Coconut Sandies
Submitted by BuckUSA
Buttery pecan shortbread cookie balls dipped in vanilla frosting and rolled in tinted coconut. Melt-in-your-mouth tender, baked low and slow, and perfect for holiday cookie exchanges. Makes 48.
YIELD
48 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
20 minREADY
30 minThese are the cookies that vanish from the holiday tray first, and somehow nobody ever sees who took the last one.
A rich, buttery shortbread dough loaded with chopped pecans gets rolled into one-inch balls and baked low and slow until just firm to the touch. Once cooled, each little ball gets dipped in a simple vanilla confectioners’ frosting and rolled in tinted flaked coconut.
The cookie itself practically dissolves on your tongue. That thin layer of sweet frosting and the chewy coconut coating give each bite just enough texture to keep things interesting. Tint the coconut pastel colors for Easter, green and red for Christmas, or leave it plain for year-round snacking.
Variations
- Easter eggs: Tint coconut in pastel pink, yellow, and green for a springtime platter.
- Christmas snowballs: Skip the tinting and roll in plain white coconut for a snowy look.
- Toasted coconut: Skip the food coloring and toast the coconut golden for a nuttier finish.
Kitchen Tips
- Bake at a low temperature and don’t wait for browning. These cookies should stay pale. If they turn golden, they’re overbaked.
- Cool completely on the sheet before handling. They’re fragile when warm and crumble easily.
- Shake the coconut with food coloring in a sealed jar for even tinting with no mess.
Ingredients
Directions
Cream together thoroughly the butter, sugar, and vanilla.
Stir in water.
Add flour and mix well.
Stir in nuts.
Shape in 1-inch balls.
Bake 1inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet in slow oven (300℉ (150℃).) about 20 minutes or until firm to the tough.
Cool thoroughly before removing from the pan.
Dip cookies in frosting and roll in coconut.
Frosting: Add enough light cream to 2 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar for spreading.
Add dash of salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
To tint coconut: Shake 1⅓ cups flaked coconut in covered jar with a few drops of food coloring.
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