Chocolate Coconut Cookies

adapted from: The Ultimate Chocolate Cookie Book

Ingredients:

6 oz cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg yolk, at room temperature

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/4 cup (about 5 oz) unsweetened coconut flakes

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg, at room temperature

Directions:

Position oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 375°F.

To make coconut filling:

Beat cream cheese and sugar at medium speed until smooth and light, about 1 minute. Beat in egg yolk, then vanilla, until smooth. Beat in coconut at low speed until evenly distributed. Set aside.

To make cookies:

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Beat butter to soften. Add sugar and continue to beat until light and airy but still a little grainy. Beat in egg until smooth.

Add flour mixture, beat at low speed until just combined. Dough should be stiff but still pliable.

Using a small cookie scoop (about 1 TBSP), scoop dough into hand or a dry work surface. Flatten into a circle about 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter. Mound a heaping teaspoon of coconut filling onto the center of the dough. Fold the sides of the dough up, but do not seal the top.

Place cookies on a greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart.

Bake for 9 minutes, rotate the sheet 180°, then bake for another 9 minutes or until the cookies are just starting to brown along the edges.

Cool on cookie sheets for 2 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Store at room temperature up to 3 days.

Makes about  2 1/2 dozen.

Recipe Source: http://mykitchenjourney.blogspot.com/2009/12/chocolate-coconut-cookies.html