These are tender butter cookies flavored with pandan and studded with desiccated coconut, then rolled in more coconut so the outside toasts golden in the oven. The grassy, vanilla-like scent of pandan with toasted coconut is the pairing Singapore bakers reach for in kaya, kueh and festive cookie jars alike. Makes 32 cookies in about 1 hr 43 min.
Prep30 min
Cook18 min
Cooling55 min
Total
1 hr 43 min
Yield
32 cookies
Ingredients
Adjust yield
cookies
Scales from a half to a double batch; bake the extra trays in rounds.
½ cup (120 g)unsalted butter, softened
⅓ cup (70 g)caster sugar
1 pinchsalt
1(18 g)egg yolk
1 tsp (5 ml)pandan paste
1 ¼ cups (160 g)all-purpose flour
2 ½ tbsp (20 g)cornstarch
½ tsp (2 g)baking powder
⅔ cup (60 g)desiccated coconut, unsweetened, for the dough
⅓ cup (30 g)desiccated coconut, unsweetened, for the coating
Beat the unsalted butter, caster sugar and salt with a hand mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg yolk and pandan paste until evenly green.
Sift the all-purpose flour, cornstarch and baking powder over the bowl, add the 60 g desiccated coconut and mix on low speed or with a spatula just until a soft dough forms.
Cover and chill the dough until firm enough to roll, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 325°F (160°C), line two baking sheets with parchment paper and put the 30 g desiccated coconut for the coating in a shallow bowl.
Roll the dough into 15 g balls (about 32), roll each in the coating coconut, pressing lightly so it sticks, and set them 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) apart on the baking sheets. Flatten each slightly with your fingertips.
Bake until the coconut on the edges is golden and the bottoms are lightly browned while the tops stay green, 16 to 18 minutes, swapping the sheets halfway through.
Cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then move to a rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes, before storing.
Tips
Contains coconut; check with your doctor if you avoid tree nuts.
Pandan paste varies in strength and color; for a natural flavor use 15 ml (1 tbsp) concentrated fresh pandan juice instead and add 5 g (2 tsp) more flour.
Bake at this moderate heat so the coconut toasts without the cookies turning brown and losing their green color.
Do not taste the unbaked dough; it contains raw egg yolk and raw flour.
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How long does it take to make pandan coconut cookies?
Plan on 30 minutes of prep and 18 minutes of cooking, plus 55 minutes to chill and rest. The recipe makes 32 cookies.
How should I store pandan coconut cookies?
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks; the durian version keeps 5 days, refrigerated.
Can I make pandan coconut cookies ahead?
It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.
Serve it with kopi or jasmine tea.
Variations
Gula melaka cookies: replace the caster sugar with 80 g (1/2 cup packed) finely grated gula melaka (palm sugar) and leave out the pandan paste for caramel-brown cookies; bake 15 to 17 minutes, as palm sugar browns faster.
Durian cookies: reduce the butter to 90 g (6 tbsp), beat in 70 g (1/4 cup) smooth durian purée in place of the pandan paste and add 20 g (2 1/2 tbsp) more flour; bake 18 to 20 minutes for a softer, cakier cookie.
Pandan gula melaka: keep the pandan paste and use half caster sugar and half grated gula melaka, 35 g (3 tbsp) and 40 g (1/4 cup) respectively; bake time unchanged.
Estimated · per serving
Nutrition
Per serving = 1 of 32 servings this recipe makes.
71Calories / serving
4.1gFat
8.0gCarbs
0.7gProtein
3.3gSugar
Whole recipe (32 servings):
~2272 cal ·
131g fat ·
256g carbs ·
22g protein ·
106g sugar
Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.
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