COCONUT CUP COOKIES

vegetable cooking spray
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 refrigerated pie crusts, at room temperature (one 15 ounce package)
1/4 cup apricot jam (or orange marmalade)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 12-cup muffin pan with vegetable oil spray.

For the filling, mix coconut, sugar, egg and vanilla in medium bowl. Stir in butter; set aside.

Unfold 1 crust on work surface. Using 3-inch-diameter cutter, cut out 12 rounds from crust, patching crust scraps as needed to form 12 rounds. Press rounds gently into prepared muffin cups.

Bake until light brown, about 10 minutes.

Drop about 1/2 teaspoon jam, then 1 scant tablespoon coconut filling into each warm pastry. Bake until filling is brown, about 15 minutes. Cut around cookies to loosen. Using spatula, transfer cookies to rack and cool.

Repeat cutting, forming and baking with remaining crust, jam and filling to makes 12 more cookies.

Makes 24
Source: Bon Appetit, March 1996