Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

My family is a big fan of coconut related treats. Our favorite Halloween candy is Almond Joy. I buy fresh coconut still in the shell whenever it's on sale at the grocery store so we usually have a bowl of coconut chunks in the refrigerator. Since I've already been asked by three separate relatives if I was making coconut chocolate chip cookies for the holidays this year, I thought I'd share the recipe here.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks butter, melted
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed. (I use light brown sugar, but you can use either.)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons coconut extract (This can sometimes be hard to find. If you can't find it, use vanilla extract. The coconut extract just gives it more of a coconut flavor.)
2 eggs, beaten before you add them to the other ingredients.
2 cups coconut flakes
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 package chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour the melted butter into a large mixing bowl. Add the granulated and brown sugars and mix well. Add the baking soda, coconut (or vanilla) extract, and salt. Stir in the beaten eggs until everything is well combined.

 Next pack the coconut flakes down into the measuring cup until you get two full cups. (My sister puts her coconut flakes into a food processor to chop them up a bit so the flakes aren't so big. If you do this, only use 1 cup of packed coconut flakes because they've been chopped. You can also chop them with a knife if you don't have a food processor.) Add them to the other ingredients in the bowl. Stir well. Add the flour and chocolate chips and mix until everything is well combined.

Let the dough sit for ten minutes, uncovered. Drop by teaspoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet. If the dough gets too sticky, chill it slightly in the refrigerator and try again. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until cookies are golden brown around the edges. Let cool for approximately 3 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes approximately 6 dozen cookies depending on how big you make them.