Coconut Macaroon Filled Chocolate Cookies Better Than Mounds Recipes

FIRST-PLACE COCONUT MACAROONS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the coconut, sugar, flour and salt. Add egg whites and vanilla; mix well., Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 325° for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

COCONUT MACAROON-FILLED CHOCOLATE COOKIES (BETTER THAN MOUNDS)

Steps:

• First, make the coconut macaroon filling:.
• With two racks in the middle of your oven, preheat the oven to 325.
• Spray two baking sheets or parchment paper with non-stick cooking spray.
• Beat egg whites and salt together until soft peaks form.
• Slowly add in sugar and beat until stiff, glossy peaks are present.
• Beat in vanilla.
• Add half the coconut and sprinkle with the flour.
• Add the rest of the coconut and gently fold into the egg white meringue.
• Using a 3/4 ounce scoop (almost 2 TBSP), drop onto baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart.
• Bake about 8-9 minutes, until just set. These will be under-baked and not brown at all. It's okay, because will be the filling and will finish baking inside the chocolate cookie.
• Now, it's time to make the chocolate cookie dough, while the macaroons are cooling:.
• Increase the oven temperature to 350.
• In a mixer, cream together the butter and sugars.
• Add the eggs, one at a time.
• Now add the vanilla.
• Blend in the cocoa, 1/2 cup at a time.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
• Mix in the flour mixture to the dough about a cup at a time, until well combined.
• Place fresh sheets of parchment paper (ungreased) on your cookie sheets.
• Using a 1 ounce scoop (2 Tablespoons), drop 6 mounds of dough onto each cookie sheet, spaced widely apart. These will be very big cookies.
• Spray the back of a teaspoon with non-stick cooking spray and use the back of that spoon to make a nest out of the dough for each macaroon.
• Set a macaroon on top of each chocolate cookie "nest".
• Place another 1 ounce scoop of chocolate cookie dough on top of the macaroon layer. Now there are three cookie layers.
• Spread and flatten the dough, so that the macaroon is completely covered.
• Bake in the upper half of the oven for 13 minutes. Cookies may look a little under-baked when you remove them from the oven, but they will set up and dry, as they cool.
• Immediately, slide the parchment paper with the hot cookies onto a cooling rack (otherwise, they will continue to bake and burn on the bottom). Cool for at least 5 minutes.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED COCONUT MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine condensed milk, almond extract, vanilla extract, salt, and egg white in a bowl. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Add about 2 1/3 cups shredded coconut. Mix with a spatula until mixture is sticky and holds together. Form into balls using a sorbet scoop.
• Roll balls in remaining coconut. Space macaroons evenly onto a silicone-lined baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, at least 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place 3/4 of the chocolate in top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir frequently, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching, until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the rest of the chocolate until it melts.
• Dip the base of each cooled macaroon about 1/8 inch into the chocolate. Place cookies, chocolate-side down, on parchment paper. Let chocolate harden completely.

COCONUT FILLED CHOCOLATE COOKIES AKA MOUNDS COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; set aside.
• Cream together butter, sugar, vanilla, egg and sour cream.
• Stir in dry ingredients.
• Cover and refrigerate dough.
• To prepare filling: Combine coconut and milk in a pot over medium heat. Combine cornstarch and sugar; stir into milk. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheets.
• On a floured surface, roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 2-1/2 inch circles. Place half of the circles 1-1/2 inches apart on the cookie sheets. Spoon 1 teaspoon filling into center of each circle. Top with another circle of dough and press edges to seal.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar. Store in a single layer.
• NOTES:.
• I had a very hard time with these (sticky dough) and found that using cocoa to roll them out really helped. They are difficult to do, but once you get the hang of it, they go faster and easier. It's all worth it in the end!
• I had a lot of filling left over, but I did make them smaller (about 2 1/4 inches) and lost some dough due to mishaps. I would suggest using a heaping teaspoon of filling in each one.