Tag Archives: coconut

Christmas Cookies: shortbread and macaroons

18 Dec

I love Christmas.

I’ve been listening to Christmas music in my car since the day after Thanksgiving.

The last few weeks of school, I started a paper-snowflake-making craze to procrastinate studying and decorate my room.

I love Christmas ornaments and all the memories that happen when you decorate the tree.

I wear light-up reindeer antlers when no one else is around.

I might be wearing some right now.

 I might have put them on an hour and a half ago.  And not taken them off since.

Maybe.

 And I love love love making Christmas cookies.

CHOCOLATE WALNUT SHORTBREAD COOKIE (adapted from this recipe)

  • 1 c. margarine
  • 2/3 c. brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 tbsp. ground flax + 3 tbsp. water
  • 2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 3/4 c. finely chopped walnuts (I am really not a fan of nuts in baked goods, so I chopped them up so they were almost the consistency of ground nuts.  You could use a food processor if you have one, or, if you’re like me and don’t have a food processor or… are Amish, you can just use a knife)

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Melt the margarine.  Add the brown sugar and mix until it’s combined.  Then add the flour, salt, cocoa powder, vanilla, egg, and walnuts and mix just until combined.  Stick it in the fridge for about a half an hour – do this.  Don’t skip it. Otherwise, you’ll have a crumbly gross mess on your hands.  Roll it out and cut out the shapes you want.  Bake for about 15 – 18 minutes, until slightly browned on the bottoms.

COCONUT ALMOND MACAROONS

  • 1 c. sugar
  • 1/2 c. coconut milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. almond extract
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 3 c. shredded coconut
  • 1 c. almond slices
  • 3/4 c. flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix the sugar, milk, extracts, and salt in a bowl. Mix in the coconut and almonds. Add the flour to the bowl and mix until well incorporated. Using a cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a parchment-paper-lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 – 12 minutes, until the bottoms are golden.

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