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Christmas: Italian Coconut Balls

Source of Recipe


Internet



List of Ingredients



• 2 cups sifted cake flour
  
• 1 tsp salt
  
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
  
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  
• 2 eggs, separated
  
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
  
• 2½ cups sweetened flaked coconut
  
• 1 cup apricot preserves
  






Instructions



1. Preheat oven to 300° F. Generously grease three baking sheets.
   Into small bowl, sift together flour and salt. In medium bowl, cream butter well. Add sugar gradually and continue creaming until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks and extract and mix well. Add sifted dry ingredients gradually and mix. Mold into small balls, about 1 inch across, from a rounded teaspoon of dough. If the dough is too sticky, refrigerate it until it firms up.
   
   
2. Place egg whites in a small bowl and coconut in another. Slightly beat the egg whites. Dip each ball of dough into the whites, then roll lightly in the coconut.
   
   
3. Place on baking sheets, and press top of each ball gently with your thumb. Bake in preheated oven about 24 minutes, until golden. While cookies are warm, fill centers with a dab of apricot preserves. Remove cookies from sheets and cool on wire racks.
   
   Makes 5 dozen bite-size cookies.
   
   






Final Comments


The dough can be made a day in advance of baking and kept covered and refrigerated. Let it stand at room temperature 30 minutes to become more workable.

Store the cookies in airtight containers, layers separated by wax paper.