#45. Festive Crispy Coconut Cherry Mounds

I like these cookies because they check so many boxes: crispy (yep!); fruity (yep!); buttery (yep!); moist (yep!); and (most importantly) seasonal color scheme (yep!).

The sweet creamy taste of the coconut well complements the slightly tangy cherry glaze, which adds soft textural contrast to the crunchy base.

You can use jam instead of pie filling, but I find the whole berries better suited to these cookies.

Ingredients

• 2 sticks butter

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 cup brown sugar 

• 1 egg

• 1 Tablespoon coconut extract

• 2 ¼ cups flour

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• green sprinkles

• cherry pie filling

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar using a hand-held mixer.

3. Beat in egg and coconut extract. Set aside.

4. In a medium-size bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, as green sprinkles (the more, the greener your goodies!)

5. Gradually add dry ingredient mixture to wet ingredients until thoroughly combined.

6. Place spheres of dough evenly spaced on baking sheet.

7. Bake for 12-15 minutes until cookies are dark brown around the edges.

8. Cool completely. Top each cookie with 1 to 2 teaspoons of cherry pie filling.