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Faith Durand
Faith DurandSVP of Content
Faith is the SVP of Content at Apartment Therapy Media and former Editor-in-Chief of The Kitchn. She is the author of three cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-winning The Kitchn Cookbook. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and two daughters.
updated May 3, 2019
summer
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I have been looking so hard for a foolproof chewy cookie recipe. Mine always turned out too puffy, too crispy, too cakey, or too crunchy. I want crisp, brittle edges and that toffee-like chew in the middle. But then I found Debbie’s fantastic chocolate chip cookie recipe — the best chewy cookie yet. So far it’s baked up many batches of reliably chewy cookies.
The thing is, once we start getting into the hot days of summer, I don’t feel so much like eating chocolate. So I cooked up something new, something a little different, with Debbie’s cookie as the base. I added a swirl of coconut cream cheese in place of chips, and sparkling bits of candied lemon peel for zest. They’re perfectly chewy, gooey, and full of tropical lemon and coconut.
Tester’s Notes
If, like me, you’re a lover of all things lemon, these cookies are calling your name. Can you hear them? The sweet, tangy zing from the lemon is subtle, yet very present in every bite. But the best part of all is the secret hidden gems that lie buried through the cookie dough — the small pieces of candied lemon peel.
There are those cookie recipes you can whip together quickly and pop in the oven when your craving for an after-dinner sweet kicks in, and then there are recipes — like these swirled lemony coconut cookies — that come together slowly, in steps. You’ll make the candied lemon peel, and then the cookie dough, and then the coconut cream cheese filling. It will be chilled and rolled, and chilled some more — until finally the cookies are sliced and baked. For your time and patience, you receive a sweet, delicious reward.
– Kelli, April 2015
Makes about 4 dozen cookies
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the cookie dough:
- 3 cups
all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon
baking soda
- 1 teaspoon
salt
- 16 tablespoons
(2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, slightly softened and cut into pieces
- 1 cup
sugar
- 1 1/2 cups
packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon
vanilla extract
Zest of one lemon
- 2
large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup
candied lemon peel, store-bought or homemade, chopped
For the cream cheese filling:
- 2
(8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
- 1
large egg
- 1/2 can
coconut cream, like Coco Lopez
Zest of one lemon
- 1 1/3 cups
sweet flaked coconut
Instructions
Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt, and set aside. Beat the butter and sugars together on low speed in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vanilla, zest, and eggs, and fold in. Immediately add the flour and slowly work it in. Stir in the chopped lemon peel by hand. Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour, preferably longer.
While the dough chills, make the filling. Beat the cream cheese until light and whipped, then whip in the egg. From the can of coconut cream, scoop off the thick, opaque part of the cream and leave the oily liquid behind; beat this into the cream cheese. Beat in the lemon zest and coconut. Refrigerate or freeze until quite firm. (Save and freeze the leftover coconut liquid for some impromptu piña coladas!)
Divide the cookie dough into 4 equal parts. Pat each part out to about 1/2-inch thick on the counter and dollop a smooth layer of the cream cheese mixture on top. Roll up each part of dough like a cinnamon roll. It won't be neat or pretty — don't worry if the mixture oozes out the sides. Refrigerate the rolls until quite firm, or stick in the freezer for an hour.
Heat the oven to 375°F and line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment or a Silpat. Slice the dough into cookies about 3/4-inch thick and bake for 14 to 17 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through.
Leave on the cookie sheets for at least 5 minutes before attempting to move the cookies, then move to cooling racks and leave them alone until almost completely cool. This is hard, I know, but they're even better the next day! The coconut flavor comes through much better, so if possible, leave some for tomorrow.
Recipe Notes
This recipe has been edited — originally published June 2007.
Filed in:
Baking
Cookie
dairy
Dessert
Freezer Friendly
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