Ingredients
1 3/4 c. (210 g.) all-purpose flour
3/4 c. (50 g.) unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2/3 c. (65 g.) granulated sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 c. (115 g.) powdered sugar
2 tbsp. creme de coco
4 tsp. white rum
1/2 c. (30 g.) unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted
Preparation
Step 1Preheat oven to 350°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.Step 2In a medium bowl, whisk flour, shredded coconut, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg until combined.Step 3In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using an electric mixer), beat butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until pale and creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla, then fold in dry ingredients just until combined.Step 4Using a 1-ounce cookie scoop, scoop dough into 2 tablespoon-sized balls and arrange on prepared sheet, spacing 1" apart. Flatten into 1/4"-thick coins about 2" wide. (The easiest way to do this is to use a flat measuring cup or drinking glass, slightly dampened with water.) Chill 10 minutes.Step 5Bake cookies until edges are light golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on sheet, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
Step 1In a small bowl, whisk powdered sugar, creme de coco, and rum to form a thick glaze.Step 2Spread glaze over cooled cookies, allowing a little to drip over the edges. Sprinkle with coconut flakes.
Read on for more tips on these festive coconut cookies. Looking for more coconut desserts? Check out this toasted coconut pound cake—we can’t get enough of it. What is coquito? Coquito is best explained as being the Puerto Rican version of eggnog. Served on nochebuena, or Christmas Eve, it’s typically a blend of coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and cream of coconut that’s spiked with rum and spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. It’s sweet and creamy deliciousness! Can I use sweetened shredded coconut instead of unsweetened coconut? We love making our recipes as flexible and accommodating as possible, but in this case, you really can’t make that swap. Sweetened coconut contains additional sugar and a lot more moisture than unsweetened toasted coconut, which really affects the texture of the cookie and how it bakes. Don’t worry, this cookie will be plenty sweet, we promise. How do I toast my coconut? We recommend toasting unsweetened shredded coconut in the oven at 350° for 6 to 10 minutes. This isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it thing; you’ll need to stir the coconut every few minutes to make sure it’s toasting evenly (the edges tend to brown much faster than the center!) More questions? Check out our recipe for toasted coconut, which will give you way more info on it than you ever wanted, but will also ensure that you have gorgeously toasted coconut to use. Can I make these non-alcoholic? While coquito fans will tell you that rum is a HUGE part of coquito’s flavor, it’s pretty easy to remove it from these cookies. Try swapping the rum in the glaze for coconut milk or even water if you like. If you’d want to keep the rum flavor, you can add a bit of rum extract to the icing. We recommend starting with 1/2 teaspoon, since it’s pretty strong. How do I store these? We recommend keeping these in an airtight container. Refrigerated, they’ll stay fresh for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the unglazed cookies if you like; make sure to wait until they’re completely cooled before storing in an airtight container and freezing. When you’re ready to serve them, thaw them completely before glazing and decorating. Made these? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
