Lemon Coconut Dainties-recipe

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These were my mother’s FAVORITE cookie.  I made them 4 or 5 times a year while she was living.  Now I don’t – I love them- but they are kind of nostalgic for me to make – so I need a good reason. Like Christmas!

They are a shortbread style of cookie- yet very light- although the cream cheese and butter icing bring them back down to earth.  If I was celebrating Christmas in warmer climes- I would definitely make this cookie- they go very well in summer!

Lemon Coconut Dainties.

ingredients:

3/4 cup soft butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp lemon extract

2 cups flour

1/2 cup chopped coconut

method:

Cream together the butter and sugar, add egg yolk and mix until they are light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and lemon extract and mix well, once again.

Add flour- one cup at a time, incorporating it into the wet ingredients, then add coconut.  Your dough will be on the dry side, kind of like a pastry dough.

Make into balls(walnut-sized) and flatten with two fingers.  You can place them close on a tray- they won’t get much bigger.

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When working with short doughs it is a good idea to use parchment paper to keep the bottoms from getting too brown.

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes.  Check often to make sure they don’t get too brown.

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I got almost 3 dozen cookies.You want them to look pretty pale.

Cream Cheese frosting:

1/2 stick butter

3 oz. cream cheese

1 cup 10x (confectioner’s sugar)

1-2 TBS milk

Soften butter and cheese, using mixer beat them together and add sugar- a little at a time- until mixture is stiff.  Add milk until it becomes spreadable. 

Ice cookies and add a little sprinkle of red, green and white.

Lemon coconut dainties- dressed for the holidays!

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And-

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Anise and citrus pizzeles, Christmas cake pops, ginger cut outs, ribbon cookies and brownie bites!

9 thoughts on “Lemon Coconut Dainties-recipe

  1. Thanks, Celia!
    I’ve been thinking a lot about the kind of cookies I would make if Christmas was in summer. This is definitely one of them- and maybe the pizzeles and the brownies. It is such a different mind set- I’m thinking hot chocolate and cookies, here- but if I lived in Australia it would be tea- preferably iced tea with my biscuits!

  2. Kim- I posted the recipe as my mother made them. I usually add lemon juice to the frosting rather than milk and decorate the tops with lemon zest! But I love lemon- so I didn’t want to mess with it for others.
    Joanna- they do look good- and they would be better if you could taste them as well as see them!
    Brydie- These are truly a great summertime treat!
    Elizabeth- make them- I’m sure your family would like them!

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