Rasberry Coconut Cookies

I've had this recipe hanging around the kitchen for about a month now and it was getting to the "either buck up and make these or just throw the recipe away" point. I am thinking that I'm going to try and "healthy" up our diet again starting next week so I decided to make them and if I ended up eating them all it was going to be no harm no foul day. It's a good thing I decided that in advance because I have eaten 4 cookies and probably the equivalent of 3-4 cookies in dough. It was so good!! Kind of like candy in goo form. :)

The dough really came out sticky, truly it was more gooish than doughish but it was delightful and I discovered that if I kept my hands a little bit damp it reduced the sticking and made it easier to work with. I made a few changes from the original recipe that was heisted from Taste of Home like using butter instead of shortening, adding vanilla and raspberry extract instead of the almond extract and dusting the tops with sugar. They came out of the oven a bit crispy on the outside but still chewy and sweet on the inside. Truly, if I let myself I could probably eat my way through the whole batch.

The recipe made about 2 doz cookies so if I were taking them somewhere I would probably double it but other than that it's pretty darned good as written.


Raspberry Coconut Cookies
Adapted from Taste of Home

yield 2 1/2 doz cookies

1 stick butter, softened
1 /2 c. packed brown sugar
6 T. granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. raspberry extract (you could also use almond or coconut extract)
1 1/2 c. plus 2 T. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. flaked coconut
seedless raspberry jam

1. In a mixer bowl cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, water and extracts.
2. Combine the flour, salt and soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in coconut (dough will be very sticky) You could chill it a bit at this point and it would probably be easier to work with.
3. Set aside 2/3 c. dough; roll remaining dough into 1 in. balls. Using your damp index finger make a 1/2 in. indentation in the center of each ball. Fill each hole with raspberry jam (I used a 1/2 tsp measuring spoon). Cover jam with a teaspoonful of reserved dough; seal and reshape if necessary. Sprinkle with sugar.
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-11 min or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

1 cookie=Cal 105; Fat 5g.; Chol 7mg.; Sodium 72mg.; Carb 15g.; Fiber trace; Protein 1g.