deliciouslynoted.com

When I was in Charleston I ate my fair share of biscuits, oysters and fried chicken but the trip wasn’t complete without cake, more specifically The Ultimate Coconut Cake from Peninsula Grill. The cake was introduced Valentine’s Day 1997 and has become so popular it now ships nationwide. The second day the cake is assembled with alternating layers of coconut cream with shredded coconut, resulting in a 12-layer showstopper. On the final day, the cake is frosted with a cream cheese frosting and coated with toasted sweetened coconut.

1/3 cup each spinach, red cabbage and butternut squash juice, plus extra if needed* 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided 2 tsp kosher salt, divided Flour and cornstarch for dusting * In 3 small bowls, each add 1 cup flour, a heaping 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/3 cup vegetable juice. Working with one piece at a time, on a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick and no wider than your pasta roller. Now thin the dough by rolling it through the rollers twice at the second-widest setting and twice more at the third setting, until the dough is a little more than 1/16 inch thick (I used the first 3 settings but if you want it extra thin, you can go once through the 4th setting).

With a rolling pin, pound the top of the dough, working from left to right, to begin to flatten it, then turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat. If the dough has softened, slide it (in the parchment) onto the back of a sheet pan and refrigerate until firm enough to cut into cookies. Using a shortbread cookie cutter, cut out the cookies and arrange them on the prepared sheet pan, leaving about 1 inch between them. Set the pan on a cooling rack and cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely.

Typically raw walnuts or pecans are used, but I was given the loveliest basket of assorted candied nuts from Santé Nuts and chose my favorite, candied pecans. The toasted nuts add warmth to the cookies, and to account for the sugar coating, I adjusted the amount of powdered sugar in the dough so it wouldn’t overpower the nutty flavor. Add remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, cardamom and salt. Place remaining 1 cup powdered sugar in a bowl.