1-Preheat and Prepare: Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper to get everything set up. In a stand mixer bowl with a paddle attachment, cream together the unsalted butter (1 cup) and sugar (1/2 cup) until light and fluffy, which gives your dough a great base.

2-Mix Dry Ingredients and Combine: Next, in a separate bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour (2 cups), baking powder (1/4 teaspoon), and salt (1/2 teaspoon), then gradually add this to the butter mixture, scraping down the sides as needed for an even blend. Add the milk (2 tablespoons) and vanilla extract (1/2 teaspoon), and combine well to form a smooth dough. Remove the dough, divide it into two disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about one hour to make it easier to work with.

3-Roll, Cut, and Bake: Once chilled, roll out the dough to about 1/8 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface and cut cookies using a doughnut cutter or two round cutters to create center holes. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until they turn pale golden brown, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool. For the coconut topping, spread the shredded sweetened coconut (3 cups) on a parchment-lined baking sheet and toast it in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring every three minutes to avoid burning until it’s golden brown. Let it cool before melting the caramel (20 ounces) with milk (4 tablespoons) in a double boiler over medium-low heat.

4-Combine and Assemble: Mix half of the melted caramel with the toasted coconut and quickly spread the remaining caramel on each cooled cookie, pressing the caramel-coconut mixture on top. For the chocolate coating, melt the dark chocolate (12 ounces) in a double boiler, then dip the bottom of each cookie into it and place on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Use a piping bag or a plastic bag with a cut corner to drizzle the remaining chocolate on top, and let the cookies sit until the chocolate hardens. For more on toasting coconut, check out this guide to toasted coconut technique.