Coconut Cream Sugar Cookies

Yield: about 3 dozen medium cookies

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Cookies

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 sticks salted butter, softened
2 eggs
Sanding sugar

For the Frosting

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup Cream of Coconut (you can find this with the drink mixer ingredients...it's what you use to make Pina Coladas)
3 cups powdered sugar
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine flour and baking soda. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter and both sugars on medium for about a minute, until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add flour mixture until completely mixed in.

3. Scoop dough with a small cookie scoop onto ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten slightly and sprinkle with sanding sugar.

4. Bake cookies for about 15 minutes, until edges turn golden brown. Remove cookies to wire racks to cool.

5. Make frosting: In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter and shortening on medium speed until smooth and combined. Add Cream of Coconut, then add powdered sugar, a little at a time on low speed. Once the powdered sugar is mixed in, add shredded coconut and increase mixer speed to high. Beat for a minute, until light and fluffy. If frosting is too thick, add water, a tablespoon at a time until the consistency you want is reached.

Confessions of a Cookbook Queen adapted from Martha Stewart