Keep each coconut mound small and centered; a tall dense heap can stay raw while the shortbread rim darkens.
Almond shortbread discs baked with small chewy coconut-macaroon caps.
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Coconut Macaroon Topped Shortbread Cookies Recipe
Follow the tray sizes, portions and baking intervals in the instructions below.
Total time includes hands-on preparation, required chilling or resting, whole-batch cooking, cooling and finishing.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- mixing bowl
- mixer
- kitchen scale
- two 13 x 18-inch half sheets
- parchment
- fork
- wide spatula
- cooling rack
Ingredients
US measures are approximate. Gram weights help keep portions consistent; spice weights vary with density.
Instructions
Mix base and topping
- Mix base and topping: Stir butter and base sugar smooth; add both flours and salt until cohesive. In a separate bowl whisk egg white and topping sugar just until loose and combined, not a foam. Fold in coconut; rest 10 minutes for the shreds to hydrate while shaping the bases.
Shape and chill
- Shape and chill: Divide dough into 24 portions about 13 g each and press into 1 3/4-inch rounds about 1/4 inch thick. Divide macaroon mixture into 24 small mounds, about 7 g each, and press one gently onto each disc. Chill assembled cookies 20 minutes.
Bake the whole batch
- Bake the whole batch: Heat oven to 325°F (165°C) conventional or 300°F (150°C) fan. Use two parchment-lined 13 x 18-inch half sheets, 12 cookies per sheet, spaced at least 1 inch apart. Bake one tray at a time on the middle rack for 20–24 minutes, turning front to back halfway; keep the waiting tray refrigerated. Base rims should be pale gold and macaroon tips golden, with no translucent raw egg mixture. Whole-batch oven time is 48 minutes for both trays.
Cool the topped cookies
- Cool the topped cookies: Rest 10 minutes on trays, then cool 30 minutes on a rack. The 40-minute allowance includes tray rest; the coconut caps stay slightly chewy inside.
Timing and scaling
- Timing and scaling: 30 min hands-on + 20 min required chill/rest + 48 min whole-batch oven baking + 40 min cooling/setting = 138 min. Cooling includes tray/pan rests and runs from the final tray; earlier-tray cooling may overlap later baking. Ingredient warm-up and frozen-dough thawing are extra; preheat during shaping/chilling. Scale ingredients and US equivalents, not oven temperature, piece sizes or per-tray bake time; extra trays extend the whole-batch time.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Ingredient science
An almond-meal shortbread disc supports a separate egg-white-bound coconut cap; the topping adds chew without making the base a cake dough.
Technique & texture
Keep each coconut mound small and centered; a tall dense heap can stay raw while the shortbread rim darkens.
Finishing & serving
The baked cap should have toasted tips and a moist but cooked center; pack separately from crisp plain cookies.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | 2 days | Up to 2 days. Seal fully cooled filled cookies airtight in a cool dry room. Separate layers with parchment; the filling gradually softens the crumb. |
| Refrigeration | up to 7 days | Unnecessary; up to 7 days if needed. Baked refrigeration is unnecessary for this formula; use only if the room is warm. Seal airtight to prevent condensation and odors. |
| Raw freezing | 1 month | Up to 1 month. Freeze the unfilled dough tightly wrapped. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then shape and complete the stated chill. Prepare the filling fresh. Thawing time is additional. |
| Baked freezing | 2 months | Up to 2 months. Freeze completely cooled cookies airtight with parchment between layers. Thaw sealed at room temperature for 1–2 hours. |
| Restoring | As described | Serve after thawing. Do not oven-refresh the assembled or coated cookies. Serve once thawed; reseal unused portions. |
Notes
- Scale ingredients, including US measures, without changing cookie size or oven temperature. Extra trays increase whole-batch time.
Nutrition
Approximate values per portion from the listed ingredient weights divided into 24 equal portions. Includes required fillings and finishes. Brands, unused coatings and actual portion size affect the estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the whole cookie a macaroon?
An almond-meal shortbread disc supports a separate egg-white-bound coconut cap; the topping adds chew without making the base a cake dough.
How big should each coconut cap be?
Keep each coconut mound small and centered; a tall dense heap can stay raw while the shortbread rim darkens.
Should the cap be completely dry?
The baked cap should have toasted tips and a moist but cooked center; pack separately from crisp plain cookies.
