Butter-Coconut Jammy Yummies

These are not good for you in any physical way.  Oh, sure, you can rationalize the value of the coconut (or other nut) content, but the truth is that the main ingredient of note here is butter.  Of course, I suppose you could use a reduced-fat or unsaturated fat substitute, but if you don't, unless you are some kind of blessed person who has been urged to eat butter in large quantities by a medical doctor with a valid license, you should probably take it as read that these are not good for you.  They are happy-makers, though, if you like coconut.  If you don't like coconut, or if you're not in the mood for coconut, or if you just don't have any coconut on hand, feel free to substitute ground nuts of your choice and thus be made happy by them in your own way.

I am in the mood for coconut today, and oh look, we have some.  Also, the full moon is due Monday, and though that may not mean a damn thing to you, trust me when I tell you that now is not a good time to attempt to come between me and the dairy fat.

So.  A cookie is born.

The Happy Monopod's Butter-Coconut [or -Other-Nut] Jammy Yummies

1 C salted butter, softened
½ C unsweetened shredded coconut [or finely ground nuts of your selection]
1 jumbo egg
1 T vanilla
2½ C flour
1 C sugar
½ t baking soda

plus:

• additional coconut [or finely ground nuts] for dusting
• jam for dabbing
• one egg white, beaten with a fork, for glazing

1.  Combine butter and coconut (or other nuts), then beat in egg.

2.  Combine dry ingredients (flour, sugar, soda) in separate bowl.  Whisk together until well blended.  Beat into wet mixture, then beat in vanilla until well blended.

3.  Form the dough into one or more cylinders approximately two inches thick.  Wrap the cylinder(s) in parchment or waxed paper, then chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

4.  When you are ready to take the dough out of the fridge, set the oven temperature to 350°.

5.  Slice the chilled dough into ½"-thick rounds. 

Drop each round one flat side down into the extra shredded coconut. 

A light, sparse dusting of coconut will automatically adhere.  Place dusted rounds coconut side up on a cookie sheet leaving at least an inch of space around each one.

6.  With your fingertip, make a shallow depression in the center of each round.

Into each depression place a just a tiny dab, no more than say an eighth of a teaspoon, of jam.

You are shooting for just a tangy accent in the finished cookie, not a big, wet, sweet glob of filling, so select jam that is on the tart side (apricot, for example, and preserves sweetened only with juice) and do apply sparingly.

7.  Lightly but assertively brush beaten egg white over every round, even over the jam dot. 

Do not stress out over the fact that the jam may flatten and smear a little, or that the coconut dusting will not stay perfectly evenly distributed, and do not stress out over getting a perfectly even glaze on every cookie.  These cookies expand a lot in the baking, which changes the landscape of each one significantly.  Part of what makes them enjoyable when finished is a combination of planned evennesses and liberally allowed unevennesses.

8.  Bake for 15 minutes or even a couple of minutes longer, until each cookie is golden brown.  Cookies will be very, very soft, so cool them until they set before serving them.  (yield = approximately 35 cookies)

Enjoy!  (And yes, though it's not what I meant to imply in naming them, you can indeed enjoy them while wearing your jammies.  I certainly will.)

Comments

[sognatrice]

Yum, yum, and yum! I love coconut, and now you have me craving it too.

And btw, I don't think I'd be stressed out the jam flattening or the coconut dispersing, but what did throw me a bit was thinking you were spreading on the beaten egg with a stalk of celery! Obviously I should have more coffee before I start reading blogs :)

[Sara]

HA HA HA -- so funny! Yes, I suppose it does sort of look like that, but what you're really looking at is the best dang pastry brush I've ever owned. It's made of silicone with two different sized brushing ends and a well-weighted handle/stem between, and it washes beautifully in the dishwasher. The ends are molded into the shape of bristles, so the bristles don't come off unless you cut them off (not that I've done that). Plus, slippery and pliable, they spread a mean egg white.

I'm not typically a fan of silicone bakeware. It's wibbly-wobbly, making it difficult to handle safely and non-irritatedly when full of batter or packed with hot and fragile goodies straight out of the oven, and it does weird things to crusts. I enthusiastically endorse this silicone baking accessory, however. It has changed my life!

No, really, it has, because now I don't have to throw out the pastry brush and buy a new one every time I want to glaze something. This one gets completely clean, every time, effortlessly. Honest! No fooling! As they say in your neck of the woods, che miracolo!