I started fiddling with this recipe pre-social distancing, and have gotten close to posting it twice, but then hesitated at the last second both times. The first attempt was just golden toasted coconut on shortbread. Tasty, but also a little dry. The second involved a can of sweetened condensed milk drizzled over the top before baking. The consistency was right, but the results were a little one note—they needed acid.
This, the third and final go-round, has the zest and juice of two limes,* an egg yolk and a little salt stirred into that sweetened condensed milk, so that it bakes up reminiscent of Key Lime Pie filling. Yum!
*Yes, you can use lemons. Then they’ll be Coconut Lemon Squares.
For those of you concerned about using only an egg yolk in a recipe right now (no food waste allowed in a pandemic!), you’ll be relieved to know that the white gets used in the coconut layer. It’s whisked together with sugar, salt and vanilla, and then used to coat a bunch of flaked coconut before baking.
I used large-flake unsweetened coconut because that’s what I had on hand, but feel free to swap in a finer flake/shred style. If you’re using sweetened coconut, cut the added sugar in the topping to 1-2 tablespoons. I wouldn’t leave it out completely, as you want it to get really good and toasty and for the coconut below to be vaguely…marshmallowy? Sounds weird, yes, but that’s the word to describe its flavor, if not its texture. Trust me, it’s like a big macaroon and you’re going to love it.
As for the crust, it’s just shortbread: flour, sugar, salt, cold butter. It’s crunchy, flaky and buttery—the perfect vehicle for the lime filling and coconut topping. I understand that a lot of people cannot get their hands on flour right now, so please note that you can use a graham cracker, Oreo (or Golden Oreo), or another crumb crust and it will work just fine. It may even be better…maybe I should have done a round four? Should I have bailed on posting at the last second again?
Oh lord. Somebody social distance me from myself.
Coconut Lime Squares
makes 1 8- or 9-inch pan, about 16 servings
Shortbread Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold
Lime Filling:
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
zest of 2 medium limes
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 2 medium limes)
1 large egg yolk
pinch of Kosher or sea salt
Toasted Coconut Topping:
1 large egg white, room temperature
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups flaked unsweetened coconut
Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8- or 9-inch square pan with foil. Grease. Set aside.
Make the shortbread crust. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add cold butter. Use your fingertips to rub butter into flour until the largest pieces are the size of small peas. It will be powdery, but should hold together when pinched.
Pour shortbread mixture into prepared pan. Spread it around to cover the bottom of the pan before using the flat bottom of a measuring cup (or the heel of your hand) to pack it down into an even layer. Prick several times with a fork. Bake 10 minutes to set. Wipe out bowl (no need to wash) and set aside for coconut topping.
Make the lime filling. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, lime zest & juice, egg yolk, and salt. It may thicken slightly. Set aside.
Make the toasted coconut topping. In a medium mixing bowl (I use the same one I used for the crust), use a fork to whisk together egg white, sugar and vanilla, just until bubbly/a little foamy, about 1 minute. Use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to fold in coconut.
Spoon lime filling over shortbread crust. Use a silicone spatula or the back of a spoon to carefully spread into an even layer. Scatter coconut filling over the lime filling, making sure to get it all the way to the edges. Press down lightly.
Bake 30-35 minutes, or until coconut is deeply toasted on top and center barely jiggles when pan is jostled. If coconut begins to burn during baking, tent with foil.
Let pan cool completely in a pan on a rack. Use foil overhang to transfer to a cutting board. Peel off foil. Use a large, sharp chef’s knife to slice into squares, wiping clean between cuts as necessary. Serve at room temperature or cold.
Squares will keep covered at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4.
I feel like everyone is posting variations on these Flourless Chocolate Cookies. They’re all over social media right now, and can be found on long defunct food blogs and a zillion other places, I’m sure. What I’m saying is that you probably don’t need me to tell you about them, but here I am, doing it anyway, because they’re effing miraculous.
At their most basic, these gluten-free cookies are made with just four ingredients: confectioners sugar, cocoa powder, salt and a couple of egg whites. Whisk them all together until a thick, glossy batter forms. There will come a moment during mixing where it seems too dry, but persist—it will pass.
Dole the batter out on a baking sheet in heaping tablespoons and then bake until puffy. This is where the magic happens—the egg whites make everything expand to the point where the shiny cookie exteriors crack, and then, when everything begins to cool, they collapse on themselves to reveal crisp-chewy meringue edges and fudgy brownie centers. Told you they were miraculous.
As far as substitutions go, this recipe is so simple that there isn’t much room for change. You can use whatever cocoa powder you want, but to the person who will ask: please don’t try hot chocolate mix—it’s not the same thing.
Regarding the egg whites, please know that I tried everything I could imagine to use whole eggs, but it just didn’t work—the cookies were cookies, but they were chewy in an unpleasant way. Hard pass. Throw those extra yolks in with your 
Now that I’ve addressed the simplest way to make these cookies, let me tell you what, in my opinion, is the best. Start with the original four ingredients and then add 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso granules, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, and 1/2 cup each chocolate chips and toasted nuts. Scoop and bake as written, until glossy and puffy and lumpy-in-a-good-way. Wait for them to cool before you peel off the parchment and…um, you’re welcome for the best brownie cookie I’ve ever had.
But that’s enough about me. Would you leave these plain or fill them with mix-ins? Let me know in the comments or on 
Since 
One thing that hasn’t changed at all? I’m still baking. Sure, there’s a part of me that just wants to quit everything and pout, but I think that would get boring quickly. Also, I’d run out of cookies.
And speaking of cookies, I am in love with these White Chocolate Pecan beauties. They’re thick and chewy and stay that way for a whole week! Yes, a whole week! That simply doesn’t happen with most cookies.
This is not a flavor combination I would have thought of myself. I was clued in when a friend’s fiancé mentioned that they loved their grocery store’s white chocolate pecan cookies but didn’t love the ingredient list, and could I make them with less-questionable ingredients, please???
Toasty pecans and sweet, creamy white chocolate chips are a match made in heaven, especially when folded into a buttery sugar cookie base. These cookies are rich, but not heavy, and I know from a lot of personal experience that it’s difficult to only eat one.
I recognize that not everyone has white chocolate chips and/or pecans at home right now (this recipe is not a reason for “essential travel” to the grocery store!), so feel free to put whatever mix-ins you like in the sugar cookie base, up to 2 cups. When things get to some point of normalcy though, get yourself some bags of both and prepare to meet (and eat) the cookie combo you didn’t know you needed!
Stay safe, y’all! I’ll be back Friday with a list of things to make while you’re cooped up ❤ 
Oh y’all, I have winter citrus on my mind. 
Grapefruit Sandwich Cookies are exactly what they sound like. The cookies themselves are a variation on my favorite 
The filling is the completely stellar Grapefruit Curd that I made for 
Pipe it almost to the edges. You want the curd to peek out the sides.
You may certainly eat these cookies right after assembly, but I highly recommend refrigerating them for about 6 hours before doing so. This allows the curd to set and the cookies to soften slightly so that everything stays in place when you bite in. You know, instead of falling apart in your hands. Not that that’s a bad thing.
You’ll notice that the batch makes 8(-ish) dozen cookies. Don’t let this scare you off! The cookies are teeny, made with a 1 1/2-inch cutter, and will keep for approximately eternity (…or a week) in the fridge. If you want to make fewer larger cookies, feel free to use a 2 1/2-inch cutter and maybe give them an extra minute in the oven. I’m pretty fond of these little gems though. Anything that allows me to eat five cookies in one sitting is okay by me.
e2 bakes brooklyn 