These darling Gingerbread Coconut Llama Cookies are made rich molasses & ginger, cinnamon spiced cookies flocked in textural semi-sweet coconut coats. The warm and spicy cookies are as delicious as they are adorable.
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I first developed these darling little Gingerbread Coconut Llama Cookies between wildfire evacuations during the month of December. I'd hoped to post them as a holiday recipe, but life and mother nature had other plans. Even during the joyous holiday season, winter can sometimes be a dark place. However, these Gingerbread Coconut Llama Cookies have the ability to brighten even the darkest days.
Fun cookie therapy
Baking cookies is obviously a quick way to turn any frown upside down. Whether you bake a batch of classic comfort Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt, my soft and wintery Cardamom Coconut Snowflake Cookies. Or some adorably festive Reindeer Animal Cookies, there is therapy hidden in the process. While making these goofy little Gingerbread Coconut Llama Cookies I found myself giggling over their oddly shaped bodies and wild coconut fur. After hours of entertainment, I can safely say these cute little Llama Cookies are undeniable smile inducers. Just look at these fluffy little dudes and try not to crack a smile.
You can taste the happiness too. These llama shaped cookies
with textural semi-sweet shredded coconut
set against rich, molasses
and gingery
, cinnamon
spice are packed with flavors that will warm you up and get you grinning.
Cozy, warming ingredients
- Cinnamon, ginger and cardamom combine in a comforting spice trio that gives these cookies their warming characteristics.
- Molasses adds rich flavor depth to Gingerbread Llama Cookies.
- Brown sugar balances the rich spices in rounded sweetness.
- Orange zest brings some brightness to these spicy cookies.
- Vanilla softens out the spicy sweet edges in smooth depth.
- Coconut flocks the Llama Cookies in a of semi-sweet coat of chewy texture.
Mixing the Gingerbread Llama Cookie Dough
The gingerbread dough comes together easily in a stand mixer. Once mixed, divide that dough into a couple of dough disks. The dough needs form up in the refrigerator for at least an hour before rolling and shaping.
Roll & shape the gingerbread dough into fa-la-llamas
Rolling and shaping the gingerbread llama cookies is easy. But there are a few key tips to keep in mind to make your life a little easier.
- Roll the gingerbread cookie dough into ¼" thickness. If the dough is too thin the cookies will be harder to decorate. So err on the side of thicker cookies. Which will also mean slightly softer cookies.
- Dip the cookie cutter in flour to keep the dough from sticking in the smaller details of the cookie cutter.
- Cut the llama cookies closely so you get as much cookie coverage out of each dough roll as possible.
- Gather the scraps and re-roll the dough, then repeat the process until you've used every scrap of dough. We don't want to waste a single llama cookie opportunity.
Where to find Llama cookie cutters
In this day and age, you can pretty much find anything on the internet. Amazon has a few styles of llama cookie cutters available. But definitely check your local craft, kitchen or holiday stores too.
This Gingerbread Coconut Cookies recipe can shape shift into any cookie cutter shape you'd like!
Yes, the Coconut Flocked Gingerbread Llama Cookies are quite possibly the cutest cookies on earth. However, you can get creative with whatever cookie cutters you have on hand. Feel free to flock some gingerbread bears, reindeer, moose, Yetis or Sasquatch, snowflakes, Santas, stars. You name it, you can Gingerbread Coconut Cookie it!
Icing options for decorating llama cookies
You have 2 options here. The first few times I made these decorative gingerbread cookies, I piped them with royal icing, meticulously piping on detailed faces, complete with long llama eyelashes. But you can make it easier on yourself.
Option 1: Royal Icing
Use this method if you are wanting to get into the fine details. Meticulously piping on sweet little detailed faces, complete with long llama eyelashes. Made with powdered sugar, juice from and orange and egg whites, royal icing creates a smooth and icing that pipes on perfectly for decorative details. Royal icing dries in a firm, eggshell finish. A classic for decorating cookies. you'll first fill in the bodies of the llamas, then dip them in coconut flocking. Once that sets, carefully pipe on the faces.
