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Serves
8 dozen single cookies, 4 dozen sandwich cookies
Author Notes
Inspired by 2 recipes, one for Bon Appetit's Coconut-Orange Snowballs and one for Scharffenberger's Apricot Hazelnut Squares - both fantastic cookies. Icombined the two for a pretty darn good sandwich cookie. I love them unsandwiched and just plain, too. The dough would make a pretty tasty tart shell.
This dough is pretty firm, so you may have to wack it into submission with your rolling pin, a la Julia Child. It also makes many, many cookies, so freeze half of the dough if you want a smaller batch. —mrslarkin
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Ingredients
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1 1/4 cups
sweetened flaked coconut
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1 3/4 cups
(3 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
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1
large egg yolk
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2 1/4 cups
powdered sugar
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1 1/2 teaspoons
pure vanilla extract
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3/4 teaspoon
coconut extract
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3 1/4 cups
unbleached all-purpose flour
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1 1/2 tablespoons
fresh orange zest
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1/2 teaspoon
salt
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1/2 cup
cacao nibs
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1
(one) 8 oz. jar apricot jam
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1
(one) 6 oz. bag Scharffenberger Bittersweet Baking Chunks, or your favorite baking chocolate, chopped
Directions
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Bake coconut on baking sheet, stirring occasionally, until just golden brown, about 10 minutes.
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Using mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter, egg yolk, powdered sugar, and both extracts in bowl to blend well. Beat in flour, orange peel, and salt. Stir in toasted coconut and cacao nibs.
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Shape dough into two disks and wrap in plastic. Chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day ahead. Slightly soften dough at room temperature before rolling out.
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out one disk of dough between sheets of plastic wrap to about 1/8” to 1/4” thickness. Keep unused dough wrapped in plastic. Cut with a 2” fluted round cookie or biscuit cutter. Place on prepared sheets, less than a ½ inch apart. Bake until very lightly golden on top, about 10 to 18 minutes, depending on thickness of cookie. Cool 5 minutes. Continue with next disk of dough.
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Place half the cookies bottom sides up on a baking sheet. Spread about ½ teaspoon apricot jam on each cookie. Sandwich together with remaining plain cookies.
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Heat chocolate in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Dip half of each sandwich into the chocolate and place on parchment-lined cookie sheet. If desired, sprinkle with extra nibs or toasted coconut. Let sit until chocolate is set.
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Cookies can be made ahead and frozen for several weeks.
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