White Chocolate Coconut Cookies - flour

Method

• Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl and set aside.
• Beat the butter in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment at high speed until it is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Add the brown and granulated sugars, crumbling the brown sugar with your hands as you add it to get rid of any lumps.
• Mix on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute.
• Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula halfway through mixing to ensure that the butter and sugar are well mixed.
• Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
• Again, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure that the ingredients are incorporated.
• Add approximately half the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until the flour is incorporated, about 30 seconds.
• Repeat with the remaining flour and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure that the flour is fully incorporated.
• Stir in the white chocolate and coconut and mix just until combined, about 10 seconds.
• Remove the dough from the bowl, press it into a flat mound, and wrap it in plastic wrap.
• Let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
• While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350 F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper or spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
• Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and scoop or roll it into balls about 1 tablespoon in size.
• At this point, the cookie dough can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month (separate layers of dough balls with waxed paper).
• Place the balls of dough about 1 inch apart on the prepared pans.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the pans once halfway through, until the edges of the cookies are golden brown.
• Remove the cookies from the oven, let them cool slightly, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool to room temperature (or serve warm).
• Keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
• For another popular flavor combination, reduce the coconut to 1/4 cup and add 1/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts, or substitute macadamia nuts for all the coconut.
• To evoke fall flavors, add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and use dried fruit (such as cranberries or chopped apricots) instead of the coconut.
• Or, for another everyday version, use 1/2 cup butterscotch chips and 1/2 cup chopped pecans.
• Just keep in mind the ratio of dough to mix-ins (about 3/4 to 1 cup mix-ins per recipe) and experiment!