Coconut Macadamia Shortbread Food

HAWAIIAN COCONUT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream the butter until smooth. Add granulated sugar and vanilla, creaming again until smooth and slightly fluffy.
• Sift flour and then measure the 2 cups of flour. Add salt to flour and sift again.
• Gradually add to the creamed butter mixture until you have added all the flour and mixture is smooth. Mix the coconut into the cookie dough.
• Shape into a one and half (1.5) inch diameter roll and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until it the dough is firm, about 2-4 hours, or for several days until ready to use. May be frozen for later baking.
• Using a sharp knife, cut 1/4 inch slices from the cookie dough roll and place on a very lightly greased cookie sheet, about 1 inch apart.
• Bake at 300 degrees for about 20 minutes, until a light golden brown at edges, but not browned entirely across the top.
• Cool cookies on sheet just until they are set, easy to remove and have cooled slightly, usually about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove cookies with a spatula and place on the 1 cup of powdered sugar that you have sifted onto a piece of wax paper or similar surface. Cover cookies with powdered sugar on all sides by sifting more sugar over them or "rolling" them in the sugar. After they have cooled and the powdered sugar has "set", you can coat them with more powdered sugar if you would like. Cool completely and then store in an airtight container, for however long you can keep them from being eaten!
• Try these the first time following the recipe as given. The next time, you can play around with adding other ingredients to tweak these to your exact tastes. Some ideas, toasting some of the coconut before adding to the dough, adding finely chopped macadamia nuts, ginger, cardamom or any citrus zest. Key lime zest and macadamias is a great combo, truly a cookie that takes you to tropical islands without the frequent flier miles :).

COCONUT-MACADAMIA SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut dough into squares using a fluted 2 1/4-inch square cookie cutter. Reroll scraps; continue cutting out squares. Space about 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment. Lightly brush tops with beaten egg white; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup coconut. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 week.
• Put butter, cream of coconut, and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in coconut extract. Reduce speed to low. Add flour, salt, nut mixture, and ground coconut; mix until combined.
• Halve dough. Shape halves into disks, and wrap well in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Let dough soften before rolling. Roll out each disk on lightly floured parchment to 1/4 inch thick. Cover with plastic; refrigerate until firm, 30 minutes.
• Cut dough into squares using a fluted 2 1/4-inch square cookie cutter. Reroll scraps; continue cutting out squares. Space about 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment. Lightly brush tops with beaten egg white; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup coconut. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 week.

HAWAIIAN COCONUT MACADAMIA SHORTBREAD COINS (COOKIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.
• Add powdered sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat on low speed until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally.
• Beat in the 1 cup macadamia nuts and the coconut.
• Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour (dough will be sticky).
• Using lightly floured hands, shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet; flatten balls slightly.
• Lightly press additional chopped macadamia nuts onto the tops of cookies.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown.
• Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool.
• To Store: Layer cookies between waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

COCONUT MACADAMIA SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. and generously butter a 9-inch round cake pan.
• In a food processor, pulse nuts and granulated sugar just until ground fine (do not grind to a paste).
• In a bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter with confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, nut mixture and 1/4 cup coconut. Beat flour mixture into butter mixture until just combined.
• On a lightly floured surface, knead dough 5 to 8 times, or until it just comes together. With floured hands (dough will be sticky) press dough evenly into prepared baking pan and sprinkle with remaining 5 tablespoons coconut,pressing lightly to make it adhere. Bake shortbread in middle of oven 30 minutes, or until pale golden.
• While shortbread is still warm, loosen edges from pan with a small knife and cut into 8 wedges. Let shortbread cool in pan. Carefully transfer shortbread to a platter.

MACADAMIA-COCONUT LIME BARS

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine the flour, confectioners' sugar, nuts and lime zest; cover and process until nuts are finely chopped. Add the butter; pulse just until mixture is crumbly., Press into an 8x4-in. loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. , In a small bowl, whisk the egg, sugar, coconut, lime juice, flour, lime zest and baking powder until blended. Pour over hot crust. Bake 20-22 minutes longer or until light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Cut into bars.

MACADAMIA COCONUT ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Stir in vanilla. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir into the butter mixture. Then stir in the oatmeal, macadamia nuts and coconut.
• Divide dough into three portions and roll each portion into a log about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and put into the refrigerator to chill for 2 hours, or wrap and freeze for up to 2 months.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line them with parchment paper. If frozen, let dough logs sit out at room temperature for 5 minutes.
• Slice each log into 1/4 inch rounds and place about 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown.

COCONUT MACADAMIA SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Process nuts and 2 tablespoons sugar in a food processor until finely ground; set aside. Process 1 cup coconut until coarsely ground; set aside.
• Put butter, cream of coconut, and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in coconut extract. Reduce speed to low. Add flour, salt, nut mixture, and ground coconut; mix until combined.
• Halve dough. Shape halves into disks, and wrap well in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Let dough soften before rolling. Roll out each disk on lightly floured parchment to 1/4 inch thick. Cover with plastic; refrigerate until firm, 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Cut dough into squares using a fluted 2 1/4-inch square cookie cutter. Reroll scraps; continue cutting out squares. Space about 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment. Lightly brush tops with beaten egg white; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup coconut. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 week.