I promise this is not a cookie blog, but I am very proud of these cookies. Thank you to my colleagues for taste-testing. Shredded coconut is a delight of modernist cooking – and its ready availability makes this recipe possible. I talked about Jewish uses of coconut in my 2018 post on Southeast Asian ingredients in Jewish cooking.

Crinkly Coconut Cookies
Makes 24-30 cookies
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 egg or 1 flax egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups white all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp salt
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- Preheat your oven to 375F/190C. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy – I use an electric mixer, but you can use a wooden spoon or a fork.
- Add the egg or flax egg and vanilla and combine.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, allspice, and salt, then mix in the coconut.
- Fold the flour-coconut mixture into the butter mixture until thoroughly combined. You should have a soft, not too sticky dough.
- Roll the dough into 1 ½ inch/4cm balls (the size of a walnut), then squash to flatten a little. Place the balls 2in/5cm apart on the parchment-lined pan.
- Bake for 12 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let sit on the sheet for another 10 minutes.
- Remove from pan and let cool. Store in a sealed container for up to a week.