Winter Theme Coconut Cookies

Winter Theme Coconut Cookies

Winter Theme Cookies

Before January ends and my February baking projects commence, I wanted to do another arctic/winter theme cookies post as I have done in the last few years: Pistachio Arctic Cookies: Polar Bears and Penguins and Arctic Cookies: Polar Bears and Penguins.  I added some new penguin and polar bear designs, and made an igloo, unicorn and panda. I also made a huge snowman from a cutter I got at T.J. Maxx after Christmas that was 75% off. The unicorn may seem odd to some but this unicorn is from the arctic. I love winter and we got more snow yesterday (just over 1-inch) and these cuties deserved a post. I was inspired by many bloggers for some of the designs as I am not an artist and draw stick figures for people. This cookie is a coconut lovers dream. I used dessicated coconut but if you cannot find it, just pulse coconut flakes in your processor or blender until it reaches a fine texture. The original recipe uses toasted coconut and I have made it this way as well and they were a hit, so either option works great. I suggest buying unsweetened coconut flakes to control the sugar content of the cookie. The texture of this coconut cookie is chewy and full of coconut flavor in every bite. The dessicated coconut adds a lovely texture. See recipe below.

Winter Theme Cookies

Yield: 2 Dozen Cookies (depending on cutter size)

Ingredients
1 cups (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, softened and each stick cut into 8 cubes

1 cup Granulated Sugar

1 Large Egg

1 teaspoon Coconut  Milk (Silk)

1½ teaspoons Coconut Extract

2 ½ cups King Arthur All Purpose Flour

1/8 teaspoon Coarse Salt

1 cup Dessicated Coconut

Polar Bears

Directions
Cut each stick of butter into 8 pieces.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and dessicated coconut; set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment on medium speed. Mix until incorporated, about 1-2 minutes.

Igloo and Penguins

Scrape sides of bowl with spatula and mix again for 5-10 seconds more.

Add egg and combine.

Scrape down bowl with spatula and mix again for another 10 seconds.

Add coconut milk, coconut extract, and mix for 1 minute.

Penguins

Slowly add coconut flour mixture to bowl, and mix on low speed for 1-2 minutes. I carefully cover the mixer with a kitchen towel.

When dough clumps around paddle attachment, it is ready.

Form dough into a ball, and cover with plastic wrap, and cool in fridge for 1-2 hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Take 1/2 of the dough, use rolling pin and roll out between 2 sheets of parchment paper until desired thickness is reached.

Super Size Snowman

Press lightly floured cutters into the dough to make desired shapes and repeat until you use all the dough.

Place cookie shapes on parchment lined baking sheets and space 2 inches apart.

Place cookies in the freezer for 15 minutes before baking. They hold their shape when you do this.

Bake cookies for 9-13 minutes, or until center of cookie no longer looks wet. My cookies baked in 13 minutes.

Polar Bears

Let cookies cool in baking sheets for 5 minutes and transfer to wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.

Let cookie sheets cool completely before you bake again. I put the cookie sheets in the freezer for 5 minutes.

Repeat until you have baked all the cookies.

Polar Bears

Large Batch Royal Icing
Ingredients
8 Egg Whites

8 teaspoons Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed

12 cups Powdered/Confectioners' Sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon Coconut Extract

1-3 teaspoons Water (as needed depending on the consistency you need)

Polar Bear

Directions
In a large bowl, sift powdered sugar, set aside.

In a bowl, add egg whites.

In a bowl, whisk together the egg whites and lemon juice.

Transfer to stand or hand held mixer with paddle attachment and mix on high for 1-2 minutes.

Add coconut extract and mix for 5-10 seconds.

Panda Bear

With mixer speed on low, slowly add sifted sugar and beat on low until smooth. Cover the mixer with a kitchen towel.

If needed, you may add 1 teaspoon of water at a time until you reach the right consistency.

For both icing recipes, I separated the icing in plastic containers with lids according to the different colors needed for tinting.

I used AmeriColor Soft Gel Paste Food Color in various colors. Use 1-2 drops at a time until you have the color you need.

