Lemon Coconut Sandies

If you're looking for a lemon cookie that is light and delicate and looks relatively fancy, but is easy to make, then look no further than this recipe.  I whipped up a batch of these for an awesome surprise party I went to a few weeks ago.  In preparation for the party, I scoured my cookbooks looking for the perfect lemon cookie recipe.  In my search, I stumbled across a pecan sandie recipe.  I lingered over the recipe, because I love how cookies rolled in powdered sugar seem to melt away with the first bite. 

After a few minutes of cookie visualization, I decided to transform the pecan sandies into lemon coconut sandies.  Luckily the cookies turned out exactly like I wanted them to, because I never selected a plan B recipe.  These lemony cookies are the perfect way to start off your summer, so you'd better get baking!

Notes:
These are very similar to Russian tea cakes or Mexican wedding cookies.  You'll want to roll these cookies in the powdered sugar while they are still warm, but not so hot that they burn your fingers.  The steam may make the powdered sugar coating seem damp, but it will dry eventually.  Once the cookies have cooled, I like to lightly sift a little bit more powdered sugar over the tops so they look nicer.  Depending on the size of your lemons, you will need either 1 or 2 lemons for this recipe.  I toast the coconut in a skillet, because it is easier to attend to on the stove, as opposed to in the oven.  Since the pan will be hot, the coconut will continue to cook if you leave it in the skillet, so you'll need to transfer it to a plate to cool. 

Adapted from the Christian Home Cook Book

Ingredients:
1½ cups unsweetened coconut
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1½  tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
powdered sugar for rolling

Yields about 4 dozen cookies

Toast:
Place the coconut in a large skillet, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring regularly, until the coconut turns a light golden brown.  Immediately transfer the toasted coconut to a large plate to cool.

Whisk, Cream, Add, Shape, Bake, Coat:
Adjust the oven racks to the upper and lower thirds, and preheat to 350°F.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats, and set aside.  In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour and cooled toasted coconut, and set aside.  In a separate bowl, combine the butter, the ¼ cup powdered sugar, and tablespoon of granulated sugar, and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.  Scrape down the bowl and beater, and add the vanilla, lemon extract, lemon juice, and zest, and beat until they are fully incorporated.  Beat in the flour mixture in halves, just until no more flour streaks remain.  Scrape the bowl well between the flour additions.  Use a cookie scoop or two spoons to scoop up a tablespoon's worth of dough.  Roll the dough ball gently in the palms of your hands to smooth out the surface.  Place the dough ball on the prepared cookie sheet, and repeat with the remaining dough.  Bake the cookies at 350°F for 12-15 minutes, or until the cookies are baked through, but not browned, rotating the sheets halfway through baking.  It is ok if the cookie bottoms are a light golden color.  Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.  Once the cookies are cool enough to handle, roll them in powdered sugar, and place them back on the rack to finish cooling.  The powdered sugar may seem damp after you roll the cookies, but once the cookies are fully cooled, the powered sugar should begin to dry out.  Lightly dust the cookie tops with additional powdered sugar.  Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.  

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