LEMON COCONUT COOKIES

Lemon Coconut Cookies image

Yield Makes about 64 cookies

Number Of Ingredients 9

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted and cooled
confectioners' sugar for sprinkling the cookies

Steps:

In a bowl with an electric mixer cream the butter with the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy and beat in the zest, the vanilla, and the lemon extract. Add the flour and the salt, beat the mixture until it forms a dough, and stir in the coconut. Chill the dough for 1 hour, or until it is firm enough to handle. Halve the dough and on a sheet of wax paper form each half into an 8-inch log, using the wax paper as a guide. Chill the logs, wrapped in the wax paper, for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Cut the logs into 1/4-inch-thick slices with a sharp knife and arrange the slices 2 inches apart on lightly butter baking sheets. Bake the cookies in the middle of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they are pale golden, transfer them to racks, and sprinkle them generously with some of the confectioners' sugar. Let the cookies cool and dust them lightly with the remaining confectioners' sugar.