Chocolate Chip Coconut Mounds

A bake sale table is always an inviting sight. All those assorted cakes, cookies, pies, breads and bars just begging to be taken home. Everything looks so good they practically sell themselves.

Bake sale items, by definition, are lovingly homemade in the same way as baked goods auctioned off at church suppers, or judged at country fairs. They are the real deal, no fillers, no ingredients to prolong shelf life, or strange chemicals you can’t pronounce.

The recipe I have for you today is a bake sale favorite that contains chocolate chips, flaked coconut, and chopped walnuts. Probably the chocolate chips alone would be enough to entice most people, but add in the coconut and nuts, and they become chock full of true blue flavor and goodness.

I made these recently to bring to an end of the year picnic event. They disappeared “quick as a wink”. Give these chunky cookies a try for your family or the next time you’re asked to bake for a bake sale. They are really good!!

CHOCOLATE CHIP COCONUT MOUNDS

Yield: About 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons cake flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons ( 1 stick plus 2 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons hot water
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (lightly packed) sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt.

2. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter for 2 – 3 minutes on low speed. Add the light brown sugar and beat for 30 seconds on moderate speed; add the granulated sugar and beat for 30 seconds longer. Beat in the egg. Blend in the hot water and vanilla extract.

3. Add the flour in thirds, mixing well after each addition. Remove the bowl from the beater, and stir in the coconut, chips and nuts.

Stir in chips, coconut and nuts.

Chill the dough, covered with plastic wrap, for 30 minutes. Can leave longer if necessary, up to 48 hours. No need to bring to room temperature prior to baking.

4. In advance of baking, preheat the oven to 350*F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop dough in mounds of approximately 2 tablespoon size, leaving 1 1/2 inches between cookies. A cookie scoop helps to form uniformly sized cookies.

5. Bake the cookies for 12 – 14 minutes, or until just set and light golden here and there around the edges and golden in spots on top. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer them to cooling racks, using a wide spatula. Store the cookies in an airtight container, or pack in food-safe containers or bags for sale.