Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I have to confess....I have been "cheating" on my husband, because I found a new LOVE....

Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chunk Cookies!  This recipe comes from Cooking Light and works out to be only 2 points+ for a delicious, nicely sized ( remember how small the Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies were?)  piece of chocolate chip cookie heaven! 

I cannot tell you how wonderful toasted coconut is in this cookie.  It gives the cookie a delightful chewiness.  I again, used that 70% Belgian chocolate I had picked up at Trader Joe's last week as well as what I consider to be the Cadillac of pure vanilla extract in these cookies...

Yes....this stuff is EXPENSIVE, but it is the finest vanilla extract I have tried to date.   Of course you can use ANY brand of vanilla extract you like....but just be sure to use the PURE vanilla extract and NOT imitation.   Your baked goods will always reflect the quality of ingredients you put into them.

So go ahead and bake up a batch of these delicious cookies, sit back and enjoy one or two...and  like me, you might feel like you are cheating on your love, but you won't be cheating on  your diet!  :)

Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chunk Cookies

from Cooking Light

Printable Recipe

Servings - 25   Serving Size - 1 cookie   Points Plus per Serving - 2 points+

Calories - 88,   Total Fat - 3.8g,   Carb. - 13g,   Protein - 1g,   Fiber - 0.4g

1 cup flaked sweetened coconut

4.5 ounces (OR 1 cup) all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. salt

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

2 ounces dark chocolate ( 70% cacao), chopped

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  

2.  Arrange coconut in a single layer on a baking pan and bake at 350 degrees F for about 7 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring once during baking.  Remove from oven and set aside to cool.  

3.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl and whisk well to mix.  Set aside.  

4. In med-large bowl combine the butter and the brown sugar.  Mix well with an electric mixer on med speed until fluffy.  ( don't skimp on mixing!  This will take about 5 minutes to get well incorporated)  Add in vanilla and egg, beating until combined.  Add in the flour mixture and beat at low speed until just combined.  Stir in coconut and chocolate chunks. 

5.   Drop by level tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet that has been covered in parchment ( my preference for baking cookies) OR covered with a silpat OR sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until bottoms of cookies begin to brown.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 1 - 2 minutes on pan before removing to wire rack to cool completely.  Yield: 25 cookies. 

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These cookies are really delicious.  The combo of chocolate and coconut marry wonderfully.  In order to keep myself from eating too many, once they were cooled, I put them in a freezer zipper bag and marked the PP value on the bag, then slipped them into the freezer.  Not having them in my line of site helps me to keep from wanting them because I see them.  Of course I know they are in there, but they just don't scream at me like when they are sitting up on the counter or in the pantry ( where I am far more often than the freezer.) 

How about you?  What tricks do you play on yourself to keep your portion size of goodies in check?  Do you have any little tricks that work well for you?