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Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Sticks
Adapted from Gourmet, December, 1995
Submitted by Vamp Christine
Basic Butter Cookie Dough:
- 4 sticks (1 pound) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/3 cups sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 4 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
Directions:
In large bowl of electric mixer beat together butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in yolks, 1 at a time, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Beat in flour gradually, beating dough until just combined well. Makes about 3 pounds dough, enough for the following recipe and another basic butter cookie.
**These cookies are totally irresistible. Because of their size and melt-in-your-mouth consistency it’s difficult to stop eating them!
Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Sticks
- 2 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, toasted golden and cooled
- 1/2 prepared basic butter cookie dough, at room temperature
- 2 cups chopped semisweet chocolate (preferably, Callebaut or Valrhona)
In bowl of a standing electric mixer beat coconut into basic dough until just combined well. Halve dough and on 2 pieces of wax paper pat into 11-by 2 1/2-inch rectangles. Chill dough, wrapped in wax paper, until firm, about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350º. Working with 1 rectangle of dough at a time, on a cutting board cut dough crosswise into 1/4-inch slices, placing them 1 inch apart on baking sheets. With a sharp knife halve each slice lengthwise to form "sticks", separating them slightly with knife.
Bake cookies in batches in middle of oven until pale golden, about 12 minutes.
Cool cookies on baking sheets for 5 minutes.
Transfer carefully to racks to cool completely. These are very delicate so handle them carefully.
In a small metal bowl set over barely simmering water melt chocolate, stirring (alternatively, melt chocolate in a microwave).
Gently dip 1 end of each stick in chocolate, dragging underside against bowl's rim to remove excess chocolate, and transfer sticks to sheets of wax paper. When chocolate has hardened, cookies may be stored between layers of wax paper in airtight containers or for up to 6 weeks, frozen.
Makes about 12 dozen cookies.