Winter Unicorn

Keep the containers covered until you are ready to color.

I transferred the icing immediately into squeeze bottles.

If the royal icing hardens due to exposure to air, use a spray bottle and spray a little bit of water and shake bottle well holding the tip with your finger.

Be careful doing this since you do not want the icing runny. Too much water will make the color bleed on the cookie.

Test the icing consistency on a paper towel before decorating the cookie.

I outlined the cookies first and then filled them.

Use a paintbrush or cookie stick to reach edges, and use tip of cookie stick or a toothpick to pop any air bubbles.

Igloo

Add sprinkles, confetti, sugar pearls, dragees, etc... over wet icing.

I used AmeriColor Gourmet Writer Food Decorating Pens (Certified U.S. food grade) to sketch on some of the designs.

Let cookies dry overnight. This is essential so the icing does not stick together when you stack them or place in cookie tins for gifts.

If you are baking and it is humid, you may need more time for the cookies to dry.

For the Coconut Cookies using Toasted Coconut, please visit my Coconut Heart Cookies:
https://twofrys.blogspot.com/2016/02/coconut-heart-cookies.html

I was inspired to make Penguins from the Glorious Treats, Pink and Purple Penguin Cookies:
http://www.glorioustreats.com/2011/12/pink-and-purple-penguin-cookies.html

I used Sweetambs, Valentine's Day Panda Bear tutorial to make the Panda:
http://www.sweetambs.com/tutorial/valentines-day-panda-bear-cookies/


-Enjoy!

Sophia/Two Frys

Winter Wonderland Cake

Winter Wonderland Cake

Winter Wonderland Cake

Winter Wonderland Cake

I took Cook's Illustrated White Layer Cake recipe (link below) and turned it into a Coconut Layer Cake by replacing the Whole Milk to canned Coconut Milk, and used Coconut Extract in place of Almond Extract. The Coconut Frosting is adapted from, The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2010 (pgs. 498-99). This cake is light and moist and has a tender crumb. The coconut taste is divine and the dessicated coconut all over the cake makes it a coconut lovers dream cake. To give the cake a Winter Wonderland look, I made White Trees using ice cream cones and covered them with frosting, and then rolled them in Wilton White Sparkling Sugar Sprinkles and Wilton White Sugar Pearls Sprinkles. I read about this DIY on The Cake Blog (link below) and wanted to try it. If you love coconut as much as I do, you gotta make this recipe! See recipe and directions below.

First slice goes to the baker, me! ;)

Cake
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups King Arthur Cake Flour, plus more for the cake pans

1 cup Coconut Milk, canned, room temperature

6 Large Egg Whites, room temperature

2 teaspoons Coconut Extract

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 3/4 cups Granulated Sugar

4 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Coarse Salt

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) Unsalted Butter, softened and cut into 12 pieces

Winter Wonderland Cake

Winter Wonderland Cake

Directions
Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease 2 9-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper and grease and sprinkle with cake flour.

Tap on counter and remove excess cake flour.

Whisk coconut milk, egg whites, coconut and vanilla extracts together in a medium sized bowl.

In a mixer with paddle attachment, mix cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on low speed until combined, about 1 minute.

Increase speed to medium, beat butter into the flour mixture, a couple of pieces at a time, about 1 minute.

Continue to beat the mixture until it resembles moist crumbs, about 1 minute.

Beat in all but 1/2 cup of the coconut milk mixture, then increase speed to medium and beat until smooth, light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.

Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add remaining coconut milk mixture until batter is combined, about 1 minute.

Close-up of my slice

Winter Wonderland Cake beauty!

Add batter into the prepared pans, smooth tops with spatula, and lightly tap the pans against the countertop two to four times to settle the batter.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes. My cake was done in 25 minutes.

Ovens vary so check the cake at 23 minutes or earlier and adjust baking time accordingly.

Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes. Run a small knife around the edge of the cakes, then flip them carefully onto a wire rack.

