Hawaiian Coconut Shortbread Cookies Recipe - Food.com (2024)

10

Submitted by Ismy Echo

"This is a recipe from an old Sunset Desserts Cookbook, likely from the 1970's, that was lost during a move. I searched high and low on the internet for this exact recipe, as I remembered it, to no avail. I finally found a copy of the recipe I had handwritten and placed in my mother's very old cookbook many years ago. Eureka! I wanted to post it here, so that I wouldn't lose it, and to share so others could enjoy them as well. I used to make these occasionally as a special treat for our family and for holidays and events. Rich and buttery with that wonderful coconut taste with a powdered sugar coating similar to wedding cookies. These are pretty simple to make and are "jr. chef assistant" friendly, especially for little hands to coat them in powdered sugar. Probably one of the best things about these cookies is that they are so great for a "make-ahead" cookie, as the dough is refrigerated and sliced, so you can break up the prep time into different days. Also, the baked cookies improve in flavor as they mature, so another "do-ahead" advantage. They are ideal for "care packages" to mail, if cushioned and packed securely, as they don't go stale. I hope you enjoy these as much as our family and guests have :)"

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Ready In:
1hr 5mins

Ingredients:
7
Yields:

36 cookies

Serves:
36

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ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened (8 ounces)
  • 14 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (measured after sifting)
  • 14 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
  • 1 cup powdered sugar, Sifted (or more as needed, for coating after baking)

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directions

  • 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 :).

Questions & Replies

Hawaiian Coconut Shortbread Cookies Recipe - Food.com (7)

  1. Li K.

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Reviews

  1. One of the best cookie recipes I've ever tried. The cookies turn out very buttery and crisp, just melt in your mouth good. I added 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract for a little extra coconut flavor. Thank you for posting this great recipe. The reader that gave you a 3 star rating must have done something wrong as everyone else gave you a well deserved 5 stars...

    Sweet Irene

  2. I LOVE these cookies!! They just melt in your mouth!! I toasted my coconut and it helped the flavor. Can't wait to try adding other ingredients to make them better!!Ü

    Crazy2day

  3. Super yummy. I made them for an Obama inauguration party. He's from Hawaii, get it??

    PamC6283

  4. Thanks for this great recipe. I did make some changes by rolling the dough in coconut flakes then sprinkling on some granulated sugar for that added coconut taste and crunch before placing them on the baking sheet and pressing them flat with the bottom of a cup. For that added crunch, I doubled baked them after a few minutes of removing them from the oven to let the cookies and the oven cool down a bit then baked them again with the oven turned off for an additional 10 minutes. If you like really crunchy cookies, I'm sure you will love them baked this way.

    Mel Y.

  5. Well I guess I'm just not the "norm" here. I enjoyed the ease of the recipe. I ended up toasting half of the coconut. But I did some without refrigerating and some with, neither took 20 minutes to cook, they took WAY longer! Closer to 30 minutes. If I waited too long the powdered sugar would not stick as well, which is hard because I have LARGE sheet pans and cook a lot at the same time. I wasn't all that impressed, I wanted MORE coconut flavor (which is good I guess, didn't eat that many!). The teachers I made them for apparently loved them, so I guess that was good!

    Michawnpita

see 5 more reviews

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Tweaks

  1. You can never exercise enough to offset how many of these cookies you'll eat! I added 1 cup finely chopped macadamia nuts before adding the flour and instead of using the powdered sugar, I dipped one end of the cookie in melted chocolate. Thanks for sharing this wonderful cookie recipe, Ismy!

    GramCracker

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Ismy Echo

  • 1 Follower
  • 3 Recipes
  • 3 Tweaks

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Hawaiian Coconut Shortbread Cookies Recipe  - Food.com (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between a butter cookie and shortbread cookie? ›

Due to differing ratios, shortbread cookies are crumblier and more "sandy" than butter cookies, which are firm and solid enough to be iced. This mostly has to do with flour and eggs. Shortbread doesn't use eggs, while butter cookies do, making butter cookie dough more pliable and robust than its shortbread counterpart.

