BUTTERBALLS--THESE COOKIES ARE NO TURKEYS

I've been baking cookies here and there and waiting until Larry finishes up one batch before I make the next. As I was blog-hopping the other day I discovered Emily of http://backtothecuttingboard.com/ and her chocolate-filled Mexican wedding cakes. Although I make Mexican wedding cakes and their close cousin Russian teacakes, I decided I'd try out Emily's idea with my butterballs. The essential difference among these 3 cookies is that the wedding cakes and tea cakes are made with nuts and lard and the butterballs are made with butter, coconut, and no nuts.

The butter produces a somewhat different texture than the lard and they're less dry. I use a small amount of coconut, actually about half what the recipe calls for. The addition of the chocolate in the middle was pronounced a "good thing."

Ingredients - Yield 2 1/2 - 3 dozen

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate bits

more confectioners' sugar for rolling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Cream the butter and confectioners' sugar

Blend in the flour

Fold in the coconut

Break off walnut-sized pieces

Stuff 4-6 chocolate bits into middle
Roll dough around chocolate, covering completely

Roll balls in confectioners' sugar
Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets

Bake 18-20 minutes

Roll in sugar again and place on racks to cool

I had to show off the Christmas table runner I made this year and the new candy-cane candles I found.