Peel off the parchment paper, flip the cakes right side up, and cool completely.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill in fridge overnight or wait at least 2 hours if frosting the same day.

If you chill the cake overnight as I did, it will be easier to frost and not be as crumbly and the flavors develop more as well.

Pretty White Trees made from ice cream cones

Cake is frosted and ready to cover with the dessicated coconut

Coconut Frosting
Ingredients
2 tablespoons Heavy Cream

1 teaspoon Coconut Extract

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1/2 teaspoon Coarse Salt

2 sticks (16 tablespoons) Unsalted Butter, softened and cut into pieces

1/4 cup Coconut Milk, canned

3 cups Confectioners/Powdered Sugar

Shredded or Dessicated Coconut (however much you wish over frosting and in between the cake layers). I used dessicated coconut.

I used King Arthur brand Cake Flour

Iberia Coconut Milk

Directions
In a small bowl, stir the cream, coconut and vanilla extracts, and salt together.

In a mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter and coconut milk on medium-high speed until smooth, about 30-45 seconds.

Reduce mixer speed to medium-low and gradually beat in confectioners/powdered sugar, then continue to beat until smooth, about 3 minutes.

Beat in the cream mixture. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.

Winter Trees
Ingredients
3 Ice Cream Cones

Coconut Frosting

Wilton White Sparkling Sugar Sprinkles and Wilton White Sugar Pearls Sprinkles.

Ice Cream Cones will become White Winter Trees

Directions
Hold 1 cone inside your index finger and with a small spatula frost cone rotating it with your finger.

Roll each frosted cone in a large bowl with sprinkles. Cover completely.

Carefully place on a cutting board, baking sheet, or flat surface to set until you frost cake.

Dessicated Coconut I purchased for this recipe

Frost Cake
Directions
Line edges of cake platter or cake turntable with strips of parchment paper to keep platter edges clean as you frost cake.

I use a cake turntable.

If you wish, you may slice off the tops of the cake layers with a serrated knife before frosting.

I never do since my cakes bake pretty evenly on top.

Pic of dessicated coconut

Place one of the cake layers on the platter/cake turntable top side down. Spread desired frosting over the cake, right to the edges.

Place other cake layer top side down and press lightly to adhere.

Frost the cake with remaining frosting. Cover the entire cake with coconut flakes/dessicated coconut (I used dessicated coconut).

Top the cake carefully placing each winter white tree and then add extra coconut flakes/dessicated coconut around the trees to make it look snowy.

If desired add more coconut on your cake platter all along the bottom of the cake.

For the Cook's Illustrated White Layer Cake recipe, visit Epicurious:
https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/cooks-illustrated-white-layer-cake-50017374

For the DIY Sparkling Christmas Trees Tutorial, visit The Cake Blog:
http://thecakeblog.com/2011/12/diy-sparkling-christmas-trees.html

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys

Winter Wonderland Cookies

Winter Wonderland Cookies

Winter Wonderland Cookies

Winter Wonderland Cookies

On January 4, the college where I work was closed as well as all schools in NYC due to a snowstorm dubbed 'Bomb Cyclone' and what a spectacular storm it was. I enjoyed watching it from my window observing the high winds and the slanted movement of the snow coming down. We got a foot of snow in my area. I was happy to be home that day relaxing in my pajamas. I really love snow days and hope we get more of them. We have had a good amount of snow in general, and we will probably get much more before Winter is over. We have many months to go and I like winter so no complaints from me.

Winter Wonderland Cookies

See the white morsels and sprinkles inside the cookie

I saw Blizzard Cookies on Sugar Spun Run (link below) and had to make these cookies. My hubby refers to these cookies as Snowpocalypse Cookies but they can also be called Frozen Cookies. I recently bought some Betty Crocker Snowflake Mix Sprinkles and wanted to use them for this recipe. I also added some Wilton Colored Nonpareils in various shades of blue, Wilton White Pearlized Jimmies, and pressed a few Wilton Snowflakes into the cookies after they baked. I increased the amount of sprinkles from 1/4 to 1/2 cup but followed the rest of the recipe as is. This cookie is fabulous! There is cream cheese in the batter and it is soft and tender, and the sprinkles give it a nice crunch. These cookies taste amazing and have a great vanilla flavor, and the white morsels give it a balanced sweetness. I recommend you try this cookie recipe real soon. I plan to use it again and just change the chips and colors of the sprinkles depending on the theme or holiday I am baking for.

