Chewy Coconut Cookies

I have been trying to catch up on my Christmas baking, but alas, EVERYTHING has been eaten up!  I made chewy coconut cookies the other day.  When my son came home from school, he was so excited to see a pile of them cooling on a wire rack.  With a glass of milk in one hand, he proclaimed that the cookies were SO GOOD.

It's a relief that they turned out good since I was planning to take them to a friend's house.  The taste of coconut is not for everyone.  My mother is not particular with coconut but we LOVE it.  

These cookies remind me of the Chinese coconut tarts sold in Chinese bakeries in Vancouver.  They taste like the filling without all the work of making the tarts! 

I have been making these cookies for over a year..  It is a nice change from chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin cookies.  I am not sure if they are "kid-friendly", since coconut is not a classic kiddie flavour.  My children adore this sweet and chewy cookie with crisp outer edges.  

Chewy Coconut Cookies
makes about 2 dozen

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter (I used soft non-hydrogenated canola margarine)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (I used 1/3 cup)
1/2 cup white sugar (I used 1/3 cup)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups flaked unsweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.) Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually blend in the flour mixture, then mix in the coconut. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly toasted. Cool on wire racks.

- Adapted from Allrecipes.com:  Chewy Coconut Cookies

Enjoy!