Dark Chocolate Coconut Cookies- Levain Knock-offs

So one of the departments where I work scheduled a cookie contest the week I am taking vacation.  I'm not fooled. Clearly they are just scared.

And they should be.  With this recipe up my sleeve, they'd be toast.  Dark cocoa with bittersweet chocolate chips and coconut, underbaked so even cool they are rich and buttery.  (in deference to my niece, I will refrain from using the M word.  It offends her delicate sensibilities.  College girls are like that.)

This recipe was featured in Art Culinaire Magazine in an article about Levain Bakery in NYC, in which they interviewed the authors and got some recipes from them.  Who knows if they are the recipes they use now, but these are strikingly yummy.

A couple of notes- if you don't have a scale, check out these conversions.  One of my family members marvels at how people can bake and it always comes out exactly the same- the answer?  Weigh your ingredients!  Of course, other people less uptight precise than me can convincingly argue they come out delish even a few ounces off....but I like knowing they'll be perfect.

And for the record, I am bringing them to work early.  I can't be a no show!

Dark Chocolate Coconut Cookies (Yields 1 dozen cookies)

adapted from Art Culinaire, Connie McDonald & Pamela Weekes

Ingredients

For the dark chocolate coconut cookies:

8 ounces unsalted butter

10 ounces granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 ounces dark cocoa powder

10 ounces all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

6 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips

3 ounces large walnut pieces (optional- I optioned NOT)

3 ounces unsweetened shredded coconu

directions

For the dark chocolate coconut cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle, cream together butter and sugar until well-blended and fluffy. Add eggs and beat until well-incorporated, then beat in cocoa powder. Mix in flour, salt and baking powder until just combined. Gently fold in remaining ingredients. Transfer dough to clean work surface and gently mix dough to ensure even distribution of ingredients. Divide into 12 equal portions (easy to use a muffin scoop, like this one)  and place each on sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake in oven 12 minutes, taking care not to overbake. Let cool on rack and store in airtight container.

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