Coconut
Snowflakes
2 ½ cups flour
½ teaspoon
baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
2 sticks plus 5
tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated
sugar
2 eggs at room
temperature
1 teaspoon
coconut extract
2 2/3 cups
confectioners sugar
4 tablespoons
half and half
1 teaspoon fresh
lemon juice
2 teaspoons
lemon zest
white sparkling
sugar
1 cup shredded
sweetened coconut
Sift together
flour, baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt. Using electric mixer,
cream 11 tablespoons butter and granulated sugar on medium-low speed
until fluffy, 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs and extracts, scraping the
bowl, for 2 minutes. Mix in flour mixture, in 2 batches, on low
speed. Divide dough between 2 pieces of plastic wrap; shape into 2
disks and seal. Chill 2 hours. Mix remaining 10 tablespoons butter, ½
teaspoon salt, confectioners' sugar, half and half, lemon juice and
lemon juice on low speed until smooth. Beat on high speed until
fluffy, 2 minutes. Chill filling. Position oven racks in upper and
lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 375. Line 4 cookie sheets
with parchment. Work with 1 dough disk at a time, roll out on floured
surface to 1/8” thick, rotating dough as needed. Use a 2 1/2”
snowflake cutter to cut cookies. Divide cookies among pans, chilling
pans as you work. Sprinkle all cookies with sparkling sugar. Bake 2
pans at a time, switching racks halfway through, until edges are
brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cook. Spread bottom
of 1 cookie with 1 teaspoon of the filling and sandwich with another
cookie. Press coconut into filling around cookie edges.
