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Coconut Shortbread Cookie Recipe From "Bake It, Don't Fake It!"

(Photo credit: Atria Books) (Photo credit: Simon and Schuster)

Heather Bertinetti is an award-winning executive pastry chef at Manhattan restaurants Crown and The Lion. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America with a degree in baking and pastry arts, Heather joined Gramercy Tavern and, just two years later, Per Se. She then went on to open and receive rave reviews at Alto, Convivio, Marea and Osteria Morini. Heather has been lauded by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and was named in Zagat's 2011 "30 under 30: New York's Hottest Up-and-Comers."

Bake It, Don't Fake It! teaches home chefs how to create show-stopping desserts and get them on the table without breaking a sweat. With recipes that rely on quality ingredients and are made 100% from scratch, Heather Bertinetti's desserts are deceptively quick and easy. Try Heather's twist on a classic this year, in your holiday cookie tins or as a clever swap over a traditional tart crust.

Related: Roasted Lamb Recipe From The Way We Ate

(Photo credit: Simon and Schuster) (Photo credit: Linda Pugliese)

Coconut Shortbread
Makes 24 cookies

Every year I make this recipe just as summertime hits. The buttery texture makes it a great accompaniment for creamy desserts like panna cotta or ice cream. The coconut is a fun twist on a classic cookie. You could also use the dough as a base for a tart.

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
1 pound (4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed
¾ cup confectioners' sugar
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
2½ cups unsweetened shredded coconut
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and confectioners' sugar on medium speed until softened. Beat in the flour, coconut,
salt, rum, and vanilla until combined.

Between 2 sheets of parchment paper, roll the dough out to a rectangle
½ inch thick. Sprinkle the work surface with granulated sugar and transfer the dough to the sugar. Cut the dough into bars 1 x 21/2 inches. Transfer the bars to the baking sheet. Sprinkle more granulated sugar on top. Bake for 10 minutes.
Rotate the pan front to back and continue to bake until light golden brown,
about 5 minutes longer. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Chef it up!
A really easy way to fancy-up shortbread is to use a shortbread mold. The shortbread you see in the photo was made in an 11½-inch round mold with a heart design. The mold is also scored for perfect portioning of the cookies. Just press the dough into the mold with your fingertips and bake until light golden brown. There's nothing like a baking tool that does all the decorating work for you!

Related: NYC's 5 Best Fall Flavored Bites

Heather Bertinetti is an award-winning executive pastry chef at Manhattan restaurants Crown and The Lion. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America with a degree in baking and pastry arts, Heather joined Gramercy Tavern and, just two years later, Per Se. She then went on to open and receive rave reviews at Alto, Convivio, Marea and Osteria Morini. Heather has been lauded by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and was named in Zagat's 2011 "30 under 30: New York's Hottest Up-and-Comers."

Copyright © 2013 by Heather Bertinetti. Reprinted with permission of Atria Books, a division of Simon and Schuster. For more information on Bake It, Don't Fake It! or other great cookbooks from Simon and Schuster, sign up for our Read Before Eating newsletter!

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