Delicate coconut rounds, smooth butter cream, chocolate, and fragrant coconut come together in these festive pastries that melt in your mouth after resting. The dough made with rendered lard has a unique flavor and stays beautifully tender thanks to a short baking time.
These layered pastries are perfect as Christmas cookies, with coffee, for family celebrations, or as a sweet treat after lunch. Simply bake thin rounds, sandwich them with cream, and finish with coconut and chocolate. Before serving, let them sit at room temperature for 20 minutes for the best flavor and texture.
What You’ll Need
For the dough:
- 300 g plain flour,
- 120 g butter,
- 100 g rendered lard,
- 100 g powdered sugar,
- 100 g shredded coconut.
For the cream:
- 250 g very soft butter,
- 3 whole eggs,
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar.
For finishing:
- chocolate as needed,
- shredded coconut for coating and sprinkling.
The original recipe does not specify the exact amount of chocolate or coconut for finishing, so adjust according to the number and size of your pastries.
Step-by-Step Preparation:
1. Preparing the dough: Combine plain flour, butter, rendered lard, powdered sugar, and shredded coconut, and knead thoroughly into a smooth dough. If it seems too crumbly at first, keep working it and let it rest afterward.
2. Rolling out the dough: Place the rested dough between two plastic bags and roll it out to a sheet about 4 mm thick. This method makes handling the delicate dough easier and prevents adding extra flour.
3. Cutting out rounds: Cut out rounds from the rolled dough according to the desired size of your pastries. Since each pastry is made from three layers, try to cut a number of rounds divisible by three.
4. Baking: Bake the rounds at 180°C for a maximum of 6 minutes, just until they start to turn slightly golden. Watch them closely, as the thin pieces bake very quickly and should not dry out or darken too much.
5. Whipping the cream: Beat the whole eggs, granulated sugar, and butter over a steam bath for about 10 minutes until a thick foam forms. Remove the bowl from the steam and continue beating for another 5 minutes until cooled.
6. Finishing the cream: Gradually beat in the softened butter to the cooled mixture as per the original method, until you get a smooth cream. If the cream doesn’t come together, return it to the steam bath briefly and beat until smooth and unified again.
7. Layering the pastries: Spread cream on one round, cover with a second, add more filling, and finish with a third round. Assemble the remaining pastries in the same way.
8. Coating and decorating: Spread cream around the sides of the assembled pastries and roll them in shredded coconut. Spread chocolate on the top round and, after a moment, sprinkle with a little coconut for a simple festive decoration.
9. Storing and serving: Store the finished pastries in a cool place and let them rest. Before eating, take them out of the fridge and let them sit at room temperature for exactly 20 minutes so the cream softens and the flavors shine.
How to Work with Delicate Coconut Dough
Dough with lard and coconut can be crumbly at first. It’s important to knead it thoroughly and let it rest. Rolling it out between plastic bags helps prevent tearing or sticking and makes it easier to keep an even 4 mm thickness.
Let the baked rounds cool before filling so the cream doesn’t melt. Handle them carefully—their tenderness is a desirable feature of the final cookie.
What to Do If the Cream Doesn’t Come Together
If the cream looks curdled while beating, there’s no need to throw it out. According to the original recipe, simply return it to the steam bath and keep beating until it comes together again. Don’t leave it unattended over the steam, and keep an eye on its consistency.
Final Tip
According to the author, this recipe has been tried and true for over 30 years. For the best result, especially stick to the short baking time, let the pastries rest in the fridge, and give them 20 minutes at room temperature before serving. They are perfect not only as Christmas cookies but also with coffee or on a festive family table.
