Hi Yes Hello, It is I, the elusive not chanteuse of food blogging.
I’m back from a few months off to help spread the good word about a new book from the blogging world, actual blog royalty by time of blogging, The Pretty Dish from the the pretty Jessica Merchant of How Sweet Eats. I keep wanting to call it the pretty mess a la Erika Jayne that also had a book released this week but I just like to think that the book gods had their hands in this to help the sales of both.
She had too many good things in there to choose from to make and share (she’s a master with easy weeknight dinners) but I’ve got a sweet tooth that’s more of just the entire bottom half of my jaw so naturally I was drawn to cookies. The original recipe for these is actually a chocolate sprinkle crinkle cookie (Joy made them and they look perfect) but I didn’t have any cute sprinkles that worked with coating a whole cookie buuut I did have a bag of these coconut chips that I love adding to smoothies and coating cakes because I think they’re just insanely beautiful.
It turns out they work perfect. They’ get a little toasted in there and they’re not sweet, just coconutty with a brittle bite so these are basically just fudgy cookies coated in crispy crunchy coconut chips and they are pure magic. They come together so easily and are fun to roll up and in the coconut, and I think if I were to change anything it would be an experiment to toss a handful of toffee chips into the batter but even without I would make and eat these a thousand times over.
If you’re into simple weeknight dinners, body scruuuubs, and fun desserts (mojito cupcakes!) go grab Jessica’s book and give it a good read, you won’t regret it.
Coconut Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Makes about 18 cookies
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 – 1 1/2 cups coconut chips (or 1/2 cup sprinkles)
In a medium size bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In the bowl of a stand up mixer fitted with a paddle attachment sift in the cocoa powder then add the sugar and oil and mix together on low speed just until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time beating on medium speed to incorporate the first before adding the second with the vanilla extract. Beat to combine then scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix on low just until combined.
Use a silicone spatula to scrape up the bottom of the bowl and make sure there aren’t any pockets of flour and everything’s well acquainted. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours, overnight’s cool too.
Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line a couple baking sheets with parchment paper Use a medium size cookie scoop (1 1/2 tablespoons) to scopp out the dough and roll it into a ball before rolling it into the coconut chips (the dough’s a little sticky, just chill out and hang, we need it to be for the coconut to adhere). You might have to gently press some coconut onto the cookies where there’s a bald spot, the goal is to have the cookie dough covered in the coconut.
Place the coconut covered dough balls to the baking sheets 2″ apart (you should be able to fit 8 on a half sheet pan) and bake one at a time for 10-12 minutes, until the coconut is just starting to toast and the cookies have spread slightly. Let them sit for 5 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Continue with the rest of the dough and store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
