coconut & lemon sandwich cookies
makes 10 | prep 30 mins (+ chilling & cooling) | cooking 15 mins
105g (1¼ cups) desiccated coconut
100g (1 cup) almond meal
50g (¼ cup) coconut sugar
1 lemon, rind finely grated, juiced
½ tsp gluten-free baking powder
Large pinch sea salt
60ml (¼ cup) honey
60g (¼ cup) solid coconut oil
2 tbs almond butter
1 egg, lightly whisked
coconut cream filling
1 tbs coconut sugar
2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
270ml can coconut milk
¼ tsp vanilla bean paste
½ tsp fresh lemon juice
1 To make the filling, place the can of coconut milk in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
2 Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan forced. Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper.
3 Combine the coconut, almond meal, sugar, lemon rind, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Place the honey, oil, almond butter and 2 tsp lemon juice in a microwave-safe jug. Microwave, stirring halfway, for 1 minute or until melted and smooth. Add honey mixture and egg to the well. Stir until a sticky dough forms.
4 Use damp hands to roll 1 tbs mixture at a time into 20 balls. Place on the prepared trays, allowing room for spreading. Flatten slightly. Bake, swapping trays halfway, for 15 minutes or until golden. Cool cookies on the trays.
5 To make the filling, place the sugar and lemon rind in a mortar. Use a pestle to pound until finely crushed. Carefully open the chilled coconut milk. Spoon solidified coconut milk from the surface into a glass bowl (save liquid for another use). Add lemon mixture and vanilla and whisk until thick. Gently whisk in lemon juice. 6 Sandwich biscuits with the lemon filling. Place in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to sell.
“Perfect for morning or afternoon tea, this gluten-free cookie recipe tempts with classic coconut and lemon flavours and doesn't disappoint.”
Katrina Woodman
NOTE
For an orange flavour, swap the lemon rind and juice for 2 tsp each of orange rind and juice in step 3, and 2 tsp orange rind and ½ tsp orange juice in step 5.
