Coconut Vanilla Bean Cookies

The cookie jar was empty so I went in search of a new cookie recipe. I was inspired by one at Mikey’s In My Kitchen that looked amazing. I adapted the recipe a bit by adding vanilla bean seeds to the dough instead of extract. Wow! Remind me to do that again. These thin chewy delicious cookies are my new favorite… seriously, they are crisp on the edges and chewy in the middle with such a wonderful buttery, coconut, and vanilla flavor.  These cookies may be delicate but they are loaded with flavor and we all love them! My husband loves them so much, he admitted to eating three after dinner last night. I have a feeling the cookie jar will be empty again soon.

How to Make Coconut Vanilla Bean Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silpat mat.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.

Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean by placing the bean on a flat surface. Hold the bean flat with one hand, and split the bean in half lengthwise with a sharp knife. Use the backside of the paring knife’s blade to scrape the dark, moist pulp from the vanilla bean; this will prevent any strings from the vanilla bean pod in the seeds.

In another bowl, add the white sugar and the scraped vanilla bean seeds. Using your fingers, combine the sugar with the vanilla bean seeds until evenly distributed. Add the brown sugar and butter to the bowl and beat using a hand mixer until creamy. Add the egg and beat until combined. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined. Add the flaked coconut and mix. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet.

Place into the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until brown around the edges and just set in the center. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Enjoy with ice-cold milk.