Coconut and Cherry-Cranberry Cookies

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder

**Preheat oven to 375 degrees F., rack in the middle position.**

## Ingredients;

* 30 maraschino cherries to garnish your cookies
* 1 and 1/4 cups white ***(granulated)*** sugar
* 1/2 cup ***(1 stick, 4 ounces, 1/4 pound)*** salted butter, softened
* 4 ounces cream cheese, softened ***(the brick kind, not the whipped kind -- I used Philadelphia Cream Cheese in the silver box)***
* 3 large eggs
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg ***(freshly grated is best, of course)***
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 and 1/2 cups flaked coconut, finely chopped ***(measure AFTER chopping)***
* 2 cups Cherry Craisins
* 3 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour ***(pack it down in the cup when you measure it)***
* 1/2 cup white ***(granulated)*** sugar for rolling dough balls

## Directions:

**Hannah's 1st Note: Unless you have a very strong stirring arm, use an electric mixer to make this cookie dough.**

* Set the maraschino cherries out on paper towels to dry them.

* Place the **white (*granulated)* sugar** in the bowl of an electric mixer.
* Place the **butter** and the **cream cheese**, which must be softened to room temperature, on top of the sugar. Turn the mixer to LOW speed and mix for one minute.
* **Gradually increase** the speed of the mixer, shutting it off and scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently.
* Beat your cookie dough **one minute at each level** until you arrive at the highest speed.
* Beat at the **highest speed for at least 2 minutes** or until the resulting mixture is very light and fluffy.

* Turn the mixer down to LOW speed, and add the **eggs**, one at a time, beating after each addition.
* Continue to mix on LOW speed while you add the **salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking soda**. Then mix until everything is thoroughly incorporated.

If you haven't done so already, place approximately 2 cups of **flaked coconu**t in the bowl of your food processor with the steel blade attached. Process in an on-and-off motion until the coconut flakes are chopped into **very small pieces that are finely chopped**.

* Measure out a cup and a half of finely **chopped coconut**, pressing it down in the cup when you measure it.
* Add the **finely chopped coconut flakes** to your mixing bowl.
* Measure out the **Cherry Craisins** and sprinkle them into the mixing bowl on top of the coconut.
* Turn the mixer on LOW speed and mix until the finely chopped coconut flakes and the Cherry Craisins are thoroughly incorporated.

* With the mixer running on LOW speed again, mix in the **flour**, half-cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition***. (You don't have to be exact -- just add the flour in 4 increments.)***
* Shut off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Then take the bowl out of the mixer, move it to your kitchen counter, and give the cookie dough a final stir by hand with a mixing spoon.

**Hannah's 2nd Note: I like to use a wooden mixing spoon for hand stirring.  It seems to work better than a plastic or metal mixing spoon.  I use a medium-size wooden spoon that belonged to my great-grandmother.**

* After stirring, the resulting cookie dough should be **fluffy, but not stiff** like sugar cookie or chocolate chip cookie dough.
* Let the bowl **sit on the counter** while you prepare your cookie sheets.
* **Line** your cookie sheets with parchment paper. It's the easiest way to bake these cookies. **If you don't have parchment paper** and you really don't want to go out to get any, spray your cookie sheets with **Pam** or another nonstick cooking spray.

* Measure out the **white sugar** and place it in a shallow bowl.
* Using a teaspoon ***(not the measuring kind, but one from your silverware drawer***), drop a rounded teaspoon of cookie dough into the bowl of white sugar. Use your impeccably clean fingers and a light touch to form the cookie dough into a ball and roll it in the sugar.

**Hannah's 3rd Note: Work with only one dough ball at a time. If you try to form more than one at once, the dough will stick together.**

* **Lift the dough ball**s gently and place them on your prepared baking sheet, no more than 12 to a standard-size cookie sheet.
* **Cut the maraschino cherries** in half lengthwise. **Press** one cherry half, rounded side up, on top of each sugar-coated dough ball. Press gently so that they won't roll off on their way to the oven.

* **Bake** your Coconut and Cherry-Cranberry Cookies at **375 degrees F. for 12 minutes** or until they're nicely brown on top. They will spread out a bit in the oven.
* **Test your cookies** for doneness by pressing your finger very lightly on top of a cookie. If your finger does not sink into the cookie dough, your cookies are done.
* **Take your cookies out of the oven** and slide the cookie-laden parchment paper onto a wire rack to **cool.**

**If you did not use parchment paper**, let the cookie sheet sit on a cold stovetop burner for 2 minutes. Then remove the cookies to a wire rack with a metal spatula. Let the cookies **cool completely before** you attempt to remove them from the wire rack.

**Yield**: Approximately 4 to 5 dozen soft and moist cookies, depending on cookie size.