Coco-Nuts for Washboard Cookies
My grandma had a washboard she kept next to the bathtub in a round, white tin basin. For those of you thinking “washboard?”, picture a rectangular wooden frame holding a corrugated metal sheet about the size of a full sheet pan. As a kid, I watched my grandma rub wet soapy garments along the metal ridges to clean them. All I can say is…THANK GOODNESS WE HAVE WASHING MACHINES NOW.
So much for nostalgic moments. These delicious coconut cookies derive their name from that very same washboard that has gone the way of manual typewriters, record players, and cassette tapes. Luckily this cookie hasn’t followed suit.
Cuckoo for Coconuts
I spent most of my life hating coconut. Shredded, flaked, milk, you name it, my immediate reaction was “yuck”. But somewhere along the line, I did a 180 and now I am making up for lost time. Coconut recipes now seem to jump out at me. I imagine those little white shreds, waving like a kindergartener with his hand up in the air telegraphing “pick me, pick me”. As I was perusing America’s Test Kitchen’s The Perfect Cookie book-I came to a screeching halt at yep, these Coconut Washboard Cookies.
These cookies remind me of Pepperidge Farms Bordeaux Cookies. Crisp, light, buttery with the added bonus of coconut. I might try replacing the milk in the recipe with coconut milk to see if this heightens the coconut flavor but they’re still pretty darn good without this tweak. The dough is shaped into a rectangular roll and chilled until firm enough to cut. Press the tines of a fork, well floured, into the dough slices to create the ridges grooved into the top of each cookie. The perfect imitation of that old washboard.
These delectable bites are perfect with a steaming cup of coffee or tea. Tasty and easy to make they deserve a spot on your cookie list.
This recipe is from America’s Test Kitchen’s The Perfect Cookie. Get the Kindle edition right now! Besides this recipe gem, the book is filled with info, tips, advice and a wonderful photos.
Washboards Cookies
Ingredients
The Dry Mix-Combine and set aside
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 10 oz
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
The Wet Stuff
- 8 tablespoons 1/2 cup or 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar 7 oz
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 tablespoons milk sub coconut milk
The Add-In Star
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut 3 oz
- 1/4 cup finely diced dried pineapple optional to pump up the island factor!
Instructions
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg together in a bowl. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and milk and beat until well combined. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture and coconut, and mix until just incorporated.
- Transfer dough to a counter and, using your floured hands, roll dough into 15-inch log, then flatten top and sides to measure 3 inches by 1 inch. Wrap log tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 45 minutes or up to 3 days.
- Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Slice chilled dough into 1/4-inch-thick rectangles and space them 1 inch apart on prepared sheets. Using floured fork, make crosswise indentations in dough slices. Bake until toasty brown, 15 to 18 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cookies cook on sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Let cookies cool completely before serving.