Bernice Cooley, walked into Cake Crafts with sweetness and love emanating from her. She quickly became known as Grandma Bernice, and would visit us with treats, new recipes, and wonderful stories. We always knew to put our work projects aside when we saw her coming because we wouldn't get back to them for an hour. She would even create loving connections with other customers while we answered the phones, received deliveries, or assisted other customers.
She rarely showed up without a treat for us and always shared the recipes. Below, is her Coconut Cookies. This is one of the first treats she brought in, and it secured her as "Grandma Bernie" in our Cake Crafts Family. My husband who "doesn't like sweets" could not stop eating them. My mom who doesn't "like coconut" loved them. Even my grandpa and brother wanted more. So, here's a recipe that I hope you make and enjoy.
Bernice's Coconut Cookies
- 1/2 c. Butter, unsalted and softened
- 1/2 c. sugar
- 1/2 c. brown sugar
- 1 large Egg
- 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 1 3/4 c. Flour
- 1 tsp. Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1/8 tsp. Salt
- 1/2 tsp. Coconut Bakery Emulsion (or extract)
- 1 c. coconut flakes
- 1 c. white chocolate chips
- Cream butter, sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes on medium speed).
- Add Egg and Vanilla. Mix well.
- Combine Dry ingredients, then slowly add to butter mixture. Mix for 5-10 seconds (not fully combined).
- Add coconut and chocolate chips. Mix just until incorporated. Don't overmix.
- Scoop out dough onto a parchment lined tray using ice cream scoop of your choice (My scoop is #30 about 2.5 Tablespoons and is a good size. However, you can make larger or smaller cookies easily).
- Chill portioned cookie dough for 2 hours.*
- Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for about 10 to 12 minutes or until the outer edges are lightly golden and set and the tops of the cookies look dry. Let them cool for 5 minutes on the sheet tray.
*Often, I will portion all the dough and let it chill for 1 hour. Then, I will transfer majority of my chilled cookie dough portions into a freezer bag and freeze them for up to 6 months. I pull out only what we need and let them hang out on the counter while my oven preheats. Baking frozen dough can require an additional 2-4 minutes of bake time.