Coconut Short Breads

These coconut shortbreads lean into the traditional Scottish method: cold butter cut into flour with no eggs and no leavening. The result is a crisp, sandy-textured cookie that crumbles when you bite into it. Four cups of unsweetened coconut give every piece a toasty, tropical flavor that sweetened flakes just can’t match.

The dough comes together with a paddle mixer and gets pressed directly into buttered tart pans rather than rolled or shaped by hand. That pressing technique is classic shortbread. You want even thickness so the edges don’t burn while the center catches up. Chill the pans briefly before baking to firm up the butter and help the shortbread hold its shape in the oven.

Cut into wedges while the shortbread is still warm. It firms up as it cools, and trying to cut cold shortbread will shatter it into uneven pieces. The serving suggestion is gorgeous: a bowl of sabayon topped with cut fruit, garnished with a wedge or two of these cookies.

Pro Tips

• Keep the butter cold and cut into small bits. Warm butter melts into the flour instead of staying in distinct pieces, and you lose that flaky, crumbly texture.
• Use unsweetened coconut, not sweetened. The sugar in the dough provides enough sweetness, and sweetened coconut would make these cloyingly rich.
• If the shortbread still feels soft after the initial bake, pop it back in for 3 to 5 more minutes. You want a crisp snap, not a chewy bend.
• Store in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container. The high butter content means they soften quickly at room temperature.

Variations

• Toast the coconut in a dry skillet before adding it to the dough for a deeper, nuttier flavor.
• Dip cooled wedges halfway into melted dark chocolate for a more indulgent finish.
• Add the zest of one lime to the dough for a coconut-lime shortbread with a bright citrus edge.