Chocolate Chunk Coconut Pecan Chews

When I found these "cookies," I could hardly contain my excitement. They sounded amazing (and they ended up tasting amazing too, unless, of course, you don't like coconut). Just the smell of the pecans and the coconut toasting made me giddy. Think German-chocolate cake (and frosting) meets cookie and you've got this recipe in hand. Yum.

In my eagerness to get these babies in the oven, I neglected to sufficiently cool the coconut which in turn melted the chocolate chips a bit more than I would have liked. My advice: be patient. As delicious as they are, you don't want to ruin them by allowing them to turn into a melted pancakey mess. Be sure to put the batter in the fridge while waiting for another tray to bake. You might also want to chill each tray for a few minutes before baking- this will prevent some of the spreading that naturally occurs with these. Just remember that these are called "chews" for a reason. They're much thinner and chewier than regular cookies, but that, of course, is part of their charm.

 Chocolate Chunk Coconut Pecan Chews
Recipe from The All-American Dessert Book
Pictures by Caroline


2 1/2 cups shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
Scant 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chocolate chips (or 3 oz semisweet chocolate chunks)
(Directions simplified)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and toast coconut and pecans (mixed together) 9 to 12 minutes, stirring every 3 or 4 minuets, until well browned. Let cool. Reserve 1 cup.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, butter, egg, salt and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour and soda. Stir in the flour mixture, then chocolate chips and coconut pecan mixture, until smoothly incorporated. Refrigerate at least 10 minutes, until dough is firm.
3. Drop the dough by heaping spoonfuls onto a baking sheet, spacing the cookies 2 1/2 inchs apart. Sprinkle the reserved coconut-pecan mixture over the tops. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until nicely browned and barely firm when pressed in the centers. Let the cookies stand about 5 minutes then transfer to a wire cooling rack. Cool completely.