This is a traditional recipe from Lorraine, where I come from. A lot of people make these in the run-up to Christmas, and there are as many different recipes as there are families.
These biscuits are seriously addictive; I brought a tin-full to work, and they disappeared in about 5 minutes flat. In fact I barely had a chance to eat some myself!
Traditionally, the dough isn’t rolled out and stamped out with cutters. Instead, it is pushed through a meat mincer with a special attachment fitted, and comes out looking like this:
Photo Credit
As I haven’t got the right equipment (yet), I had to get creative and decided to use cutters instead.
This is a rather coarse dough, so for best results stick to simple shapes when choosing which cutters to use. I used a heart-shaped one and a circle, and they turned out great, but fiddly snowflakes or animal shapes would come out with ragged edges.
You will need (for about 80 biscuits):
400 g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
250 g butter, very soft
2 eggs
250 g caster sugar
200 g dessicated coconut
Method:
In a large bowl, rub the flour, baking powder and butter together until you get a breadcrumb-like consistency. Mix in the coconut.
In a smaller bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together, then add them to the flour and butter mix. Mix thoroughly using a large wooden spoon.
Let the preparation rest somewhere cool for 2 to 3 hours, covering the bowl with a tea towel (not in the fridge, you want cool not cold).
Preheat your oven to 200C/ fan 190C /Gas 6.
Roll out the dough in small sections to the thickness of a pound coin, and stamp out the shapes of your choice. Re-roll the trimmings and repeat.
Place on baking trays lined with baking paper and bake for 10 to 15 min or until nice and golden.
Cool on a wire rack then store in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks.
The Greedy Frog 
These sound wonderful. I was hoping to find some fun new Christmas cookie recipes and coconut tops my list of favorite flavors!!! Thank you!
I am glad you like the recipe! 🙂
They look delicious and I love the traditional shape. So special!
Thank you! I am planning on getting a meat mincer at some point, mainly so I can make these biscuits the traditional way…
These sound delicious!! Love the coconut : )
Thank you very much! 🙂
Looks like I have a new Christmas cookie recipe to try 🙂 One question, is the coconut you use sweetened or unsweetened?
I used unsweetened coconut. Let me know how they turn out if you try them! 🙂
Thanks!
hee hee, 80 biscuits!
I want to make some biscuits for christmas, whenever I do they always end up stuck to the surface and the cutter and I find the whole thing really difficult, I don’t know why I’m just rubbish at it, perhaps i ought to persevere and try these.
The original recipe makes 240 biscuits… It comes from a family friend who, despite being in her late 80’s, bakes several kilos of these every Christmas.
As long as you keep the dough cool and the work surface lightly floured, these shouldn’t stick at all. If things get sticky, just put the dough back in a cool place for a bit, it should behave better after that! 🙂