Oatmeal Coconut Cookies

My list for the A-Z cooking has changed several times in the past couple of months. This alphabet change is the closest to the date that I have to schedule the post. I had a regional recipe in mind for the alphabet, but that is when suddenly my son came up with the idea (or rather ordered) to make the Oatmeal Coconut Cookies. We have eaten oatmeal cookies in the past and it was nothing out of ordinary, but the last month during our trip to Thousand Islands in Canada, he apparently ate the best oatmeal cookie in his life (He is 8yrs old). He absolutely wanted me to make this cookie for the alphabet O and was stuck on it.

I have to mention this place where we ate the cookie. This bakery was in a small island called Wolfe Island where we went by the ferry. The ferry took us and our car to this island and it was a really fun experience for the kids to be able to take the car on the ferry. If you happen to visit this place ever, do not miss the corn maze in this particular little island. A local corn farmer creates this corn maze every year and it attracts thousands of visitors every season. After a fun day, we were on line to get in the ferry back to the main land. It was close to lunch time, but we did not want to go and eat anywhere because we were already in the line for the ferry loading and the lines were becoming big. So there was this small bakery across from where the line was and as we still had about 40 mins to board the ferry, I and my son went to get little something to eat. I am so glad that we went to this bakery. We were able to buy our whole lunch there and it was amazing to find spicy hot vegetable puffs and the tiny single serve vegetable pizzas. This bakery reminded me of the Indian bakeries where we can get the personal pizza. Also that is where he got these oatmeal cookies for desert. He has been hooked on to this ever since.

To fulfill my son’s request I had to make the oatmeal cookies for the A-Z marathon. The cookies had a distinct flavor of toasted coconuts and hence I chose this recipe from the cookie bible book. The cookies got the chewiness from the oats and the crunchiness from the toasted coconut.

A-Z marathon – Alphabet O
Category – Baked

Preparation time – 10 mins
Cooking time – 8 -10 mins per batch plus 10 mins to roast the oats and coconut
Difficulty level –easy

Ingredients –

• Quick cooking oats – 2 cups
• Shredded coconut – 1 cup (I used desiccated coconut)
• Granulated sugar – ½ cup
• Butter – 1 cup (diced and at room temperature)
• Firmly packed dark brown sugar – 1/2 cup
• Eggs – 2
• Milk – 4 tbsp
• Vanilla extract – 1 ½ tsp
• Al purpose flour – 1 cup
• Baking soda – ½ tsp
• Salt – a pinch
• Ground cinnamon – 1 tsp

Procedure to make Oatmeal Coconut Cookies –

• Preheat the oven to 400 F.
• Sift the all purpose flour, baking soda and salt together and keep aside.
• Lightly grease two baking sheets and keep aside. Also grease the base of a glass and dip in some sugar and keep aside.
• In an ungreased pan, spread the oats and the coconut. Bake them for 8-10 mins or until golden brown and aromatic. Stir occasionally when toasting.

• Cream the butter, sugar and brown sugar. Beat the eggs and then add the milk and vanilla.
• Now add the sifted dry ingredients and also add the oats. Stir to mix.
• With a rounded spoon, drop the dough onto the baking sheets and flatten with the sugared glass base.

• Bake for 8-10 mins. Cool on a wire rack.
• Store the Oatmeal Coconut Cookies in an airtight container.