Thursday, December 01, 2011

Mini Dark Chocolate Coconut Almond (Or Not) Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups—12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies

Coconut Cookie Cups

I’ve never been so torn over what to call a cookie or which photo to share first, but these cookies take that prize!  Similar to the recent Mini Chocolate Chip Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies, I think I’m on a little kick to see all the different things I can put into these mini chocolate chip cookie cups.  I began dreaming of coconut, so these Mini Dark Chocolate Coconut Almond Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups hailed from the oven.

After making these, I decided these would be my choice for the tenth week of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies.  I think a fun idea for a Christmas cookie plate is to make a bunch of these with unlimited possibilities of candy to put in the middle.  They would be really fun and colorful with all the different Hershey’s Kisses now available or even M&Ms.  I also think Peppermint Patties would be great.  The cookies are baked for 8-9 minutes, then removed from the oven and the chocolate/candy is added for another 2-3 minutes, which makes for perfect chocolate melting but not so much that the candy becomes an unrecognizable puddle of goo. 

It goes to say---

Almond Joy Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups

“That sometimes you feel like a nut……..”

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups

“sometimes you don’t.”  I realize that it seems people are either in the “hate coconut” camp, or “love coconut” camp.  So be it.  It’s a winner at our house! 

Mounds or Almond Joy Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups 11-30-11

This recipe for chocolate chip cookies seems to work great with coming out of the mini muffin tin.  I have found that just going around part of the edge of each cup with a sharp knife releases the cookie with no problems.

Mini Dark Chocolate Coconut Almond (Or Not) Chocolate Chip Cookie  Cups, by Katrina, Baking and Boys! 

17 ounces all purpose flour (3  2/3 cups minus 2 tablespoons) (lightly spooned into the measuring cup and swept level with a knife—kitchen scales are best!)

1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt

2 ½ sticks (1 ¼ cups or 10 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature

10 ounces (1 ¼ cups, packed tightly) light brown sugar

8 ounces (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

about 15 ounces mini chocolate chips (1 package is 12 ounces and would probably be fine)

Dark Chocolate Candy, such as Dove or Hershey’s Bliss, unwrapped

2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

pinch salt

1/2 cup whole almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Have mini muffin tins ready.  No need to grease.

Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl with a wire whisk. Set aside.

In bowl of electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars until very light, about five minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. With mixer on low, add dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips with rubber spatula.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the coconut, pinch of salt and sweetened condensed milk.

Fill each muffin cup about half full with cookie dough, about a tablespoon of dough per cup.   Indent the center of each cookie cup and fill it with about 2 teaspoons of the coconut mixture.  Top with an almond if desired.   Bake for 8-9 minutes.  Remove from oven and place a chocolate in the center of each one and push down slightly.  Return to oven for 2-3 minutes.  Let cool in muffin tin on wire rack until they are set and cool, you can even set the tin in the fridge for 15 minutes or so after they have cooled about 10 minutes.  With a sharp knife, pry each cookie out of their cup—they come out quite easily, just be careful as the peanut butter cup is still soft.   Feel free to try other chocolate/candies in the center.

Giant Coconut Almond Stuffed Cookie

For the fun and deliciousness of it, I filled one giant cookie with some of the coconut, almonds and chocolate.  The cookie was probably six inches in diameter.  You could make some of these to give as holiday gifts as well.  They would be the type to wrap individually, rather than put on plates. 

Giant Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

You know you want a bite!  Anyone else starting to really freak out about how fast Christmas is coming now?

12 weeks of christmas graphic

22 comments:

Lisa Ernst said...

This is up there as one of my all time favorite recipes you've created. Pure genius! I will have to try this, the little cups contain so many of my favorite things. That giant cookie doesn't look to shabby either. :-)

Jersey Girl Cooks said...

Another great cookie! You have so many great ones to choose from.

Sue @ Cakeballs, cookies and more said...

Oh the little ones are so cute, but that big cookie is what I think I would really want. Yum!

Lisa said...

That giant cookie certainly catches my eye. I'm actually making some cookie cups too for tomorrow's ward Christmas party, though nowhere near as fancy as yours. Great idea!

Anonymous said...

Chocolate, coconut, almonds - it must be Christmas! amazing cookie for a special treat:)
Mary x

Unknown said...

coconut and chocolate inside of chocolate chip cookie cups- genius! I love your blog and just wanted to pop in and say hi! I am starting a bloghop inspired by chocolate, I would love if you submitted a recipe to it!

Ashley @ Kitchen Meets Girl said...

I LOVE the look of those cookie cups! Awesome!

Natalie said...

you combined some of my favorite flavors--and i love that they're so different!

Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust said...

*Whimper* This is like my dreams came true in a dessert!

Barbara Bakes said...

You know I love the cookie cup. This is a fabulous idea!

Valerie said...

I definitely loooove coconut and mini desserts so these look perfect!

Curt said...

I would have to do both variations. I just love coconut and chocolate.

Whats Cookin Italian Style Cuisine said...

I am beyond words this is a must try I just love everything in it, and your photos are spectacular, your family is so lucky to have you baking for them like this!

Shelby said...

I am certain I would love this cookie because it has my favorite...almond and coconut!

Diane Schmidt said...

yummy!

The Poet Herself said...

You're right: you either love coconut or you don't. I LOVE it. I must make these soon. Thanks for the great idea!

Mia said...

I am newbie, these look so good, would they freeze well?

karlaskreativitykorner said...

I want,no let me rephrase, I need the recipe for that cookie. The cups look fantastic and I want them too, but that cookie stands out like a sore thumb, but in the bestest way. So delish, please oh please say you'll share the recipe for that?? Come on, you know you want to.

Katrina said...

karla--the recipe for the big cookie is the same cookie dough. I just put some of the coconut mixture inside and a chocolate and almond--all in the middle of the cookie. Take some dough and flatten it out for the bottom of the cookie, then put the things on the top and some more flattened out dough to cover it all. It makes for BIG cookies. ;)

Chris said...

Hi Katrina, all my favourite ingredients in one place. Yummy, I can't wait to make these. Thanks so much for sharing. I have recently found your blog and am now following you, and will visit often. Please stop by my blog and perhaps you would like to follow me also. Have a wonderful day. Hugs, Chris
http://chelencarter-retiredandlovingit.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Just made your coconut, choco chip mini cup cookies. Taste fine, but ran
out of coconut mixture way before I
ran out of cookie dough. Should the
coconut mix be doubled or tripled, or
the choco chip recipe be cut back?
Used the extra for regular cookies and were great by themselves. The
filled cookie cups were very good
and will make them again.

Katrina said...

Anonymous, Thank you for your comment. Looking back at the recipe, you pose a great question. The cookie recipe is my "big" one. And I really can't remember if I used all of it for the coconut cookie cups. With the amount of coconut mixture I know that I have used that amount for some Almond Joy Brownies that are in an 8 inch square pan. I really wish I could remember and am sorry that I don't. But looking back at these sure makes me want to make them again! ;)
Glad you made the best of the cookie dough!