Crispy, chewy, and jam-packed with caramelly, coconutty deliciousness!
This cookie brittle was an accident. I was trying to make tiny lace cookies to sprinkle on top of lime possets. I had never made lace cookies before, but I had seen them on Bake Off (they call them Florentines in Britain!) It looked pretty straightforward—how hard could they be?
They were a disaster. My tiny dollops of batter spread in the oven, merging into a giant, amorphous blob full of large, lacy holes. Discouraged, I scraped the whole idea and baked coconut shortbread instead. I didn’t think about the failed lace cookies again . . . until a few weeks ago when I began dreaming about a lacy cookie brittle, full of coconut and oats, and realized that I could recycle my previous failure and use it to help create this caramel coconut cookie brittle.
Crispy, chewy, jam-packed with caramelly, coconutty deliciousness, this cookie brittle is the perfect springtime treat! The deep butterscotch flavor created by the magic combo of butter and brown sugar pairs perfectly with the nuttiness of the coconut, while the oats add a touch of earthiness and a chew that is absolutely irresistible. Sprinkle a confetti of pastel m’n’m’s on top, and you’ve got an addictively delicious treat!
Nothing is ever wasted. That’s one of my all-time favorite mantras. Every mistake, every detour, every experience life throws at you can and will be useful in some way, whether you see it immediately or not. If you need further proof of that concept, make some caramel coconut cookie brittle, and taste it for yourself!
Caramel Coconut Cookie Brittle
(Makes 10-15 pieces)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
6 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ cup rolled (old-fashioned) oats
½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted
¼ cup m’n’ms, half roughly chopped, half whole
Special equipment: heat-proof rubber spatula, baking sheet, parchment paper
Method
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
In a small pot, combine butter, sugar, and honey and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring, for 1 minute, then immediately remove from the heat and stir in heavy cream, vanilla, and kosher salt. Stir in the flour, oats, and toasted coconut.
Pour the warm batter onto the prepared baking sheet and spread out into a thin, even layer with a heat-proof spatula.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the brittle is golden brown all over and bubbling in the center. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately press whole and roughly chopped m’n’ms into the hot brittle. Let cool completely on the baking sheet before breaking into large shards and storing in a tightly sealed container.
Originally posted April 22, 2022.
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