Rhubarb Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

It's unusual to see a cookie recipe with rhubarb as an ingredient. Rhubarb turns wet and mushy when cooked and one would think the cookie would fall apart while baking, but not so. The rhubarb is incorporated diced and raw which avoids that wetness. I was truly surprised at how much I liked this recipe as I much prefer a crisp cookie and this is definitely a cake-like cookie. The coconut in them adds an extra element and the rhubarb yielded a tang in every bite. All that brown sugar makes for a caramel flavored cookie and adding some vanilla bean paste to the cream cheese frosting gave it just that little bit extra. They'd be perfect with a cup of tea....you could make them smaller if that's how you plan to serve them.

Rhubarb Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from Jill at Dulce Dough

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed

 2 eggs

 3 cups all-purpose flour

 1 teaspoon baking soda

 1/2 teaspoon salt

 3/4 cup flaked coconut

 1 1/2 cups fresh rhubarb, diced

Ingredients for Frosting:

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon butter, softened

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

3 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

Method for cookies:
Preheat oven to 350.

Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy; beat in the eggs.

In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. The dough will be somewhat stiff.

Add the rhubarb and coconut.

I used an ice cream scoop and placed the cookies two inches apart on parchment paper. 

Bake for 10 - 14 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cool briefly on the cookie sheet and then remove to a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Method for frosting: 

Beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy; beat in the confectioners sugar and vanilla bean paste.
Frost cookies and serve.