Testing out the new oven with Coconut Chocolate Chip Drop Cookies

 

Have I mentioned its been crazy around here?  April means I am gone for two full weeks for work...Dallas for a week (last week) and Phoenix next week.  It means of the four weekends in the month I am gone for two of them, and for this coming one I will baking basically non-stop so that I can have 150 cupcakes and a nine inch layer cake ready for James and Melissa's wedding.  To top it all off I started off this month with a cold, and did I mention I moved too?  Ughh BUT I did get to try out my new oven, in my new house, while making some pretty delicious cookies.  They were my oven tester cookies, because what better way to see if you have a hot spot in the oven then to divide the cookies on a cookie sheet into quadrants and see if they bake evenly.  They did, although I think the oven might be a little hot, so I think I am going to have to do a test batch of cupcake before the big baking weekend...

These cookies came out perfectly, with the right ratio of chocolate chips to coconut.  They were soft in the middle and crunchy on the edges the way a good chocolate chip cookie should be.  I can say my oven test went well...whewww because that would have really sucked.  Any who happy spring!...even if it is a crazy one.

 

 

Exploring Dallas on foot and hoping a little fresh air would help me get rid of my cold...it sort of worked, but then the Dallas pollen got me.

 

Finding a cute coffee shop in a new city might have been the highlight of my week...well other than having my mom around for the first half of the week.

 

Oh and this gluten-free cake that we just had to try at Company Café.  That one on the left there totally has two layers of g-free chocolate chip cookie, which definitely made the cake.

 

 To finish off and celebrate a successful meeting week there was a cocktail.  Cheers!

 

Down to the cookies...these were actually made pre-Dallas.

 

 

Hello dry ingredients...flour, baking soda and salt

 

In go the coconut and chocolate chips.

 

Cookies fresh out of the oven.

 

Coconut Chocolate Chip Drop Cookies: (recipe adapted from Magnolia Bakery's Coconut drop cookies)

*makes approximately 2 dozen cookies

3/4 cup all purpose flour 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup rolled oats

1 cup unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

 

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

 

2.  In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until creamy.  Then whisk in the egg and vanilla extract.

 

3.  In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

 

4.  Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet until completely combined.  Then fold in the oats, coconut and chocolate chips.

 

5.  Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, spoon rounds of dough onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until lightly golden.  Cool on rack for 1-2 minutes, then move to cooling rack or serve warm.  Enjoy!