Coconut Cookies

Botanically, a coconut is a simple dry nut known as a fibrous drupe. It is not fruit. The shell of the coconut has three pores that are clearly visible on the outside surface of the shell. Adhering to the inside wall of the shell is "the coconut meat", the white and fleshy edible part of the seed.

The coconut shell is hollow inside, filled with a liquid known as coconut water. Coconut water from the unripe coconut can be drank fresh as a refreshing drink. It's refreshingly sweet. When the coconut is still green, the "meat" inside is thin and often eaten as a snack. The main reason to pick the green nut is to drink its water, as a big ones can contains up to one liter. The meat in a young coconut is softer and more like gelatin than a mature coconut and sometimes it's refers as coconut jelly. The water and meat from young coconuts is used as opposed to the meat of older coconuts which tends to be very hard and typically have less water (if any).

Coconut Cookies Recipe:

* 1 1/4 all purpose flour

* 1 tsp baking powder

* 1 tsp soda

* 1/2 cup granulated sugar

* 1/2 cup brown sugar

* 1/2 cup butter (or margarine)

* 1 egg

* 1 tsp vanilla

* 1 cup uncooked oats

* 1 cup flaked or shredded coconut

Place flour, baking powder, soda and salt into a bowl a mix together. Add sugar, brown sugar, butter, egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Stir in oats and coconut.

Shape to form 1-inch cookies and place them on greased cooking sheets. Bake in preheated oven (180 degrees) for 12 - 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow cool.