Toasted Coconut and Toffee Cookies

At first I was hesitant to post another cookie recipe (I just did the chewy chocolate chip cookies!) but these were too good not to share.  I first found inspiration from this recipe on Two Peas & Their Pod.  I made them and they were definitely tasty, but they turned out a little dry for my taste.  I wanted something chewier and crispier.  So I went Googling and found something that was a little closer and decided I would just sorta combine and adapt the two recipes and hope for the best.  And it worked! 

These are crispy on the outside, chewy in the middle and have the subtle toasted coconut flavor mixed with the gooey melted toffee....  Soooo good.  Next time I will use the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips so that the chocolate is spread out more evenly in the dough, but other than that I think these cookies are perfect.

For the toffee, I chopped up some Heath candy bars, but you can also find bags of toffee bits in the baking aisle.  I know Walmart has carried it (my local Fry's store didn't have them).

You definitely want to line your baking sheets with parchment paper (or grease them) because the melted toffee will stick to the sheet otherwise.  This is also part of the reason why the cookies should cool on the sheet for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack (it also keeps them chewy).

TOASTED COCONUT AND TOFFEE COOKIES
combined and adapted from here and here

1 cup unsalted butter, softened (or 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup shortening)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. coconut extract, optional
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cups coconut, toasted*
1 cup min semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups toffee bits

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars.  Beat in eggs and extracts.  Add flour, salt, and baking soda and mix until combined.  Fold in toasted coconut, chocolate chips, and toffee. 

Drop by tablespoonfuls on parchment-lined cookie sheets, about 2 1/2 inches apart (cookies will spread).  Bake for 9-11 minutes or until lightly golden.  Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.  Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

*To toast coconut:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread sweetened, flaked coconut evenly on parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 4-8 minutes, checking often and stirring occasionally.  (Once the coconut starts to brown, it can burn quickly.)  Remove it from the oven when it's a light golden brown and let cool.