Twelve Weeks of Christmas Cookies—Toasted Coconut Lime Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Oh my, I SWEAR I just posted last week’s cookies for the Twelve Weeks of Christmas Cookies and now here we are again (week 8).  Have you done any Christmas shopping yet?  I have not.  (Gulp) I recently saw and had to buy some intriguing looking chocolates at the grocery store.

I hadn’t ever really thought of pairing lime and chocolate together, but these are actually really good.  Then I got to thinking what I could bake with them.  I thought of coconut.  Coconut and lime go great together.  I pulled out this recipe from Cooking Light (April 2010) and made my changes and I have to say these are some tasty cookies!

I made a bunch of mini sized cookies to go along with the others I’d previously done and piled them on a plate.

I made some of them, then decided to put one of the lime chocolate balls on top of a few just as they came out of the oven.

I then decided to do some of the cookies with the chocolate balls inside.  Those are my favorite.

Toasted Coconut Lime Chocolate Chunk Cookies, by Katrina, Baking and Boys! (adapted from Cooking Light, April 2010)

1 cup flaked sweetened coconut
4.5 ounces whole wheat pastry flour (128 grams)  (You could use all purpose flour as well)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
3 ounces dark chocolate,  chopped
zest of half a lime (about 1/2 teaspoon) or more to taste, I plan to try up to 1 teaspoon next time

Key Lime Milk Chocolate Balls, from Florida Tropic (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Arrange coconut in a single layer in a small baking pan. Bake at 350° for 7 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring once. Set aside to cool.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk until blended. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Beat in vanilla, lime zest and egg. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed just until combined. Stir in toasted coconut and chocolate.

Drop by level tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. (If using lime chocolate balls, wrap some of the cookie dough around the chocolate and roll in to balls.  Bake  for 8-10 minutes.  Let sit on baking sheets for two minutes then remove to cooling rack.  If you’re putting chocolate balls on the top of the cookies, do so as soon as you remove them from the oven.