Why do you put cornstarch in shortbread cookies? ›

Cornstarch provides the shortbread with structure, but its biggest job is keeping the cookies extra soft, tender, and light. I love adding a small amount to chocolate chip cookies too. Optional Coarse Sugar Topping: For an optional sparkly crunch on your shortbread wedges, add a sprinkle of coarse sugar before baking.

What is the difference between shortbread and spritz cookies? ›

Shortbread have some snap, thanks to rolling chilled dough.

These shaping differences also give the cookies different textures. Spritz cookies are baked straight away, with no additional rolling or chilling, giving them a more tender crumb.

What are common mistakes when making shortbread? ›

The most common mistakes when making shortbread are over-working the dough, and incorporating too much flour. The less you work the dough, the more crumbly and melt-in-your-mouth your shortbread cookies will be.

Is Shortcake biscuit the same as shortbread? ›

Shortbread is similar to shortcake but doesn't include baking powder. Lots of rich butter gives shortbread a high fat content, resulting in a fine, crumbly texture. Shortcake and shortbread biscuits are delicious on their own, with fruit and cream, or simply topped with a delicate dusting of sugar.

What is the secret to good shortbread? ›

Tips To Make the Best Shortbread Cookies
  • Choose High Quality Butter. No matter what brand of butter you buy, if it's real butter, you can rest assured that it's the best. ...
  • Keep Ingredients Simple. ...
  • Add Flavor. ...
  • Don't Overwork. ...
  • Shape Dough. ...
  • Chill Before Baking. ...
  • Bake Until Golden. ...
  • Add Finishing Touches.

Why do you put shortbread in the fridge before baking? ›

It comes from using a high proportion of fat (or shortening) to flour and is also where shortcrust pastry gets its name. Why do you put shortbread in the fridge before baking? Chilling the dough before baking will help the shortbread keep their shape while cooking.

What happens if you add too much butter to shortbread cookies? ›

Butter is an emulsifier and it makes cookies tender. It also adds in the crispy-around-the-edges element. Adding too much butter can cause the cookies to be flat and greasy. Adding too little butter can cause the cookies to be tough and crumbly.

What is the number one selling cookie in America? ›

Oreo is the best-selling cookie in the world. It is now sold in over 100 countries. Oreo was first produced in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, now known as Na-Bis-Co. But did you know Oreos are a copycat product?

What's the difference between lady fingers and shortbread? ›

Shortbread is a tight crumb, crisp, and buttery cookie, yet ladyfingers are light, airy, and meringue-based. So the two are very different cookies in several ways. However, both ladyfingers and shortbread are often used in trifles and other layered desserts.

What country is known for shortbread cookies? ›

Shortbread originated in and is generally associated with Scotland, but due to its popularity it is also made in the rest of the United Kingdom and similar biscuits are also made in Denmark, Ireland and Sweden. The Scottish version is the best-known and is widely exported.

What was shortbread originally called? ›

The story of shortbread begins with the medieval “biscuit bread”. Any leftover dough from bread making was dried out in a low oven until it hardened into a type of rusk: the word “biscuit” means “twice cooked”. Gradually the yeast in the bread was replaced by butter, and biscuit bread developed into shortbread.

Why poke shortbread? ›

Why do you poke holes in shortbread? The holes allow the moisture to escape during baking and more even heat distribution. This helps dry out and crisp up the cookies.

What defines a shortbread cookie? ›

In simple terms, shortbread is a type of cookie classified by its high butter content. It is named shortbread due to its short, or crumbly, structure—which is caused by the high proportion of fat. The traditional recipe, developed in Scotland, consists of one part sugar, two parts butter, and three parts flour.

Are chessmen butter cookies shortbread? ›

To make a copycat version of Chessmen cookies at home, the recipe is a simple butter cookie cut out in a special shape. A butter cookie is slightly different from shortbread but with a higher ratio of sugar to butter. This allows a butter cookie to hold its shape rather than having a tendency to crumble.

What is another name for a butter cookie? ›

Butter cookies, also known as Danish butter cookies, are cookies originating in Denmark consisting of butter, flour, and sugar. They are similar to shortbread cookies.

What is the shortbread called in Girl Scout cookies? ›

Girl Scout Cookies for sale during the 1970s included Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Sandwich/Do-si-dos®, and Shortbread/Trefoils® cookies, plus four additional choices.

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