Coconut Biscuits

 I often make these around Christmas as an alternative to shortbread. When the dough is piped and decorated with glacé cherries they look quite festive.

The finished biscuits are a little richer and softer in texture than most due to the higher proportion of butter in the dough. I like to use some nutmeg in the mixture but have made them with cinnamon and without spice. If time permits place the trays of unbaked biscuits in the fridge until the dough is firm. This helps reduce the spreading of the biscuits during baking.

The biscuits need to piped as soon as the mixture is made as the dough is softer and easier to pipe. 

Glacé cherries or nuts can be used to decorate the biscuits.

Mostly, I roll the dough into balls. 

Coconut Biscuits

Ingredients

250 g butter (soft)

1/2cup brown sugar

1/2cup caster sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

2 teaspoons vanilla essence

1 teaspoon nutmeg (optional or spice of choice)

2 cups plain flour

1 1/2 cups coconut

Glace cherries to decorate (optional) or blanched almonds / pistachio nuts

Method

Cream (beat) butter, sugars and vanilla essence until light and fluffy.  This can be done in a food processor.

Beat in egg then baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and nutmeg/spice if using.

Stir in flour and coconut and mix until well combined.  If using a food processor use the pulse action.

Place mixture into a piping bag with a large star nozzle. Pipe the mixture directly on trays lined with baking parchment, approximately 3 cm in diameter. Allow room for biscuits to spread.  Place a quarter of a glace cherry in the middle of each biscuit

Alternatively, roll mixture into small balls and place onto lined trays. Flatten lightly with your fingers.

If time permits place trays of unbaked biscuits in the fridge to chill and set firmly. 

Bake at 170 deg C until light golden brown, approximately 15 minutes.

 

Allow the cooked biscuits to stand for a minute or two and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely store in an airtight container.