Double Chocolate Coconut Cookies

Who doesn't love cookies, right? This is another recipe I thought I would try out before our vacation adventure and I am glad I did. I wasn't originally planning to make multiple types of cookies before our trip, but since someone Ryan new would be picking us up when we landed in Washington at the little airport in Quincy, I got the great idea to make him a "thank you!" cookie box. Like I said, who doesn't like cookies! Cookies make everything better. At least I like to think so.

These cookies are the perfect bite of chocolate, coconut and white chocolate. You get a little bite and crunch from the coconut, you get the sweetness from the white chocolate chips and then you get the richness from the cocoa powder. Oh and don't let me forget about walnuts! If you enjoy chocolate and coconut as much as I do (hello mounds bars!), you've got to try these. The cookies came out a bit thinner then I thought, but the flavor was spot on. I think next time I make these, I will opt not to use the cookie scoop so I can make it more of a drop cookie and so it will be a little bigger and thicker.  That and how fun would it be to make these with almonds instead of walnuts. It would be like an almond joy.  How delicious would that be? I can't even remember the last time I had an almond joy. Although, there is a recipe on one of my favorite blogs Joy the Baker that I can't wait to try - homemade almond joy! Okay, I am getting off topic again. See how easily distracted I get when I talk about sweet treats? Back to cookies.

love love white chocolate

butter and sugar creaming.

add in cocoa powder!

I think I made the scoop too small - next time bigger scoop = bigger cookie

cookies done and cooling.

Double Chocolate Coconut Cookies (www.marthastewart.com)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 cups white-chocolate chunks 

1 3/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 3/4 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Mix in eggs, 1 at a time. Stir in vanilla. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Mix into butter mixture on low speed until well combined. Stir in chocolate, coconut, and walnuts.

Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop batter onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly. Bake until set, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 2 minutes. Transfer cookies on parchment to racks to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 week.

This recipe makes a TON of cookies, about 5 dozen to be exact. I did not want that many cookies around my house, so I halved this one. It still made quite a few cookies. If you decide to make the full batch, these awesome cookies store great in the freezer. You can store them in Ziploc bags or Tupperware. They should last up to three months in the freezer, but I can bet that they will all be gone well before that. Especially when you find out they taste just as good frozen or after a quick zap in the microwave.