Name: Coconut Washboards (Reduced Sugar)
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Ingredients: 2 cups (10 ounces/283 grams) all-purpose flour; ½ teaspoon baking powder; ¼ teaspoon baking soda; ¼ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg; ¾ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) coconut sugar; 8 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened; 1 large egg; 2 tablespoons milk; 1 cup (3 ounces/85 grams) unsweetened shredded coconut

Why This Recipe Works

Crisp and crunchy washboard cookies, named for their resemblance in shape and line design to old-fashioned washboards, make an ideal accompaniment to coffee or tea. We wanted our version of this classic to rely on a mere 3 grams of sugar. Our first move was to replace the sweetened shredded coconut, which contains a whopping 40 grams of sugar per cup, with unsweetened, which contains only 5 grams per cup. Coconut sugar lent a rich, toasted flavor, and tasters found that the reduced sweetness level allowed the flavor of coconut to come through unhindered. To create the “washboard” ridges that stripe the top of each cookie, we used a fork with moistened tines to easily imprint the pattern on the dough.

Before You Begin

You can skip grinding the coconut sugar in step 1; however, the cookies will have a speckled appearance.

Instructions

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg in bowl. Working in 3 batches, grind coconut sugar in spice grinder until fine and powdery, about 1 minute.

Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter and ground sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and milk and mix until combined, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture, and mix until combined, scraping down bowl as needed, about 1 minute. Add shredded coconut and mix until combined, about 1 minute. Give dough final stir by hand.

Transfer dough to lightly floured counter. Using your floured hands and bench scraper, shape dough into 9 by 3-inch rectangle (about 1 inch tall). Wrap dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 45 minutes or up to 24 hours.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut dough into ¼-inch-thick cookies and space 1 inch apart on prepared sheets. Using dinner fork dipped in water, press fork across center of each cookie to make ridged washboard-style design.

Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until firm, 13 to 15 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool completely. Serve.