When school started up again last year after the October holidays I finally gave in to the children’s requests to have packed lunches instead of school dinners. School dinners are expensive, working out to be approximately £100 per child per term. We have three children, so with all three having packed lunches that’s a whopping £1200 per school year!
I’m pretty sure I can make three healthy packed lunches for a significantly lower price; lunches they’ll actually eat. So, I picked up some nifty Bento boxes and now I can say I am fully into the swing of lunch making. My husband even gets one to take to work!
I’m always looking for sweet treat ideas for these packed lunches, and this week I took up Choclette’s We Should Cocoa blogging challenge for this month, hosted by the lovely Laura over at I’d Much Rather Bake Than… This month’s challenge is to combine chocolate with coconut.
I found a quick chocolate chip coconut biscuit recipe in my daughter’s Cookery Book for Girls (2011) and massively adapted it to make these double chocolate coconut cookies. Recipes are only guidelines anyway, aren’t they?
These cookies have a lovely chocolate base flecked with coconut encasing gooey chocolate chunks. The day you make them the outside has a nice sugary crunch while the inside is soft, but the following day the outside softens nicely. I may have eaten more than my fair share of them, but they did last for three school lunches, so that’s ok. 🙂
- 75 grams unsalted butter
- 110 grams caster sugar
- 50 grams light brown muscovado sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 140 grams self-raising flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 30 grams cocoa powder
- pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp full fat milk
- 150 grams plain chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 50 grams dessicated coconut
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: Makes 28
Mum of three, daydream adventurer, OU Life Sciences graduate, occasional crafter, ex-pat Canadian & quite possibly Britain's most northerly food blogger.
Heather Haigh says
Oh those look lush, thick, chunky, chocolate, coconut…. oh yes!
Paul Wilson says
Looks great.
kayleigh white says
Delicious – I will be making these on the weekend for the kids.
Emma Nixon says
These look tasty.
Heather Haigh says
Love chocolate. Love coconut. Love cookies. Think I may just love you now. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Heather Haigh recently posted…Gluten and dairy free Yorkshire Puddings
The Lass In The Apron says
Elizabeth, your photos are just beautiful. The cookies look so chunky and delectable and generally wonderful that I can almost imagine how sinking my teeth into one would feel. And of course recipes are nothing more than guidelines!
Deena Kakaya says
Thick and chunky with an irresistible combination of chocolate and coconut…wonderful x
Johanna GGG says
these look perfect for lunchboxes – we have started on lunchboxes this year – still need to look out a bento box – at Sylvia’s school there is only 3 days she can buy lunch but she is so fussy she loves having her own lunchbox – I know she would love these bikkies in it (and E is also enjoying all the lunchbox treats at work)
kneadwhine says
Wow – I love coconut, pinning this!
I have a few people on Instagram that do Bento boxes for their kids and they are amazing – hoping I can be as inspired when D is big enough for school.
Elizabeth S says
Parents can get quite creative with those Bento boxes. I have to admit to being lazy most of the time and just sticking a sandwich in it, but every now and again inspiration strikes. I hope sweets like these make it all ok! 🙂
Kate@whatkatebaked says
What a treat for the whole family to open their lunch boxes and find such a delicious cookie or two hidden inside! PS similarly surprised at the costs of school lunches!
Elizabeth S says
I hope they enjoyed them. They never give me much feedback, to be honest! 🙂
Angela @ My Golden Pear says
Wow – I can’t believe the price of the school dinners. I’m not sure what they cost down here but I prefer packed lunches anyway. Your children must love you for making such tasty treats. They look delish!
Elizabeth S says
It is very expensive, I think, but then they do provide healthy and nutritious meals. Sometimes I wish I could nip to the school for a hot lunch! 🙂 I certainly hope my children appreciate the effort I go through to make their lunches!
Choclette says
Those cookies sound really good and lucky packed lunchers I say. Glad you didn’t miss out though 😉 Thanks for playing along with WSC – always love your entries. I made some chocolate coconut macaroons yesterday. I took them out of the oven, tried one (luckily took some photographs), decided they needed a couple more minutes in the oven and forgot about them – charcoal biscuits are not delicious 🙁
Elizabeth S says
Aw thanks for hosting such a fab challenge! It’s always an inspiration 🙂 Sorry to hear about your macaroon tragedy! I always use a timer because I’m terribly forgetful and all my bakes would have that fate!
belleau kitchen says
how fabulously thick and chunky do these look… love any cookies with coconut!
Elizabeth S says
I’m a big fan of coconut too 🙂
Laura Denman says
Mmmmmm, I’m not surprised some of these didn’t make it into the packed lunches. But what a wonderful treat when they do! Gorgeous photos as always =)
Elizabeth S says
Heehee! 🙂 Thanks for your lovely comment Laura xx