Damn Easy Coconut Cookies and Cookies Dammit

Here are two cookie recipes, one that's new to me but sounds easy and tasty, and one that's a tried and true favorite.

Coconut Cookies
(from chef Marcus Samuelsson, via Yahoo)
Makes about 2 and 1/2 dozen cookies

Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar

Method
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and add shredded coconut, mixing well with a rubber spatula.
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs with an electric mixer on medium speed, just to blend. Beat in sugar, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy. Stir in coconut until thoroughly mixed.
4. Drop rounded teaspoons of the batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 1/2-inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, until the tips of the cookies are pale gold. Slide the parchment papers, with the cookies on them, onto wire cooling racks and let the cookies cool completely.

Cookies Dammit- Peanut Butter Cookies

My favorite peanut butter cookie recipe ever, which was given to me by a pastry chef about 15 years ago. This makes a huge batch (not to mention using a whole pound of butter) so cut in half as necessary, unless you are making some to give for Christmas.

Ingredients
Full recipe
1 lb butter
2 C brown sugar
2 C sugar
4 eggs
4 1/2 C peanut butter
2 tsp salt
2 tsp soda
2 tsp vanilla
4 C cake flour, sifted before measuring (yeah, right)

Half recipe
1/2 lb butter
1 C brown sugar
1 C sugar
2 eggs
2 1/4 C peanut butter
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 tsp vanilla
2 C cake flour, sifted before measuring (yeah, right)

Method
Cream butter
Add sugars gradually
Beat in eggs one at a time
Add vanilla
Beat in peanut butter, use extra if your pb is chunky
Mix all dry ingredients together
Mix dry into wet

Using two spoons, drop by rough spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Use a long-tined fork dipped in sugar to mark traditionally, or shove a dark chocolate chunk into the middle of the flattened ball.

Bake 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees.