Coconut Washboards are an old fashioned cookie that has been around since my great grandmother’s day. When I came across a few original recipes I was reluctant to try any of them because the reviews weren’t very good. But with half a bag of coconut in my fridge that I wanted to use up I made some adaptations to fix the problems that other bakers were complaining about and gave it a try. The cookie that came out of the oven was perfect! Thick and chewy, it is full of coconut flavor. The bottoms tend to burn quickly so keep an eye on them and don’t overbake. In my oven, 9 minutes was perfect. Below is my adapted recipe – A new favorite that will be added to my recipe collection.
Coconut Washboards
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1 cup flaked coconut
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- extra coconut for rolling and sugar for sprinkling on tops
Directions:
In a large bowl, cream butter, shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and coconut extract. Add water; mix well. Add coconut. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and add to the creamed mixture. Mix until well blended but do not overbeat. Shape into 1-in. balls and roll in more coconut. Place on greased baking sheets and flatten and shape to make a square if desired or simply flatten the ball into a round. Press with a fork to make “washboard” lines. Sprinkle tops with a dusting of sugar. Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges being careful not to burn the bottoms.
Yield: 6 dozen.
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