I’m a sucker for a good shortbread cookie. I’m guessing it’s all the butter- you can’t help but enjoy the delicate crispness of these little treats! The almond and cherries produce a nice flavor that compliments the subtle coconut. They’re delicious. I love that you can make the dough ahead of time- even up to a week before you plan on baking them. Enjoy.
Cherry Almond Coconut Shortbread Cookies
Recipe adapted from Mad Tad MD {an interesting blog with equally interesting cookie recipes!}
Yields 4 dozen small cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
- ½ cup sugar
- 1/4 cup chopped maraschino cherries
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon cherry extract {optional but super yummy!}
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
- sliced almonds and turbinado sugar, for topping
In a bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter with the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add in extracts.
Add flour, baking powder and salt. Beat until it forms a dough. Stir in cherries and coconut.
Divide the dough in half. On a sheet of wax paper, form each half into an 8-inch log. Chill the logs, wrapped in the wax paper, for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Heat the oven to 300°F.
Cut the logs into ¼-inch-thick slices with a sharp knife.
Arrange the slices 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Top with one or two almond slices and a sprinkle of turbinado sugar.
Bake the cookies on the top rack of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they are pale golden.
Transfer to wire racks to cool.
