Coconut Thumbprints
These delicious Coconut Thumbprints are one of my favorite holiday cookies for several reasons. The toasted flaked coconut surrounding the subtly flavored dough, filled with raspberry jam or apricot preserves is a wonderful combination of tastes and textures. They are quite simple to make and may be refrigerated or frozen and baked off in small batches. Lastly, they are perfect for either a Hanukkah or Christmas celebration.
Like many recipes, the results are very dependent on the quality and specifications of the ingredients. The type of coconut is very important – unsweetened and flaked. There is only a small amount of coconut extract, but a good quality one does make a difference. Good quality raspberry preserves or apricot jam are a must.
Coconut Thumbprints are a fun way to involve little kids in cookie production. Depending on the age they could happily involved in the last step of rolling around the cookie ball in the coconut flakes, and certainly making the indention with their thumbs.
The baked cookies may be kept for several days at room temperature in a sealed container. They work very well as part of an assortment of cookies in a gift tin.
Coconut Thumbprints
| Yield: 30 cookies | # of Servings: 15 | Method: Creaming |
Ingredients:
1 cup (8 oz / 227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
â…” cup (4.85 oz / 138 g) sugar
¼ tsp salt
2 egg yolks (save the whites)
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp coconut extract
2 ½ cups (11.6 oz / 328 g) all-purpose flour, sifted
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
2 ½ cups (5.6 oz / 159 g) unsweetened coconut flakes1
Red raspberry preserves, as needed
Apricot preserves, as needed
Special tools and equipment needed
- Small (#70, .9 tbl) scoop, optional
- Heavy cookie sheet or half sheet pan
Pre-recipe preparations:
- Lightly toast the coconut (see directions)
- Remove butter from refrigerator and let come to room temperature
Directions:
Toasting the coconut:
- Preheat the oven to 325 °F.
- Place coconut flakes on a silpat or parchment lined sheet pan or cookie sheet and toast until just golden brown, approximately 8 minutes. Stir hallway through for even toasting.
Making the cookie batter:
- Using a countertop mixer with the paddle attachment, or a handheld mixer, cream the butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and beat until incorporated.
- Add the extracts and beat well.
- Add â…“ of the flour, and mix on low speed just until the butter begins absorbing the flour, approximately 10 seconds. Add the next â…“ of the flour in the same manner. A total blend is not necessary at this point. Add the last of the flour, and mix until the batter comes together.
- To form the cookies, set up an assembly line as follows: the cookie batter, a small baking sheet to hold the formed balls, a bowl for the egg whites, a brownie type pan for the coconut, and a half-sheet pan or large cookie sheet for the cookies.
Forming the cookies:
- In large bowl, beat the eggs whites until foamy.
- Using a small (#70) scoop, or a tablespoon, scoop approximately 1 tbl ( ¾ oz) of batter onto the small cookie sheet. Continue until you have several balls of dough. Using your hands roll each into a smooth ball.
- Drop the balls in the egg white bowl, then into the coconut. Roll them around to cover with coconut flakes.
- Place each coconut encrusted ball on the cookie sheet and make a small indention in the center.
- The cookies may be filled and baked at this point, or refrigerated (unfilled) and baked when needed.
Baking the cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
- Place the cookies one inch apart on a parchment or silpat-lined half-sheet pan or cookie sheet.
- Using a demitasse spoon or a teaspoon measure, fill with either raspberry preserves or apricot jam.
- Bake until just set, approximately 15 to 16 minutes. Remove pan from oven and leave cookies on the baking pan for 15 minutes. This step allows the cookies to set, as they are very fragile when removed from the oven.
- Remove to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
Notes:1 Bob’s Red Mill Coconut Flakes are a perfect sized flake, and my favorite for this cookie.
Baking Tip:
- To store the unbaked, unfilled cookies in the freezer – first freeze them on small cookie sheets, then place in zip-loc bags.
