For your next cookie exchange or other holiday event that finds you scrambling for a unique hostess gift, consider these shortbreads adorned with some beauty from local flower farm Petaloom Florals, pink ‘alaea salt, and some added decadence — white chocolate.
Makes 18 cookies
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted european butter, room temperature
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp real vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
½ cup crushed raw macadamia nuts
Garnish
8 oz white chocolate chips
Edible flower petals (pictured here are dianthus)
Pink Hawaiian Salt crystals (‘alaea)
Cream together sugar, butter and vanilla. Sift separately flour and salt. Add to the creamed butter mixture, then add coconut and macadamia nuts. Using 1 ½ tablespoon size scoop, scoop dough onto a greased cookie sheet, pressing to make a shallow divot in the middle of each cookie. Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until bottoms are golden brown. Cool completely. To decorate, drizzle melted white chocolate over cookies (place chips in a microsafe bowl and microwave in 20-second increments until completely melted). Place flower petals gently on still warm chocolate and dust with al’ae salt crystals. Chill to set up.
To gift, place each cookie in a paper cupcake wrapper — individually, not stacked — in a decorative tin.
Maja Liotta is a private chef and is passionate about food, farms, foraging and teaching. She is also co-founder of Thyme to Cook With Your Kids virtual cooking series. Lilikoicreations.com
