German Chocolate Cookies
When I think of German chocolate cake, the first thing that comes to mind besides the chocolate, of course, is the ooey-gooey frosting and filling. These German chocolate cookies are definitely not ooey-gooey, but they are delightfully crispy and crunchy.
So, you can get all the flavors—chocolate, coconut, and pecans— of German chocolate cake except the flavors come in a crunchy hand-held cookie version. I made these cookies for the first time when I was expecting some company, and none of us were able to eat just one cookie as we all found them quite addictive.
It is also easier to make a batch of these delicious cookies rather than the cake—not that the cake isn’t worth it, mind you. It’s just nice to have options when a craving hits you. 🙂
German Chocolate Cookies
Makes approximately 2 dozen
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup natural cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 8 tbl. unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups lightly toasted, sweetened shredded coconut*
- 1 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate
- 1 cup chopped pecans
*To toast the coconut, spread it out on a baking sheet and bake at 350o F for 5 to 10 minutes. Take it out of the oven when the edges and some of the coconut in the center are deep golden brown. It’s fine if some of the coconut is still pale.
Directions
Heat oven to 350o F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth.
Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour mixture. Add coconut, chocolate and pecans and mix to just combine.
Portion the dough in 2-tablespoon scoops and roll them into balls. Place them on parchment-lined baking sheets, at least 2 inches apart.
Bake the cookies until dry on top but still soft in the center, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately tap the sheets against a work surface to deflate them slightly. Let the cookies sit on the sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.
Source: A recipe from the New York Times