Coconut Oreos

Coconut Oreos - made dough June 20, 2015 from Crazy for Crust

These were supposed to be modeled after the Golden Oreos you could buy at the grocery store. I’ve tried those Oreos once and will never do it again – the original is always the best. So I don’t think I should call these homemade cookies anything remotely like those Golden Oreos because these are delicious.

They’re soft, moist and chewy with a really nice brown sugar undertone. The cookies themselves aren’t too sweet (although it’s all relative) and pair nicely with a cream cheese filling mixed with coconut. Because that’s what I did. I skipped the original filling in the recipe and just went with 2 tablespoons of butter, 4 ounces of cream cheese, a teaspoon of vanilla and enough powdered sugar to make the consistency and taste I wanted. Throw in a handful of coconut and you’re ready to fill and sandwich the cookies.

As always with sandwich cookies, err on the side of making them small since you’ll be eating two cookies (and a filling) with each one. Make them as identical in size as possible and match the closest size ones with each other. Technically you should wait until they’re completely cool before adding the filling but I like to wait until they’re barely cooled just past lukewarm, sandwich one and eat it. The cookies are still a bit warm but not warm enough to melt the filling and there’s a nice contrast between the slightly warm, chewy cookie and the cool, sweet filling.

1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg

Filling
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1-2 tablespoons milk (use coconut milk for even more coconut flavor)
1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut

1. Whisk baking soda, salt, and flour in a medium bowl. Set aside. 
2. Cream butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer). Cream until fluffy, about 1 minute. 
3. Add egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Slowly mix in dry ingredients, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. 
4. Scoop 1 tablespoon cookie balls and flatten slightly into thick discs. Wrap or cover and chill or freeze for several hours or overnight. 
5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats. Space discs evenly on cookie sheets.
6. Bake for 7-8 minutes, until the edges are golden. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before frosting. 
7. To make the frosting: mix butter with a hand mixer until creamy and smooth. Mix in powdered sugar slowly until crumbly. Add coconut extract and 1 tablespoon milk and mix until smooth. Add up to 1 more tablespoon of milk to get the right spreading consistency for your frosting, but only add 1 teaspoon or less at a time so you don't make it too runny. Stir in coconut. Frost the bottoms of half the cookies, then sandwich with another cookie.