Recipes

Macanese Beijinhos de Coco (Coconut Cookies)

Everyday is a celebration with these sweet tropical treats.

  • Serves

    Makes 24 Cookies

  • Cook

    25 minutes

MAURA MCEVOY

By Rosa de Carvalho Ross


Updated on December 14, 2021

Though writer and chef Rosa de Carvalho Ross was born and raised in Hong Kong, her family has roots in Macao almost as old as the region itself. As a child, she returned there often, and recalls eating these coconut cookies, which are traditionally packaged in lacy paper wrappers called cortadinhas at weddings and other celebrations. “We used to sit around the kitchen table at night and cut them until our fingers were sore,” says Ross of the lacy trappings. “Sadly, it’s a dying tradition today.” For her daughter Sarah’s wedding, the author’s sisters, Raquel and Monica, surprised the bride with dozens of cortadinhas. “They had worked for many nights,” Ross wrote, “laughing and gossiping and cutting, to bring us a piece of our past.” Ross shared her recipe for the popular Macanese treat in an article for our March 1999 issue.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups unsweetened finely shredded coconut
  • 12 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 4 tbsp. unsalted butter (½ stick), melted
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 large egg

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Step 2

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir all the ingredients together. Using a ½-ounce scoop or a packed tablespoon, divide the dough into 24 pieces. Moisten your hands and roll the pieces into smooth balls. Space the balls 2 inches apart on parchment-paper-lined baking sheets and bake, rotating halfway through, until golden, 15-18 minutes. Cool completely on the baking sheets. Stored in an airtight container, the cookies will keep for up to 5 days.

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