Three rows of spiral cocoa cookies filled with melted melted semisweet chocolate and toasted coconut on a cooling rack. White parchment paper is underneath the cooling rack.

Cocoa Coconut Pastries

Rugelach inspired Cocoa Coconut Pastries. I love rugelach. I don't love trying to cut even sized triangles to roll into those cute little crescents. Also not a fan of the filling that oozes out while rolling those crescents. Sticky fingers aren't great either.

Despite what sounds like a lot of complaining, I really do love rugelach. I just needed to do something different. I discovered rolling and filling the pastry dough like cinnamon roll dough in an old magazine.

No sticky fingers. No oozing filling. I hope this method works for you.

Text and Photo by Jac Kyles Baker

Makes 16 to 18 pastries

Ingredients

For the dough:

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp espresso powder

3 TB cocoa powder

1/4 cup sour cream

2 TB unsalted butter, softened

1 TB vegetable oil

3 TB light brown sugar

1/4 tsp almond extract

For the filling:

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted*

1/4 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate mini chips, melted

Optional:

granulated sugar for coating after baking

Preparation

Whisk flour and baking powder together in a large bowl. Make a well in the bottom of the bowl.

In a separate bowl: beat sour cream, oil, butter, brown sugar and espresso powder. Whisk in cocoa powder.

Add the cocoa mixture to the well in the flour. Work the cocoa mixture in to the flour (I use my hands to form the dough). The dough shouldn't be sticky or tacky. Nor should it be dry and crumbly.

Divide dough in half. Pat each half into a rectangle on parchment paper or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

Roll dough into 1/4 inch rectangles. Spread 1 to 2 TB of melted chocolate on each rectangle. Cover chocolate with toasted coconut. From the short length of the dough, roll the rectangles into a logs. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll logs in granulated sugar. Slice logs into eight pieces. Place on parchment paper. Microwave on HIGH for 45 seconds.

Cool on a wire rack. Coat pastries with granulated sugar, if desired.

Store in an airtight container.

Cook's Notes

*Toast coconut:

Place 1/4 cup of coconut in a ring around the edge of a microwave safe plate. Microwave on HIGH at 20 to 30 second intervals.

BE PATIENT! You'll smell the coconut as it toasts. The coconut will burn if you set the timer for 1 minute without checking it.

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