Coconut Cookies

This is a lovely recipe from the Chopra Center that makes a nice snack or treat depending on how much sweetener one uses. I like things on the less sweet side so modify almost any recipe by reducing the called sweetener by anywhere from 1/4-1/3. I also tend to primarily use sucanat or evaporated cane juice for baking as this sweetener is less processed and still contains all the minerals and vitamins of the sugar cane plant. Ayurveda considers Jaggary the best form of this but is hard to find in the United States. Sucanat has similar properties and is easier to find and less expensive.

I haven’t tried it yet, but also may play with substituting the butter by half with coconut oil. Coconut from the Ayurvedic perspective is cool and sweet which decreases Pitta and Vata but increases Kapha. It is specific for Pitta due to it’s cooling aspect. Which makes this delightful cookie wonderful for the hot summer or Pitta season.

1/2 c. butter, softened (or 1/4 c. butter and 1/4 c. coconut oil)
3/4 c. sucanat or turbinado sugar (I used 1/2 c.)
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 eggs (or egg replacer)
1 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour (or get creative and mix flours to your liking)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. plus 1 c. unsweetened coconut flakes

Preheat the over to 350 degrees. Oil a cookie sheet and set aside.

In a mixer bowl or food processor, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the lemon juice and eggs, one at a time.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cloves nutmeg and 1 c. coconut flakes. With the mixer or processor running, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until a soft dough is formed. Remove the dough and knead slightly. (I found I needed to add more flour to get the right consistency to knead. Know that it is softer and less doughy than bread dough so kneading is a bit different).

Form the dough into small balls, roll in the second cup of coconut flakes and place on the cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Flatten the cookies slightly with your hand. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

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