Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies -- The Sweetness You Bring to People You Love

December. Christmas music in the daycare again, which Caleb now participates in fully and with great enthusiasm and slightly wrong lyrics that nobody corrects because his version is more interesting than the original. Thomas has moved up to the pre-K room and I miss him every day without meaning to. That is how this job works: you attach, they grow, you let go, you attach again. It is a privilege and it costs something every time.

I made fudge again this year, which is now a December tradition, and it worked on the first attempt. No seized chocolate, no grainy texture. I know the beating point now, can tell by the way the surface starts to lose its gloss. I made two flavors: dark chocolate with sea salt and peanut butter. The peanut butter fudge is new and it set perfectly and is possibly the best thing I have made this year, which is saying something because this year had successful macarons and gumbo.

James has been having some concerning health things, which I learned from Gloria only partly. She said he has been to the doctor twice this month and is on new medication for his heart. She said it with the particular calm she uses when she does not want to worry me. I said is he okay. She said he is going to be fine. I believe her and I also hold extra close the memory of him in his collared shirt at my birthday dinner, saying that is a compliment.

I made a double batch of peanut butter fudge and brought all of it to Prattville this Sunday. James ate four pieces. That seems fine for a man with heart medication and I did not say anything about it.

The peanut butter fudge I brought to Prattville that Sunday was its own kind of love language — something made carefully, doubled on purpose, carried across town for someone I was quietly worried about. These Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies come from the same place: the December impulse to make something sweet and hand it to a person who matters. They have that same rich, slightly unexpected quality that the peanut butter fudge had — familiar enough to feel like home, interesting enough to make you reach for a second one. James would have eaten four of these too, and I would not have said anything about it.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 12 minutes | Total Time: 27 minutes | Servings: 36 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Whisk dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugars. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar using a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
4. Add eggs and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.
5. Combine wet and dry. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
6. Fold in coconut and chocolate chips. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, fold in the shredded coconut and chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
7. Scoop and space. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing each about 2 inches apart.
8. Bake. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the centers look just set. They will firm up as they cool, so pull them while they still look slightly underdone in the middle.
9. Cool. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 148 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Carbs: 19g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 78mg