Sometimes we all need a little break. We need a break from work, from school, from traffic or anything else that may be filling up our day and keeping our minds going a mile a minute. I usually treat myself to a cup of freshly brewed coffee when I need a break, along with a homemade cookie – and I highly recommend keeping a batch of homemade cookies around for that very reason. These Coconut Chip Chocolate Chunk Cookies are a current favorite of mine that pair well with both coffee and milk, and if you like coconut and chocolate, you’re sure to enjoy these.

The cookie dough is easy to make and includes a generous amount of coconut chips and chocolate chunks. I picked up both of these products at Trader Joe’s, however that is not the only store where you can find them. Coconut chips are slices of coconut that are very lightly toasted, or simply dried. They are crisp – not chewy, like traditional shredded coconut – and have a mild coconut flavor that is a bit mellower than toasted coconut. That said, toasted coconut is a nice substitute if you can’t find coconut chips. Chocolate chunks can be purchased, made by hand or substituted for chocolate chips.

There is a lot of chocolate in these cookies, even though it may not look like it at first glance. There is chocolate in every bite, complimented with a nice hint of coconut. They’re crisp on the edges, chewy in the center and just salty-sweet enough to be very addictive. I added a small amount of oatmeal to give the cookies a hint of nuttiness, which compliments the coconut very well and gives them a bit of additional depth of flavor. I prefer quick-cooking oatmeal to regular rolled oats, as it incorporates more seamlessly into the dough.

Coconut Chip Chocolate Chunk Cookies
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup coconut chips
10-oz chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oatmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light. Beat in eggs, one at a time, followed by vanilla extract. Blend in the flour mixture on low speed, then stir in the coconut chips and chocolate chunks until well-distributed.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls and arrange on prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until cookies are very lightly browned on the outer edge and set in the center. Allow cookies to cool on the pan for 3-5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

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