Just carefully pulse it a few times to make it resemble coarse sand
- In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, coconut, baking powder, and salt.
- In another medium bowl, cream (using a handheld mixer) the butter until smooth, then add in the sugar and cream until pale and fluffy, a couple of minutes.
- Mix in the egg yolk and extracts, then add in the dry ingredients. It will look very dry so eventually you will have to knead it a bit with your hands to incorporate all the dry ingredients. It takes about 30 seconds or so, make sure not to overwork the flour as the cookies can turn out tough.
- Once you have a cohesive ball of dough, place it on a plastic wrap and shape it into either a sausage or a flat disc**. Cover completely with the plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to firm up, for at least 1 hour (up to 48 hours).
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃). Add parchment paper to baking sheets.
- Sausage shape: Roll the sausage so that it reaches the diameter of a small cookie. Once you're satisfied, cut using a sharp knife, about 1/4 inch or half a centimeter thick.
- Flat disc: You need to use a little bit of flour so that the disc doesn't stick to the surface or the rolling pin. Roll until the dough is about 1/4 inch or half a centimeter thick, use your favorite (yet small!) cookie cutters. You can reshape the leftover dough, although it becomes increasingly sticky so you may need to use more flour.
- Place the unbaked cookies on the prepared baking sheets. You can fit quite a few as they will not spread much. I used 2 baking sheets in total.
- Bake for 10 minutes on the middle rack or until they turn a little brown around the edges. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving them over to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once they are cooled you can dip them in a little melted chocolate for another variety of the Norwegian Gjende-kjeks!
Notes
* Measured after a round in the food processor/spice grinder.
** Choose a sausage if you just want to cut it, use a flat disc if you want to roll it out and cut it into neater shapes. The latter is prettier, the former is easier. Both are yummy.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Additional Time: 1 hours
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Cuisine: Norwegian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 31
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 50
- Fat: 1
- Saturated Fat: 1
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 5
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 1
- Cholesterol: 7