White Chocolate, Caramel & Coconut Cookies

These cookies are so good!  Think chewy sugar cookie, combined with gooey caramel and white chocolate, with the crunch of toasted coconut.  The flavor combination was right up my alley!  I was searching through my cupboard one morning and these were the three ingredients I spotted first -- and the white chocolate, caramel & coconut cookie was born.

White Chocolate, Caramel & Coconut Cookies
Source:  inspired by Good Life Eats

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded coconut, toasted
1 cup white chocolate (chopped or chips)
1 cup caramel chews, chopped (approximately 30 squares or if you can find the unwrapped caramel pieces you are in luck!)
3/4 cup shredded coconut in a bowl, for rolling (not toasted)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.  Spread 1/2 cup coconut on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 3-5 minutes (make sure it doesn't burn).  Set the coconut aside to cool.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl and set aside.

Beat butter with sugars until light and fluffy, approximately 3-5 minutes.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla until combined.  Gradually add dry ingredients to butter mixture, beating at a low speed until just combined.  Stir in the toasted coconut, white chocolate pieces and caramel.  Dough will be very thick.

Roll about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie.  Dip each formed ball in shredded coconut (roll firmly so the coconut sticks).  Place prepared cookie dough balls on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  Press down on the dough slightly so the cookie spreads.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Cool for 2 minutes on cookie sheet before transferring to cooling rack.