My first attempt at baking was actually very successful. I was watching an episode of one of the many cooking shows Giada de Laurentiis hosts and she was doing a valentine’s day goodie basket for some of her family. One of the items she did was the Chocolate and Coconut Lace Cookies. They were so unbelievably easy that I ran to the kitchen to see if I had everything I would need and as luck would have it…I didn’t. I mean who keeps flaked coconut on hand at all times*!?
So once I got around to going to the store I tried my hand at making the cookies. Just as it looked on TV they were very easy to make. They were such a hit with my family that I ended up making this same recipe 3 times in a week so everybody could try them. I’ll admit that each time we ran out of cookies was usually my fault, they were too addictive. Before these cookies I wasn’t a huge fan of coconut but I’m glad I gave them a try, I’ve now become a fan of all things coconut.
One last thing, I’ve heard a few pastry chefs say that you should always start out with something easy for your first baking attempt. Kind of obvious advice but I’m really glad I came across these with that advice in mind. These were so easy to make and so delicious that it gave me the confidence to try more baking things. So if you want to try your hand at baking I highly recommend these cookies to start with.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sweetened, flaked coconut
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 (4-ounce) bar bittersweet (62% Cacao) chocolate, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F with oven rack in the center of the oven. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, coconut, melted butter, flour, vanilla, and salt.
- Using a 1/2-ounce cookie scoop or a tablespoon, scoop 6 balls of dough, 3 to 4 inches apart, on each baking sheet. Lightly flatten the tops of the dough. Cook until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the parchment paper, about 15 minutes.
- Place the chocolate in a bowl and place over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir until the chocolate has melted. Using a fork, drizzle the tops of the cookies with the melted chocolate. Freeze the cookies until the chocolate has set, about 5 minutes. Remove the cookies from the freezer and store in an airtight container at room temperature.
- If the cookies have baked into one another, use a knife or metal spatula to separate the cookies while still warm then allow to cool.
- Link to original recipe by Giada de Laurentiis on foodnetwork.com
Baking with Ferg 