Lime in the Coconut

I baked a little earlier than usual tonight, so I actually had natural light for the picture! This shot is taken from my rooftop at around 6 p.m. These cookies look pretty good, but they taste amazing. You've got the brightness of the lime, the sweetness of the white chocolate, and the nutty crunchiness of the toasted coconut. It's so balanced. It's so yummy. It's like being on a tropical vacation. Or a rooftop in Manhattan on a 70º day in April.

This flavor combination was inspired by that Harry Nilsson song...you know the one. (Check out this interpretation by the Muppets.) But I have to admit that the song isn't the only inspiration. After my lime extract ordering mishap, I've got a lot of lime recipes to come up with.

For a different citrus twist, replace the lime (in all its forms--zest, extract, and juice) with orange. Or replace the coconut extract and cream of coconut with... Aha! I've got another cookie idea for another day. Stay tuned for "The Mojito," a boozy cookie that should be served with a tiny paper umbrella. Bring on summer already!

Makes 4 dozen cookies. (To see this recipe in process, check out Picturing Lime in the Coconut Cookies.)

Creamables	2 sticks butter 2 cups dark brown sugar
Wet Ingredients	1 egg 1/4 cup cream of coconut 1/4 cup lime juice 2 tablespoons lime extract 2 tablespoons lime zest 1 tablespoon vanilla 1 tablespoon coconut extract
Dry Ingredients	3 1/2 cups oatmeal 2 1/2 cups toasted coconut 1 cup flour 1 cup white chocolate chips 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. In your Kitchen Aid or a large mixing bowl, cream together the creamables.
3. In a small bowl, combine the wet ingredients and whisk together until smooth.
4. Add the combined wet ingredients to the creamables. Mix together until well incorporated.
5. In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients. Using a spatula, fold together until evenly distributed.
6. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the combined creamables and wet ingredients. Mix until evenly combined.
7. Shape dough into balls--about 2 tablespoons each.
8. Place dough balls about 2 inches apart on Silpat- or parchment paper-lined cookie sheets.
9. Bake at 350º for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let stand for 2 minutes. Then place cookies on wire racks to cool.

Comments

[Mumma]

Coconut, lime and white chocolate.....all my favorite ingredients in one incredible, edible cookie!!! I must have died and gone to heaven! Can't wait for you to come home and fire up the super-sonic oven to make some of these for me. YUM!

[Lorraine]

I'm with you Mumma! These do sound mouth watering. Wish I could have been on the roof top on this gorgeous day for a tasting!

[Oatmeal Cookie Guy]

Thanks, Mumma and Lorraine! (OCG has two moms.)

[Jonnazz]

these were delicious! I just had about 9 in a row...definitely better than the ones we got last summer from City Bakery!

[Oatmeal Cookie Guy]

We'll make these the next time we're home.

[Laurel]

Greg,
How weird is this...I swear I left a post here yesterday and when I came back to see if you had responded, it wasn't there. So, either I didn't put the code in after I entered it or you are getting a repeat post and I apologize.
Here goes, I wanted to know if you thought that I could just substitute lime juice for the lime extract or do you think it wouldn't be as strong. Again, me and the extract problem...you know I have issues when it comes to getting my hands on extracts.

[Oatmeal Cookie Guy]

Hi, Laurel. That is weird. I got an email from someone who said the same thing...that her comment didn't show up. I don't know what that's all about, so I opened a ticket with TypePad to see if they can see what's up.

As for the extract vs. juice, though, I think it will be fine to replace the extract with juice. The flavor of lime juice only might not be as intense as with lime extract, but I'm sure it will taste just fine! To increase the lime flavor, try adding a little bit more lime zest. That should do the trick! :-)