30.05.2008 Tropical Jewels

my friend Kristi sent these to me for my birthday, and even though they arrived almost 2 weeks after she posted the package [bad USPS, bad], they still taste fresh and absolutely delicious.
they are like thumbprint cookies, made even better because of their coconut & rum flavor combination.

she adapted the recipe from The Innkeeper’s Best Cookies, by Laura Zahn.

makes 50 to 60 small cookies (a definite change of pace of my small batches, obviously)

1 cup Earth Balance [or other vegan margarine]
3/4 cup turbinado sugar
1 cup coconut (Kristi used sweetened coconut, do as you please)
1/2 t rum extract
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 t sea salt
1/4 t nutmeg
jam of choice, for filling OR chocolate chips/chunks OR Pateline/Not-ella OR peanut butter

preheat oven to 350F. line cookie sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.

cream margarine and sugar until fluffy. add coconut and rum extract.
add flour, salt, and nutmeg. blend until smooth. place dough in fridge for 30 minutes.
drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto prepared cookie sheet. press your thumb into dough to make small indentation, fill with 1/2 t of jam.
bake for 12 minutes, cool on rack.