Santa' s Whiskers Cookies

These Santa's Whiskers Cookies are an easy slice-and bake cookies recipe bejeweled with candied cherries and shredded coconut. They are a perfect for your Christmas cookie tray!

Course Christmas

Cuisine American

Keyword santa whisker cookies, santa's whiskers cookies

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Chilling time 4

Total Time 4 35

Servings Cookies

Calories 84kcal

Author Maria Doss

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter room temperature (½ cup)
½ cup white sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
½ cup chopped red candied cherries
¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconut divided

Instructions

Make dough

Add butter, sugar, milk and vanilla into a large bowl and beat with a hand held electric beater, on high speed, for about 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy.
Add flour and continue beating for few seconds, until it looks crumbly.
Add chopped cherries and ¼ cup coconut, continue beating just for few seconds, until it is mixed in.
Tip: Over-mixing can cause the cherries to bleed, tinting the dough pink. Therefore, aim to mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed without overdoing it.
Dump dough onto a work surface, gently shape into a log and continue rolling to make into 2 and ½ inch thickness.
Roll the log in remaining ½ cup shredded coconut. The log can be divided into two, to make it easier to work with). Chill until firm.

Bake

Preheat oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Using a sharp knife, cut log into slightly thicker than ¼-inch thick slices and place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about ¾-inch apart.
Bake for 22 to 26 minutes (rotating pan halfway through baking) or until cookies are golden brown in color. Place pan on a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

During the holiday season, you can find candied cherries in plastic containers within the produce section of most major grocery stores.

Unsweetened shredded coconut is recommended since the cookie is already sweetened by both sugar and candied cherries. However, if you can't find unsweetened coconut, you can proceed with sweetened coconut.

Try using almond extract instead of vanilla.

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