Description
These Citrus Semolina Coconut Cookies are wonderfully soft, tender, and bursting with vibrant orange and lemon flavor. Made with fine semolina, fresh orange zest, tangy lemon juice, creamy vanilla yogurt, and a touch of dark chocolate, each cookie features a delicate, cake-like center and a lightly golden exterior. Rolled in a crunchy mixture of semolina and desiccated coconut, these homemade cookies offer an irresistible balance of bright citrus, subtle sweetness, and nutty texture. Perfect for afternoon treats, holiday cookie trays, family gatherings, or enjoying with a warm cup of tea.
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Citrus Semolina Cookie Dough:
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp fresh orange zest (~1 medium orange)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 65 ml neutral vegetable or sunflower oil
- 1/3 cup (80 g) vanilla yogurt
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 3 cups (500 g) fine or medium semolina
- 3 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp semi-sweet dark chocolate chips
- For the Outer Coating:
- 2/3 cup (110 g) fine semolina
- 1/2 cup (45 g) unsweetened desiccated coconut
Instructions
- Extract Citrus Oils into Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar and fresh orange zest. Rub them together thoroughly with your fingertips for 1–2 minutes until fragrant, moist, and bright yellow.
- Mix Liquid Ingredients: Add the room-temperature egg, neutral vegetable or sunflower oil, vanilla yogurt, and fresh lemon juice to the citrus-infused sugar. Whisk vigorously until the wet mixture is smooth and completely integrated.
- Incorporate Semolina, Leavening, and Chocolate: Stir in the fine or medium semolina for the dough until just combined, then gently mix in the baking powder and semi-sweet dark chocolate chips to form a thick, cohesive dough.
- Cover and Chill Dough for 20 Minutes: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 20 minutes so the semolina grains can fully absorb liquid and firm up. Meanwhile, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare Semolina-Coconut Coating: In a separate small shallow bowl, mix together the extra fine semolina and unsweetened desiccated coconut listed for the outer coating until evenly blended.
- Portion and Form Discs: Scoop tablespoon-sized portions (~35g each) of the chilled dough and shape them into smooth balls with your palms, then gently press each into a thick disc.
- Roll in Crunchy Coating: Roll each cookie disc thoroughly in the semolina-coconut coating mixture until completely covered, then place them on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake Until Set and Lightly Golden: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until the cookies are firm, set, and lightly golden around the edges and bottoms.
- Cool and Set: Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling completely. This allows the delicate semolina crumb to set while maintaining its soft, tender texture.
Notes
- Do Not Skip the 20-Minute Chill: Allowing the dough to rest in the refrigerator gives the semolina grains time to absorb liquid from the lemon juice and yogurt, ensuring a soft, delicate crumb rather than a dry or gritty texture.
- Shape with Damp Hands: If the semolina dough still feels slightly tacky or sticky after its 20-minute rest, lightly dampen your hands with water when rolling the dough balls for a smooth, effortless finish.
- Use Fine or Medium Semolina: Opt for fine or medium durum semolina, often labeled as semolina flour or suji, rather than coarse semolina to get the softest cake-like interior crumb.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 115
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 45mg
- Fat: 3g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 6mg