Coconut Cream Cheese Cookies

Coconut Cream Cheese Cookies - made dough November 23, 2018 from Vanilla Kitchen

I don't like cream cheese and normally avoid making a lot of stuff with it. I don't like the tang of cream cheese and the calories aren't worth it to me to eat desserts like cheesecake and the like. Even cream cheese frosting, which has its place, preferably on coconut cake or red velvet cake, does not hold a place in my dessert-loving heart.

HOWEVER, run, don't walk, to use cream cheese in these cookies. For one thing, you can't taste that tang. It was successfully buried underneath the butter and sugar. Plus the coconut. This might just be one of my new favorite coconut cookies. I love the taste and the chewy texture. The edges are crisp and the middle is nicely chewy. And it's delicious to boot.

I toasted the coconut for a little texture and that worked out well. There are no eggs in this cookie. The fat primarily comes from the butter and cream cheese which gives it that moist interior and chewy texture. Plus it doesn't spread that much so it stays thick. For a more uniform appearance, make the dough balls the size of golf balls then flatten slightly into thick discs. These stack well so they would be good to include in holiday gift bags.

2 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups coconut, toasted and cooled completely

1. Whisk flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl; set aside.
2. In the large bowl of a freestanding mixer, combine butter and cream cheese; beat until smooth. Add sugars and beat until combined. Add vanilla and mix until just combined.
3. Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in cooled coconut. Portion dough into golf-ball-size dough balls and flatten slightly to thick discs. Cover and chill overnight or else place in freezer bags and freeze for several hours or overnight.
4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Evenly space dough discs and bake for 12-14 minutes or until edges are set and bottoms are light brown; do not overbake. Cool cookies in baking sheets for 5 minutes then remove to wire racks to cool completely.