Coconut Snowball Melting Moments

Coconut Snowball Melting Moments are buttery little bites of coconut bliss ~ perfect for the holidays, or any day.  These easy shortbread cookies literally melt in your mouth.

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. You can always find it online, too.

notes ~

• These cookies freeze well, just be sure to wrap them well.
• As a variation you can leave the coconut out of the dough, for a smoother cookie.
• Try my Cappuccino Melting Moments for a variation with a hint of caffeine!

Don’t forget to pin these Coconut Snowball Melting Moments!