Spring is finally here and Easter is around the corner, so I couldn’t resist making these cute, melt-in-your-mouth Miffy inspired bunny cookies. They’re made of tender coconut shortbread topped with icing and sprinkled with coconut flakes. Coconut bunnies make perfect Easter treats. I happened to have a Miffy cookie cutter, but any 3-inch (7.6cm) bunny cookie cutter works too.* You can also use a pattern to cut out the cookies with a small paring knife. Click here for a Miffy-inspired cookie pattern. Coconut bunnies make perfect Easter treats. This shortbread recipe also works beautifully as vanilla flavor. If you prefer vanilla, refer to the notes below.**
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Miffy Inspired Coconut Cookies
Tender, melt-in-your-mouth bunny shaped coconut shortbread cookies with icing and coconut flakes
Ingredients
Coconut Shortbread Cookies
- 1 cup (227g) good quality unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (85g) powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon natural coconut extract or flavoring
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (14g) unsweetened coconut flakes
- 2 cups (255g) all purpose flour, sifted
Coconut Icing
- 1 ¼ cups (150g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2-4 tablespoons (30-60ml) half & half
- ½ teaspoon natural coconut extract or flavoring
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- ¼ cup (43g) semisweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup (14g) unsweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
Coconut Shortbread Cookies
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, powdered sugar, and salt with an electric mixer on medium speed, until smooth and pale. Beat in the extracts and coconut flakes until well blended. On low speed beat in the flour, just until combined.
- Form the dough into 2 disks. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to overnight.
- Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a scant 1/4-inch (.6cm) thick. Cut out the cookies using a 3-inch (7.6cm) bunny cookie cutter. If you don't have a cookie cutter you can use the provided pattern and cut the cookies out with a small paring knife. Place the cut cookies about 2 inches (5cm) apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Freeze the cookies for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Bake the cookies until set and light golden, about 9-11 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Coconut Icing
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of half & half, the coconut extract and salt until smooth. Whisk in additional half & half as needed to achieve the desired consistency.
- Apply the icing to the cookies by dipping the tops of the cookies in the icing or by spreading the icing on with a small offset spatula. Sprinkle with coconut flakes.
- To make the Miffy or bunny faces, melt the chocolate ships in a small heat safe bowl, in the microwave. Transfer the melted chocolate to a piping bag fitted with a narrow round tip. For the Miffy faces, pipe an x for the mouth and dots for the eyes. For Easter bunnies, pipe eyes, noses and mouths. You can also use small candies for the noses.
Notes
*To find bunny cookie cutters, click here.
**To make vanilla shortbread cookies, omit the vanilla extract, coconut flavoring and the coconut flakes. Replace with 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste. To make vanilla icing, replace the coconut flavoring with pure vanilla extract
***To find the coconut flavoring I used, click here.
