Old-fashioned, buttery, and full of coconut flavor, these are my new favorite oatmeal cookies.
A few months ago I came across an oatmeal coconut cookie recipe that sounded so good I immediately pushed it to the top of my Want To Make list. The cookies didn't live up to my expectations, so I decided to come up with a recipe that did.
These thin, chewy cookies are easy to make and hard to stop eating. As we munched on the first test batch,
my hunky farmguy Joe and I talked about adding all sorts of things to the batter—chocolate chips, raisins, dried cranberries, dried apricots, almonds—but decided we loved them plain. They taste even better the next day, and they freeze beautifully.
If you've never tasted natural, unsweetened shredded coconut, you're in for a real treat. The coconut flavor really comes through, and unlike the highly processed sweetened stuff, it doesn't contain preservatives like propylene glycol and sodium metabisulfite. If you can't find unsweetened coconut at your supermarket or natural foods store (check the bulk section), you can thankfully order it online.
I've been buying Bob's Red Mill brand, which is about $12 for four 12-ounce bags at amazon. It tastes great in baked goods (like this scrumptious
Lemon Coconut Quick Bread), and you can also soak it in warm water and use it in place of fresh coconut. I even toss it in our morning smoothies. Unsweetened coconut keeps best in the refrigerator or freezer.
Recipe below. . .
