Fudgy Chocolate Coconut Drops

Coconut and chocolate lovers beware ~ with a double dose of coconut and a double dose of chocolate in these Fudgy Chocolate Coconut Drops, you won't be able to get enough!

My husband Mark is a creature of habit.  Once he starts doing some quirky little thing, he keeps on doing it.  Over.  and over.  and over.  and over.  and over again.  Like when I cook something, he pretty much always says {picking, of course}, "Needs more jalapeno."  Doesn't matter what I've cooked.  Or if it's even remotely in the spicy family of foods.  "Needs more jalapeno."

Well now when I bake he's started saying, "Needs more coconut."  Oy.  As if we needed one more quirky, picky little habit around here.

So I decided to bake up some cookies that in no-way-shape-or-form needed more coconut.  'Cause they've got a double dose  of tasty coconut ...
Mmmm hmmm.  These little Fudgy Chocolate Coconut Drops get a double dose from coconut extract and sweetened flaked coconut.

And that's  the perfect amount of coconut for them, I say!

Oh, but know what makes coconut even better than a double dose of the stuff?

Chocolate!

You just can't go wrong with coconut and chocolate.

These fudgy little bites start out with a fudgy chocolate cookie dough, laced with coconut extract and chocolate chips, that gets scooped out and rolled into balls ...

{As you can see, I use my cookie scoop to help me out with this.  I looooooooove my cookie scoop!}

The dough balls then get rolled in sweetened flaked coconut ...

... and baked up into delicious little fudgy bites of coconut-and-chocolate heaven.

So I say take that Mark! ... With a double dose of yummy coconut, there's no way we should hear, "Needs more coconut."

Or  jalapeno.

Fudgy Chocolate Coconut Drops

Source:  Adapted from Taste of the South magazine, December 2013

(Printable recipe)

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. butter, softened
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. coconut extract
• 1 1/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 c. sweetened flaked coconut

Directions

1. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar at medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture a little at a time, beating until well combined. Beat in vanilla extract and coconut extract. Stir in chocolate chips {Batter will be pretty thick.}
3. Place coconut in a small bowl. Scoop out tablespoonfuls of batter {I use a cookie scoop} and roll into approximately 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in coconut, pressing gently to get as much coconut to adhere as you can. Place balls about two inches apart on a baking sheet.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 9-10 minutes until coconut is lightly toasted on the edges and cookies are set {I like to take mine out right at 9 minutes so they'll be on the softer side}. Let stand on the baking pan for 2 minutes; remove from pan with a spatula and let cool completely.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!

Enjoy these other yummy chocolate-y cookies from The Kitchen is My Playground ...

Insanely Delicious Turtle Cookies

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

Triple Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Nutella No-Bake Cookies