Christmas Cookie Box Recipe Collection
My personal FAVORITE cookie from the cookie boxes: a delicious coconut-cake inspired thumbprint cookie with the most incredible gooey salted caramel filling in the center. The combination of these flavors is to die for!!
The coconut thumbprint recipe is adapted from Mimi’s Organic Eats, original recipe linked here.
The salted caramel is Bobby Flay’s recipe from NYT Cooking, linked here.
Full recipe for this cookie below. Enjoy friends!! :)
For the Coconut Cookies:
85 grams coconut oil (approx. 1/3 cup)
57 grams cane sugar (1/4 cup)
57 grams powdered sugar (sifted, ¼ cup), + more for rolling
113 grams salted butter (softened, ½ cup/one stick)
248 grams gluten-free 1 to 1 baking flour (2 cups, I used King Arthur)
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
57 grams unsweetened fine shredded coconut (1/4 cup), + more for rolling
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the coconut oil, cane sugar, and powdered sugar. Mix on low until combined and there are no chunks of coconut oil. Add the butter, and mix just until the butter has broken up; you will still see chunks of butter.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, sea salt, and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and the coconut to the butter mixture, and mix on low until combined into a dough.
Scoop about 1 tbsp size balls of dough. In a bowl, mix about ½ cup shredded coconut with ¼ cup powdered sugar (optional step). Coat balls in mixture and place and onto the prepared cookie sheets. Space the balls about 1 inch apart.
Bake for 16 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned. While still warm, use a teaspoon to create a small “well” in each cookie, for the caramel. Let cool completely on the cookie sheets while you make the caramel.
For the Salted Caramel:
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ kosher salt, or to taste
In a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, combine the sugar with ¼ cup cold water and stir to combine. Cook, without stirring, until the sugar has turned a deep amber hue, approximately 10 to 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, warm the cream in a small saucepan.
When the caramel is ready, slowly whisk in the warm cream and continue simmering the mixture until it is smooth, another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, then whisk in the butter, and then the salt, to taste.
Once caramel has cooled off but still slightly warm, add a dollop into the center of each thumbprint cookie. Alternatively, you can pipe it into the center as well. Finish the cookies with a very light sprinkle of flaky sea salt, if desired.
Allow to cool completely to give the caramel time to set, then dig in!! Enjoy <3