COCONUT COOKIES WITH PASSION-FRUIT CURD

Coconut Cookies with Passion-Fruit Curd image

For these sandwich cookies, tiny, delicate coconut wafers surround a creamy, sweet-tart, tropical-fruit filling. In a pinch, use prepared lemon curd instead of our homemade passion fruit version.

Yield Makes about 3 dozen

Number Of Ingredients 16

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Ingredients

1/2 cup store-bought passion-fruit puree
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 ounces unsweetened medium-flake coconut (about 1 1/2 cups)
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Steps:

Make curd: Bring passion-fruit puree, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and cornstarch to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Slowly whisk in egg yolks. Cook, whisking constantly, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat. Add butter; whisk until melted. Pour through a fine sieve into a bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of curd. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours or up to overnight.
Make cookies: Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Put butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Gradually mix in flour mixture. Stir in coconut. Shape dough into two disks; wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Turn out one disk of dough onto a lightly floured work surface; roll to a scant 1/4 inch thick. Using a 1 1/4-inch cookie cutter, cut rounds of dough; place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
Bake until edges of cookies just turn golden, 8 to 10 minutes. About 6 minutes into baking, flatten the cookies with the bottom of a measuring cup if they are puffing up. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.
Transfer curd to a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip (such as Ateco #12). Pipe curd onto flat side of a cookie; sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with remaining curd and cookies. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving. Sandwiches should be assembled just before serving, though the unfilled cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.