Chocolate Cookies with Coconut Filling

Name: Chocolate Cookies with Coconut Filling
Ingredients: 250 g flour; 25 g cocoa; 150 g butter; 100 g fine sugar or powdered sugar; 2 egg yolks; 1 tsp baking powder; pinch of salt; 200 ml milk; 50 g sugar; 20 g flour; 2 egg yolks; 30 g shredded coconut; 60 g chocolate (I used dark milk chocolate); 30 g butter; shredded coconut for sprinkling (≈20 g)

Delicate, crumbly chocolate cookies with a light coconut filling, topped with melted milk chocolate. These cookies are incredibly delicious — tender, melt-in-your-mouth, with a rich chocolate flavor and aroma. In my opinion, they're somewhat reminiscent of the store-bought sandwich cookie "Super-Kontik" (specifically the coconut filling variety), if you're familiar with it. But the homemade version, I have to say, is so much better :-) No wonder — these are made with real butter and fresh egg yolks, while the store-bought ones use the cheapest margarine and a load of questionable additives. And yet, making these homemade sandwich cookies is really not that hard, and I think they'll be a hit with both adults and kids alike. I ended up with 15 assembled cookies (or 30 individual cookie halves).

Ingredients:

Dough:
250 g flour
25 g cocoa
150 g butter
100 g fine sugar or powdered sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
Filling:
200 ml milk
50 g sugar
20 g flour
2 egg yolks
30 g shredded coconut
Topping:
60 g chocolate (I used dark milk chocolate)
30 g butter
shredded coconut for sprinkling (≈20 g)

How to cook chocolate cookies with coconut filling

Place softened butter, egg yolks, sugar or powdered sugar, and salt in a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, and baking powder. Gradually add the dry mixture to the beaten butter mixture, mixing to form a dough. Shape the dough into a ball by hand, adding a couple of tablespoons of cold water or milk if needed (don't overwork the dough). Refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into two or three portions and roll each out to about 5 mm thick. Cut out rounds approximately 5–6 cm in diameter using a cookie cutter or the rim of an inverted glass.

Transfer the rounds to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If the dough has warmed up, it's best to chill the unbaked cookies on the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 30–60 minutes before baking — this will help them hold their shape. Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C for about 10–15 minutes.

Let the baked cookies cool completely.

Make the filling. In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, thoroughly mix together the egg yolks and sugar.

Add the flour, shredded coconut, and about a quarter of the milk, and stir well.

Pour in the remaining milk and place over heat.

Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens considerably (the filling will be quite thick). Let the finished filling cool completely.

Spoon a heaping teaspoon of filling onto one cookie half.

Top with a second cookie half and press gently. Assemble all the cookies this way.

Melt the chocolate and butter together until smooth using a double boiler or microwave (I use the microwave). Spread a little melted chocolate over the top of each cookie.

Sprinkle with shredded coconut. It's best to let the cookies rest for at least 3–4 hours at room temperature, or refrigerate them overnight (cover the container with plastic wrap). This allows them to absorb moisture from the filling and become wonderfully tender and flavorful.