Makes About 6 Dozen Cookies

Preheat oven to 325° F. Lightly grease two cookie sheets.

Combine flour and baking soda until completely mixed. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Mix in the egg, vanilla and 1 3/4 cups coconut. Gradually mix in the flour mixture, beating just until blended. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap in plasticwrap and chill for about an hour.

Divide the chilled dough into six equal parts. Roll each piece into a 6-inch cylinder. Sprinkle remaining coconut onto a large sheet of waxed paper or aluminum foil. Roll each cylinder in the coconut to coat the edges. Wrap each cylinder in plastic wrap and chill for 3 hours or up to overnight (you can also choose to wrap the plastic wrapped cylinders in aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months).

When ready to bake, use a sharp knife to slice each cylinder into 1/2 inch slices. Place cookies on the prepared cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until pale golden brown. Let cool for two to three minutes. Remove from cookie sheet and let cool on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough.