Toasted coconut shortbread with white chocolate icing

I used to go through certain “phases” during my teen years. If I liked something, I would indulge in it over and over again. I remember that during my first year in university – I was 17 – I couldn’t get enough of a sort of tart sold in the cafeteria. I would eat the damn thing every single day, non stop, to the point of making others sick – come to think of it, I don’t think I would consider that food any good nowadays. :S

I’m no longer 17 – and there are two or three white hairs on my head to prove it – but old habits die hard, I suppose. I have been on a coconut kick since the madeleines and I don’t see it coming to an end any day soon. I have made several recipes with coconut and the fabulous shortbread Peabody posted the other day became my favorite. I made the cookies as a gift, that’s why I fancied them a bit with some icing.

Toasted coconut shortbread with white chocolate icing

Cookies:
1 cup (90g) unsweetened desiccated coconut
1 ½ cups (340g/3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (47g) confectioners’ sugar
1 ¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups (373g) all purpose flour

Icing:
100g sweetened shredded coconut
150g white chocolate, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 165ºC/325ºF. Spread desiccated coconut on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until coconut is light golden, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Cool completely.
Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugars in large bowl until well blended. Mix in salt and vanilla. Beat in flour in 2 additions. Stir in toasted coconut. Gather dough together; divide in half. Roll each half into a log and wrap well in baking paper. Set in the fridge for 2 hours to firm up.

Preheat oven to 165ºC/325ºF. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Using a sharp slender knife, slice each log into cookies about 1/3 inch (1cm) thick. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch (2.5cm) apart.
Bake cookies until light golden, about 20 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool completely. (Can be made ahead. Store airtight at room temperature up to 1 week.)

To make the icing: preheat oven to 165ºC/325ºF; spread shredded coconut on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until coconut is light golden, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Cool completely.
Melt the chocolate using a double-boiler or the microwave oven. Dip the cooled cookies in the chocolate, covering them halfway, and immediately roll the wet part into the coconut. Place on a sheet of baking paper and set aside to firm up, about 1 hour, or speed up the process by placing the cookies in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Makes 45-50