Coconut Snowball Melting Moments are buttery little bites of coconut bliss ~ perfect for the holidays, or any day!
These are a variation on my mom’s traditional Melting Moments. I thought it would be fun to give them a coconut makeover. I love how they look like little snowballs, and they really do melt in your mouth. In fact, that’s why melting moments are made so small, if you try to bite into one, it will fall apart in your hands…best to pop them straight into your mouth whole.
As December rolls on, my recipes get simpler and simpler. We don’t have the luxury of a long stretch of days in front of us before Christmas anymore. It’s (gulp) next week. No worries, though, this is one you can whip up in your sleep, it’s an old fashioned drop cookie with no pretensions to being fancy or fussy. A variation of this cookie is always on our counter during Christmas week. Because they are small and rich, they work really well after dinner with coffee or brandy, but there isn’t a neighbor on the planet who’d turn down a paper plate full of these little guys, either, so you’re covered on all fronts.
I used coconut extract to bring out the coconut flavor in these cookies… I’m a big believer in how extracts can help flavors bloom. It’s kind of like using salt, you don’t know it’s there, but it makes everything pop. Pure coconut extract (not flavoring, which is artificial) can sometimes be hard to find, but I have a recipe for a homemade coconut extract on the blog. You can always find it online, too.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks, or 8 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 tsp coconut extract (or vanilla extract)
- 1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
- 1/2 tsp coconut extract
- milk or cream for thinning
- more shredded coconut for garnish
Instructions
- set oven to 350F
- To make the cookies, cream the butter and then beat in the extract, sugar, flour and cornstarch until everything is blended. Blend in the coconut.
- Form the dough into a ball or a disk and wrap with plastic. Refrigerate for an hour.
- Use a small 1" cookie scoop to form balls of dough and place then on an ungreased cookie sheet, 1 inch apart. Bake for 14 minutes, or until the cookies are just starting to get a little brown around the bottom edge. Remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Then gently transfer to a cooling rack. the cookies are delicate, so go easy on them.
- When the cookies are completely cool, dab a little bit of frosting on top of each one, and top with coconut.
- To make the frosting, cream the butter and then blend in the extract and the sugar, adding enough cream or milk to make a creamy spreadable frosting.
Notes
As a variation you can leave the coconut out of the dough, for a smoother cookie.
notes:
- These cookies freeze well, just be sure to wrap them well.
- Try my Cappuccino Melting Moments for a variation with a hint of caffeine!
34 Comments
Karla
April 14, 2017 at 12:38 pmI just made these delicious little cookies, added some pastel color coconut for the Easter holiday! Easy and delicious!
Sue
April 14, 2017 at 1:01 pmGreat idea, I never thought to color the coconut!
Christina
January 3, 2015 at 9:14 amI adore coconut and have 2 kinds of organic coconut on subscription through Amazon! Just think I’ll have to use some of that coconut to make these awesome melting moments! Yum!!
Sue
January 3, 2015 at 9:19 amReally? Is it sweetened, shredded? I need to look into that, I love coconut too but I always just buy it at the supermarket :)
grace
December 29, 2014 at 6:16 amsue! i had lost you from my reader! i’m so glad you left a comment so i could re-add you! these cookies are extraordinary and would no doubt be in my top 10. coconut rules.
Jocelyn@Brucrewlife
December 21, 2014 at 8:43 pmI love these little cookies so much! I’ll take 3 dozen, please!! ;)
Mary
December 19, 2014 at 5:43 amThese sound amazing, Sue! I’ve had your melting moments on my list to try for a while now. How do I choose???
John@Kitchen+Riffs
December 17, 2014 at 3:50 pmI love coconut! One of my favorite flavors in sweets. These looks wonderful — lovely looks, and I’ll bet the flavor is terrific. Thanks, and I hope your holidays are wonderful!
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious
December 17, 2014 at 2:24 pmCoconut ANYTHING for me, please!
Amanda
December 17, 2014 at 9:17 amAdorable cookies!!! They do look like yummy little snowballs!
Susan
December 17, 2014 at 8:32 amYour Melting Moments look adorable in their coconut snow ‘caps’, Sue! I’m a big fan of coconut but I’ve never seen coconut extract. That doesn’t mean it’s not there – I just never though of looking for it. Great idea!
Sue
December 17, 2014 at 10:12 amIt is tough to find…I stock up on extracts during the holidays when the stores beef up their selection.
Nancy Long
August 20, 2016 at 3:44 amcheck the Savory Spice Shop – they’re my fave
Dionne Baldwin
December 16, 2014 at 10:25 pmI would be excited to try the recipe for coconut extract AND the cookies.
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
December 16, 2014 at 9:33 pmWhat a perfect holiday cookie, love that coconut frosting!
Cate O'Malley
December 16, 2014 at 6:57 pmThese are too adorable not to make, printing now…
Heather @ Sugar Dish Me
December 16, 2014 at 5:50 pmAdorable! I love tiny food and these totally look like tiny little snowballs!
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts
December 16, 2014 at 4:58 pmI am all for getting easier and easier! I just realized I have to wrap everything by Friday before my son is done with school for the holiday break. Time just go seriously on the short side! These cookies are so perfect with the coconut on top!
Sue
December 16, 2014 at 5:23 pmDarn those holidays breaks ;) Good luck!
Julie
December 16, 2014 at 3:58 pmLove these itty bitty cookies!
Kitchen+Belleicious
December 16, 2014 at 3:43 pmi have never called them melting moments. I love that name just love it and I love them. They are so dainty and beautiful and don’t forget delicious!
heather+@french+press
December 16, 2014 at 3:27 pmone week to go – SCARY!! LOVE these cookies and YES easy is good!!
Sue
December 16, 2014 at 3:39 pmTotally scary …
Kare @ Kitchen Treaty
December 16, 2014 at 2:28 pmThese are the cutest cookies ever! Love how tiny and poppable they are.
Sue
December 16, 2014 at 3:02 pmPoppable is a great word for them!
Michelle @ The Complete Savorist
December 16, 2014 at 1:49 pmThese are utterly festive and just plain cute. I love their size. They look so fluffy.
Sue
December 16, 2014 at 3:04 pmThanks Michelle! You don’t see tiny cookies very often in our super-sized world!
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert
December 16, 2014 at 9:35 amI wish I could get a makeover that was this successful! These look wonderful and I still haven’t made the original recipe! So many gorgeous cookies, so little time! Another super successful wonderful cookie Sue! Thanks and Merry Christmas :)
Sue
December 16, 2014 at 9:40 amMerry Christmas to you, too, Tricia. I’ll be secretly glad when the holidays are over, though, I’m in cookie overload here :)
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
December 16, 2014 at 8:09 amLove these Sue! Everything is better with coconut, I think :)
Sue
December 16, 2014 at 9:15 amAgreed :)
Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits
December 16, 2014 at 8:06 amI’m a huge fan of coconut cookies, and these wouldn’t last long around here! Thanks for this recipe!!
Sue
December 16, 2014 at 9:38 amEverybody needs at least one coconut cookie in their lineup!!
clare
December 16, 2014 at 6:26 amThese look so delicious and festive! I’ll definitely be trying them for last minute gifts and parties