Coconut Macaroon Filled Chocolate Cookies Better Than Mounds Food

COCONUT MACAROON-FILLED CHOCOLATE COOKIES (BETTER THAN MOUNDS)

Steps:

• First, make the coconut macaroon filling:.
• With two racks in the middle of your oven, preheat the oven to 325.
• Spray two baking sheets or parchment paper with non-stick cooking spray.
• Beat egg whites and salt together until soft peaks form.
• Slowly add in sugar and beat until stiff, glossy peaks are present.
• Beat in vanilla.
• Add half the coconut and sprinkle with the flour.
• Add the rest of the coconut and gently fold into the egg white meringue.
• Using a 3/4 ounce scoop (almost 2 TBSP), drop onto baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart.
• Bake about 8-9 minutes, until just set. These will be under-baked and not brown at all. It's okay, because will be the filling and will finish baking inside the chocolate cookie.
• Now, it's time to make the chocolate cookie dough, while the macaroons are cooling:.
• Increase the oven temperature to 350.
• In a mixer, cream together the butter and sugars.
• Add the eggs, one at a time.
• Now add the vanilla.
• Blend in the cocoa, 1/2 cup at a time.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
• Mix in the flour mixture to the dough about a cup at a time, until well combined.
• Place fresh sheets of parchment paper (ungreased) on your cookie sheets.
• Using a 1 ounce scoop (2 Tablespoons), drop 6 mounds of dough onto each cookie sheet, spaced widely apart. These will be very big cookies.
• Spray the back of a teaspoon with non-stick cooking spray and use the back of that spoon to make a nest out of the dough for each macaroon.
• Set a macaroon on top of each chocolate cookie "nest".
• Place another 1 ounce scoop of chocolate cookie dough on top of the macaroon layer. Now there are three cookie layers.
• Spread and flatten the dough, so that the macaroon is completely covered.
• Bake in the upper half of the oven for 13 minutes. Cookies may look a little under-baked when you remove them from the oven, but they will set up and dry, as they cool.
• Immediately, slide the parchment paper with the hot cookies onto a cooling rack (otherwise, they will continue to bake and burn on the bottom). Cool for at least 5 minutes.

MOUNDS RICH, MOIST AND CHEWY MACAROON COOKIES

Steps:

• In large bowl, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar til well blended.
• Add egg yolk, o.j., and almond extract.
• In small bowl, whisk/mix flour, baking powder and salt.
• Gradually add to butter mixture, mixing well after each addition.
• Stir in well, 3 cups coconut.
• Cover and chill 1 hour or til firm enough to handle and roll into balls.
• Heat oven to 350.
• Shape dough into 1 inch balls, roll into last cup of coconut. You can lightly press it on a little.
• Place onto ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake 12-15 minutes (MINE TOOK 15! *the original recipe said 10-12 and that wasn't EVEN long enough, they sank after I took them out and had to re-bake them!)or until lightly browned. I suggest at LEAST 13 minutes, but again, mine took 15.
• Leave them on the cookie sheet 1 minute, then carefully and gently remove to wire racks to cool.
• *You can gently press a maraschino cherry half in the center of each cookie on top, if desired, before baking.
• Makes 3-3 1/2 dozen.

COCONUT FILLED CHOCOLATE COOKIES AKA MOUNDS COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; set aside.
• Cream together butter, sugar, vanilla, egg and sour cream.
• Stir in dry ingredients.
• Cover and refrigerate dough.
• To prepare filling: Combine coconut and milk in a pot over medium heat. Combine cornstarch and sugar; stir into milk. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheets.
• On a floured surface, roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 2-1/2 inch circles. Place half of the circles 1-1/2 inches apart on the cookie sheets. Spoon 1 teaspoon filling into center of each circle. Top with another circle of dough and press edges to seal.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar. Store in a single layer.
• NOTES:.
• I had a very hard time with these (sticky dough) and found that using cocoa to roll them out really helped. They are difficult to do, but once you get the hang of it, they go faster and easier. It's all worth it in the end!
• I had a lot of filling left over, but I did make them smaller (about 2 1/4 inches) and lost some dough due to mishaps. I would suggest using a heaping teaspoon of filling in each one.

FIRST-PLACE COCONUT MACAROONS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the coconut, sugar, flour and salt. Add egg whites and vanilla; mix well., Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 325° for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.