Coconut Biscuits From The Careless Cook

 

Coconut Biscuits From The Careless Cook

 

Think of biscuits as the culinary equivalent of a painter’s blank canvas.  The recipe is simple, unadorned, but the baker is free…at least this baker is free…to add any other ingredients.  Use your imagination, or let me spare you the mental anguish and let you borrow mine.

 

In this case I decided to bake for a couple of dozen fiercely hungry women.  So, now you’re asking yourself, why would The Careless Cook do this?  Should you have doubts about the goodness of his heart? What dark motives lurk behind this largess?  Are these women that gullible?  I pick my targets carefully.

 

Those who know me know I have no dark motives.  Well, not many, and none I want to discuss.

 

I understand your strained enthusiasm, so to clear the murky waters, I will confess.  I like to bake, but I am unwilling to consume all my baked goods, lest my exploding bicycle tires scare the neighbors and my talking scale yells, “One at a time please.”

 

So, what do I do?  What any altruistic baker does.  I let the emaciated women in my wife’s Bible Study class bear the brunt of my over-productive calories.  They never once complain, nor do they toss rolls and muffins at me as I speed away from the parking lot.

 

I call this exploiting a thin win situation.

 

While you discuss my lapses in culinary morality, let’s get to bakin’.

 

Coconut Biscuits From The Careless Chef

 

Ingredients

 

2 cups flour (either all-purpose or bread, and I prefer unbleached)

3 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cups white sugar

6 tablespoons butter

1 cup milk

1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut (or more if it suits you)

 

Note:  Rather use dark sugar?  Perhaps some honey?  The Careless Chef encourages you to follow your dreams!

 

Puttin’ It Together

 

I use a food processor with a dough attachment, but feel free to use a bowl and do it the traditional way.

 

Put the dry ingredients (except the coconut flakes) in the processor and pulse a couple of times. Add chunks of butter and use the dough setting to mix well.

 

Now add the milk and the coconut flakes and fully mix.  Your dough should separate from the sides of the processor. If not, add a 1/4 cup of flour.  You may need to do this twice, but be judicious. You want your dough soft, but not sticky.

 

Dust your counter with flour and roll out the dough to about ½ an inch thick.  Square up the dough as best you can and cut it in squares.

 

Put the dough on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350ºF or 180ºC.  Every oven is different, so it’s best to use an oven thermometer to make sure of the temp.  Twelve minutes in my oven is a bit too long.

 

Now, it’s time to package these tasty morsels and take them to the tired, the hungry, the unsuspecting. 

 

Meanwhile, I shall find other nefarious ways to entertain myself.

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