CARAMEL COCONUT COOKIES

Anything caramel and coconut is a home run in our house, and these cookies are no exception. Based off the famous cookies sold at your doorstep by adorable school aged girls across the country, these sweet shortbread cookies are covered with a sticky combination of toasted coconut and caramels and drizzled with melted semi-sweet chocolate for the perfect chewy, crunchy bite.

Cookie Dough:
1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 white sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 TBS milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract cup butter

Caramel/Coconut + Chocolate:
2 cups of soft caramels or thick dulce de leche spread
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2-3 TBS heavy cream
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups coconut flakes, unsweetened + lightly toasted
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cream room temp butter and sugar together for 3-4 minutes until creamy.
2. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt before adding to the wet bowl.
3. Add in the vanilla and the milk. Mixture will be crumbly but bring dough together and form a ball and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
4. Melt the caramel with salt, heavy cream and vanilla in the microwave. If using solid chewing caramels, you will need closer to 3 TBS of heavy cream. If using a thick, dulce de leche spread, add 1-2TBS just in order to reach a thinner, pourable consistency.
5. Add the toasted coconut to the melted caramel, but save 1/4 cup of the caramel. You will use this like a “glue” to adhere the coconut mixture to the cookies.
6. Preheat oven to 350F. Roll out cookie dough until 1/4” thick and using cookie cutters make your desired shapes and place on a silicone baking sheet (or parchment paper) and bake for 10-12 minutes until slightly golden on the edges.
7. Once cookies are cooled, paint a bit of the reserved caramel on the top to create your glue and stick clumps of the toasted coconut mixture to the cookies.
8. Dip the base of each in melted chocolate. Use the remaining chocolate to drizzle on the top. Feel free to rewarm this to make it easier to use as well if chocolate has begun to thicken and harden.
9. Let cookies cool on parchment paper until chocolate is set and enjoy! Pop extras in the freezer — these are delicious when enjoyed straight from the freezer as well!