When I splurge on dessert or make something decadent for company, I want it to be the best possible quality. This recipe uses dates, coconut, cinnamon, and almonds for an unforgettable treat!
Yield: 8 sandwiches
Time: 1 hour plus 30 minutes or more freezing time
Recipe
Ingredients For the Cookies:
- 1 cup minus 2 Tbsp. (14 Tbsp.) all-purpose flour, plus additional for forming cookies
- 6 Tbsp. confectioner’s sugar
- 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
- ¼ cup ground (skin-on) almonds
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
- ½ tsp. almond extract
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Place the flour, sugar, cornstarch, almonds, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine.
- Add the butter and almond extract and process until the dough comes together and forms a ball, about 30 seconds. The dough will be somewhat soft.
- To form the cookies into even-sized pieces, on a floured work surface roll the dough into a ½” diameter “snake” and cut it into 16 even pieces. Roll into balls.
- Using a tumbler, press each ball into a cookie 2 ½” in diameter by ¼” high and place it on the baking tray. Bake cookies until just starting to brown on the edges, about 15 minutes.
- Keep the oven going for the coconut!
Ingredients For the Filling:
- 1/3 cup Medjool dates
- 5 Tbsp. unsweetened coconut, divided
- 1 cup coconut frozen yogurt or non-dairy low-fat frozen coconut dessert
Directions
- Place the dates in a small bowl and cover with ¼ cup hot water. Let sit to soften, for about 15 minutes. Drain (drink the water!) and finely chop.
- Place the coconut on a baking tray and cook until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Allow cooling.
- Soften the coconut frozen yogurt enough to make it easy to stir in the other ingredients without it becoming soup. (Use the defrost setting on the microwave if need be.)
- Stir in the dates and half of the coconut.
- Place 8 of the cookies on a work surface. Scoop the frozen coconut onto the cookies (about 3 Tbsp. for each), and top with another cookie.
- Press to form a sandwich. Smooth the edges with a spatula or finger.
- Roll in the remaining coconut and place on a tray in the freezer to get hard, about 30 minutes or longer.