My Coconut Sugar Cookies are not as coconut-ty as they could be, in fact, the only coconut I use in my dough is coconut extract.  Normally I would top my buttercream with shredded coconut, but as I am baking these cookies for Easter, I decided on pastel piped buttercream instead.

I confess to owning a stockpile of cute and fuzzy baby critter cookie cutters that, unfortunately, only get to see the light of day around Easter.  This year I curtailed my choices to chicks, bunnies, and Easter/Spring themed tulips and eggs.  I sadly forwent the fawn, other bunny, and baby elephant cutter.  What I really need to track down is a lamb cutter.  How cute would that be?

Coconut Sugar Cookies

Recipe makes about twenty-four cookies dependent on cookie cutter size, but I usually get two full baking sheets worth of cookies out of it.

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks (1 cup) salted Butter (room temp)
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 1 tsp Coconut Extract
• 1/2 tsp Almond Extract
• 1 tbsp Milk
• 2 1/2 cups Flour
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt

Directions:

1. Cream together the butter and sugar.
2. Add in the egg, extracts, and milk.
3.  Shift together the dry ingredients before gradually adding them into the wet.
4. Place the cookie dough in refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
6. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it out until it is about 1/4″ thick.
7. Cut out the cookies, and place them on lined or greased cookie sheets.
8. Bake them for about 8 minutes, or until they are no longer appear shiny.  You want them to be puffy, white, and soft to touch.  This is a very caky cookie. They will harden as they cool.
9. Let the cookies cool completely before you frost them.

Coconut Buttercream

Ingredients:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) softened Butter
• ~ 3 cups Powdered Sugar
•  1-2 tbsp Milk
• 2 tsp Coconut Extract
• 1/2 tsp Almond Extract
• dash of Salt
• Food Coloring

Directions:

1. Cream the butter and the sugar together.
2. Beat in the milk, extracts, and salt.
3. Stir in the food coloring.