Coconut makes anything taste better in my opinion. Yes, even soup ( check out my Indian Summer Stew recipe). Maybe I’m biased because I have sweet childhood memories eating coconut. I may even go as far as nominate it for my favorite baking ingredient. Yet, it’s not an ingredient I grew up on. It’s was very rare that supermarkets carried coconuts in Poland. Once in a while they did and my mom would come home from the supermarket carrying these hairy globes. I would jump up and down asking, “Can I touch it?”, and wondered about the far away land coconuts came from as I patted it like an exotic animal. We weren’t used to handling tropical fruit, so of course trying to crack one open was very amusing. My dad would take out his power tools to get the job done. Using an electric drill, he drilled a hole in the coconut, poured out the watery milk, and proceeded to drill until the coconut cracked. It was even more beautiful inside. I was mesmerized.

This has to be one of my favorite memories growing up. I’m smiling as I type. This memory always sneaks up on me when I use coconuts in my recipes. Have a chuckle at my expense if you make these Peanut Butter-Coconut Cookies. They are delicious with sweet lemon tea. Rainy weather always calls for a cup of tea and a plate of cookies.

Peanut Butter-Coconut Cookies (from Elizabeth Falkner’s Cooking Off the Clock)

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Melt 1/2 stick room temperature, unsalted butter in a saute pan over medium heat. scrape 1 vanilla bean (split the bean and scrape out the seeds) into the butter. Add 1 1/2 cups rolled oats and cook, stirring frequently, until browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add 2 tbsp. baking soda, stir to combine, and set aside to cool completely.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream 1 stick room temperature, unsalted butter with 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 1 cup packed light brown sugar, and 1 cup creamy peanut butter (you can use almond butter too!) at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add 2 room temperature, large eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition, about 1 minute each time. Decrease the speed to low and add 2 1/2 cups sifted, all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut, and 2 tsp. kosher salt (I used less) and mix until combined. Fold in the cooled browned oats until evenly dispersed.

Roll the dough into golf ball-sized rounds (about 1 tbsp. dough each). Place the rounds about 1 inch apart on the lined baking sheets and bake until just golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes on the sheets, and then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Store the completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.