Option 2: Simple Icing
A much quicker move here is just whisking together powdered sugar with the juice of an orange until it steadily runs off of a whisk or spoon in a smooth, consistent ribbon. Simply dip the llama cookies in the simple icing. Then plunge them into the coconut, flocking the llamas in a full coat of coconut. So easy!
It's funny how during hardships it's the small things like a simple smile, a safe place to sit and savor a warm mug
of coffee
and a few Gingerbread Coconut Llama Cookies bring the most joy. It sincerely puts life into perspective and makes you realize just how important food, sharing and community truly are.
If you or someone you know if struggling with current events, loss, illness or simply just having a tough time, these Gingerbread Coconut Llama Cookies might be right for you. These little flockers really can lift surprisingly heavy moods.
Recipe
Gingerbread Coconut Llama Cookies
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 dozen small llamas
Description
These darling Gingerbread Coconut Llama Cookies with textural semi-sweet coconut set against rich molasses & ginger, cinnamon spices will warm you right up.
Ingredients
GINGERBREAD COOKIES
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ tablespoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 medium orange, zested
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup molasses
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
ROYAL ICING
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 large egg white
- 2 tablespoons orange juice, freshly squeezed & strained
- 1 cup shredded coconut flakes
Instructions
GINGERBREAD COOKIES
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, cardamom & orange zest. Save the orange for the icing. *adding the zest to the dry ingredients keeps it from clumping together in the cookies.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times.
- With the mixer on a low speed, slowly add the eggs, vanilla and molasses. Stir until it's just mixed in. Scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple of times.
- Slowly stir in the dry ingredients and mix until just blended. Scrape the bowl and turn the dough out on a clean, lightly floured surface.
- Gather the dough into 2 balls and flatten into smooth disks about 1 ½" thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes up to overnight.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out a dough disk to ¼" thickness. Dip the llama cookie cutters in flour and stamp out shapes. Gather the scraps together, re-roll and cut out more cookies until the dough is all used up. Repeat with second dough disk. Place cookies closely on a lined baking sheet and chill in the fridge or freezer for at least 30 minutes, until cookies have firmed up.
- While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Place cookies on lined baking sheets 2" apart and bake for 8-10 minutes until cookies are slightly firm to the touch but still soft on the inside. Allow to cool slightly on baking sheets then transfer to a cooling rack.
DECORATING THE LLAMA COOKIES
Option 1: Royal Icing
- Place the coconut in a shallow bowl and set aside.
- Sift the powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. Whisk in the egg white and 2 tablespoons of the strained juice from the reserved orange, whisk well until smooth and glossy. The icing should slowly stream off the whisk in a smooth ribbon. If the icing seems too thick, add more orange juice, 1 tablespoon at a time. If it's too thin, add more sifted powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Cap your pastry bag with a small, round pastry tip. Outline the bodies of the llama cookies, leaving the lets, necks and faces exposed. Outlining creates a barrier that prevents the icing from running down the sides of the cookies. Flood the inside of the outlined cookies with icing right away for a smooth, eggshell finish.
- While the icing is still wet, gently dip the exposed icing into the shredded coconut flakes so they stick to the iced areas of the cookies. Place on a cooling rack to set for at least an hour before serving.
- If adding faces, pipe on face details to your liking.
Option 2: Simple Icing
- Place the coconut in a shallow bowl and set aside.
- Sift the powdered sugar in a mixing bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons of the strained juice from the reserved orange, whisk well until smooth and glossy. The icing should slowly stream off the whisk in a smooth ribbon. If the icing seems too thick, add more orange juice, 1 tablespoon at a time. If it's too thin, add more sifted powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Dip the cookies in the icing and allow the excess icing to stream off until a thin layer coats the cookies.
- While the icing is still wet, gently dip the exposed icing into the shredded coconut flakes so they stick to the iced areas of the cookies. Place on a cooling rack to set for at least an hour before serving.
Notes
*These cookies can be frozen and baked later. Just cut the llama shapes and chill in the freezer on a lined baking sheet. Once they are solid, transfer to a freezer baggie and store up to 2-3 months.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Cookies
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