Jayne of the Barefoot Kitchen Witch (click for recipe) chose Coconut Butter Thins for this week's TWD. These “lacy” cookies presented quite the challenge for me. Knowing my problems with shortbread cookies, I saved half a batch should the first half go horribly wrong. I cut out the dough and then froze the cookies for an hour before putting them into the oven. Once in the warm chamber of the oven, delicious smells of coconut and lime and butter wafted throughout the apartment. I anxiously waited for the annoying beepbeebeebeep sound of my kitchen timer that would warn me “Hey, if you wait 30 more seconds, your dish will be ruined. Run to me!” and at that moment, I would open the oven door and be greeted by golden brown, square shaped shortbread cookies with flecks of green lime zest and golden toasted coconut.
Lets rewind to the annoying beepbeebeebeep alarm, shall we?
As I heard the alarm, I bolted to the kitchen, pushing my boyfriend out of the way in a frantic attempt to retrieve my shortbread cookies. I opened the door, but was not greeted by golden brown, square shaped shortbread cookies with flecks of green lime zest and golden toasted coconut. Instead, I found flat, oddly circular shaped cookies, some with caramel colored edges and golden middles, but most just a dark caramel color.
I sighed and tested a cookie. It was thin and lacy and quite tasty, as Dorie said they would be, but for some reason, it felt like there should be more to these cookies. Where was the coconut flavor? The kick from the lime? I tried a bite from another cookie. Same light texture, but still not the flavor I was looking for. I bit into another. And another. Soon, the plate was filled with half-bitten cookies and I still had not tasted the flavors that I was so excited for. And on top of that, I was made that I ate the halves of seven cookies and that I now had to spend extra time at the gym for too much "tasting".
I froze more cut-outs and tried again the next time, sure that a night in the freezer would solve the spreading problem. Oh, how I was wrong. This time, I had more cookies that were golden, but they went from perfect square shapes to oblong circles that somehow reached for their neighbors on the baking sheet and attached at the edges. The flavor was a bit stronger, and the cookies were softer, so I knew I was on the right track.
It was then that I decided to take these cookies and bake them in a mini tart shell. If they were not going to shape the way I had hoped they would, I would force them to be. After about 20 minutes, I opened the oven and saw the most perfect, golden brown, thick shortbread shells. I let them cool and then filled them with the fantabulous (yes, I made that up) no-cook banana ice cream and topped them with lime zest and toasted coconut. I took a bite and the flavors just exploded in my mouth. I was immediately transported to the islands, as the flavors introduced themselves one by one. The tart-sweet flavor of the lime zest and the deep coconut flavor and crunch gave way to the smooth, rich flavor of banana and was finished with a thick, buttery and slightly chewy shortbread cookie. It was exactly what I had hoped for.
Victory at last.
Check TWD for more shortbread cookies!
Ugh, I've done that same thing so many times. I keep tasting a dessert, nibbling away, hoping to get a particular flavor, then realize I just took in a few hundred calories and still didn't really get a proper dessert. But you certainly persevered! The tarts are adorable.
Posted by: Amy | March 31, 2009 at 02:57 PM
Brilliant idea.
Posted by: chocolatechic | March 31, 2009 at 03:04 PM
You creative girl! I love it.
Posted by: Lindsey (Cafe Johnsonia) | March 31, 2009 at 03:13 PM
Oh wow! Such a great idea and pretty, too!
Posted by: Erin | March 31, 2009 at 03:16 PM
So they're shortbread cookie cups! Really love that.
Posted by: The Duo Dishes | March 31, 2009 at 03:31 PM
You are so fantabulously creative! That looks like a wonderful taste combination. And such a good idea with the tart shells.
Posted by: Jennifer | March 31, 2009 at 03:46 PM
Oh, shoot.....that was genius! Those look fantastic! So wish I could have a few of those.
~ingrid
Posted by: ingrid | March 31, 2009 at 04:10 PM
Oh, I'm so going to try this with coconut oil instead of butter and then put ice cream made with coconut milk in the tarts. Great idea. Thanks!
Posted by: Silver | March 31, 2009 at 05:52 PM
Well now that's just perfect, you smarty pants, you.
Posted by: rainbowbrown | March 31, 2009 at 08:11 PM
I'm so glad it worked out for you! They look fabulous!
Posted by: pamela | March 31, 2009 at 08:37 PM
That looks fantastic! I'm glad they turned out for you eventually. What a great idea to use them as shells, I love it!
Posted by: Melissa | March 31, 2009 at 09:12 PM
Coconut and lime are terrific together...I'm going to try these shortbread cups with some key lime filling.
Posted by: Debi | March 31, 2009 at 10:00 PM
If you can't beat them....Awesome, job. I love it better than the way it was supposed to look. In fact, I think I will make them your way when I make them, which I plan on doing for the summer. Pinky promise! Really wonderful style.
Posted by: carolina | March 31, 2009 at 10:34 PM
Haha, love how you forced these little things into shape. Looks delish!
Posted by: Amber Marie | March 31, 2009 at 11:04 PM
I'm impressed with your tenacity; I was too mad at mine to try a second round. What a fabulous idea to turn them into tartlets.
Posted by: Margot | April 01, 2009 at 12:16 AM
Well they look gorgeous, you are so creative! I liked these cookies more than I thought I would. I keep nibbling at them LOL
Posted by: Amanda | April 01, 2009 at 10:38 AM
These are so cute! Great idea!
I'm totally excited about the banana cream pie...I've never had it before, either! So it will be a first for both of us! :-) Yay!
Posted by: Amy (Sing for your supper) | April 01, 2009 at 10:47 AM
Really great idea on the mini-tarts. I'll try that; I liked the cookie but not how they looked. Great solution!
Posted by: H2OHeather | April 01, 2009 at 11:15 AM
I love the shells--I was actually thinking about crushing up my cookies and making a crust with them. I am also def. going to be trying that no cook ice cream!
PS I say fantabulous all of the time too...totally a real word as far as I am concerned.
Posted by: Rachel | April 01, 2009 at 01:54 PM
Wow that is fantabulous. Wonderful combination!!
Posted by: Leanne | April 01, 2009 at 03:33 PM