Yield: 3 Dozen Medium Size Cookies

Winter Wonderland Cookies

Such pretty and yummy cookies

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups King Arthur All-Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Cornstarch

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/4 teaspoon Coarse Salt

1 cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar, lightly packed

1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, softened

4 oz Cream Cheese, softened

1 Large Egg

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

1/2 cup Colored Sprinkles + more Snowflake Sprinkles for the tops of the cookies

1 1/2 cups Nestle Toll House Premier White Morsels

These 2 cookies went in my belly!

Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Cream butter and cream cheese in mixer with paddle attachment on low; 1-2 minutes. Do not overmix.

Add sugars and mix until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Half way scrape sides of bowl.

Add egg and beat until incorporated.

Add vanilla extract and mix until incorporated.

Scrape sides of bowl and mix for 5 seconds.

Mixer off and folding in white morsels

Adding Snowflake Mix Sprinkles

Adding more sprinkles: Wilton White Pearlized Jimmies

With mixer on low speed, slowly add flour mixture and incorporate. The dough is ready when it begins to clump around paddle attachment.

Using a spatula fold in white morsels.

With a spatula fold in sprinkles.

Form dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and chill in fridge for 1/2 hour since it is sticky.

Chilling the dough a little will help the dough release from the ice cream scoop easier.

I waited a few minutes when the cookies came out the oven and pressed a few Wilton Snowflakes into each cookie

Winter Wonderland Cookies on wire tracks to cool

Using a tablespoon or cookie scoop, form and place dough balls on baking sheets spacing 2 inches apart.

Flatten cookies with palm of your hand or with the bottom of a glass.

Bake for 8-12 minutes. Cookies will look slightly underdone, but will continue to cook on baking sheet. My cookies were done in 12 minutes.

In the cookie jar for us to enjoy all week and packaged the rest to give to my coworkers

Oven temperatures vary so start checking the cookies at the 8 minutes mark and increase time accordingly.

Wait 5 minutes and then press a few snowflake sprinkles into each cookie if desired.

Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

For the Blizzard Cookies recipe, visit Sugar Spun Run:
https://sugarspunrun.com/blizzard-cookies/

To read about the January 2018 North American Blizzard visit:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_2018_North_American_blizzard

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Happy New Year! I love Ghirardelli Chocolate and saw this recipe on the back of the Peppermint Chunks I bought at Target for Christmas baking. The recipe is easy to do and the results are perfection. The cookie is gooey and fudgy and has an amazing peppermint taste that you get in each bite. These Chocolate Peppermint Cookies are rich in chocolate flavor and a decadent treat. See recipe below.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Look at all the peppermint chunks

Ingredients
1 cup Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Chips

1 cup All Purpose Flour

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/4 teaspoon Coarse Salt

6 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, softened

1 cup Dark Brown Sugar

2 Large Eggs

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

1 bag (10 oz.) Ghirardelli Peppermint Chunks

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies - sooooo good!

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Melt 1 cup Bittersweet Chocolate in microwave in 30 second intervals until melted; set aside to cool.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Using a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed, cream butter and sugar; about 1-2 minutes.

Beat in eggs one at a time.

Add cooled melted chocolate and combine.

Add vanilla extract and mix just until combined.

Turn off mixer.

Ghirardelli ingredients used in this recipe

Fold in peppermint chunks.

Use a small or medium size cookie scoop and place two inches apart on the cookie sheets. 

Bake 9-10 minutes.

Ghirardelli Peppermint Chunks

Do not over bake. Cookies should be soft and fudgy.

Wait 10 minutes before transferring cookies on cooling racks to complete cooling.

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys