Category: Cookies

Bite Size Desserts
Yet Another Peanut Butter Cookie, Soft and Chewy

Yet Another Peanut Butter Cookie, Soft and Chewy

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Peanuttttt, peanut butter….cookie!  If asked what my favorite cookies are, Shortbread, Snickerdoodles, and Thumbprints immediately come to mind.  Peanut Butter Cookies would not make the cut and yet a quick search of 3Jamigos will reveal more than a few recipes for peanut butter cookies.  This leads to my 🤦🏻‍♀️ forehead slap moment  “I LOVE peanut butter cookies, they should be on my fav list.” Life’s little epiphanies.

The other night our postcard posse reconvened to write cards for Reverend Warnock in Georgia.  How he is in a run-off with Hershel Walker is beyond me and beyond the scope of this blog.  I made a half-hearted promise to keep this site apolitical.  Just food, friends, and fluff.  So in the immortal words of Forest Gump… “that’s all I have to say about that.”

For our postcard session against He who shall not be named, my friend’s daughter, Avery, of Kentucky Butter Cake fame, dropped off some just baked Peanut Butter Cookies for our crew.  I’m sure in solidarity and because she loves to bake (and she is darn good at it).

One Bite…

and I knew there was going to be yet another peanut butter cookie recipe on 3Jamigos.  Yep, Avery’s PB Cookies were tender, chewy in the center, super peanut buttery, sweet, and salty, and just darn delicious.  I got on the horn (ok, I texted) faster than you can say Mr. Planter’s Peanuts and asked “can I PLEASEEE have the recipe”.

Lucky Her Mom Likes Me

Voila’ the recipe showed up in my text message, lickity-split.  Adapted from a very cute blog Dessert Now Dinner Later, the recipe for Thick and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies is easy and does not require chilling before baking.  You can have a batch of these bad boys done in less than an hour.

I use King Arthur flour which has a higher protein than GM or Pillsbury.  Feel free to bake off a test cookie, if it spreads too much, add a bit of flour.

Cream the butter and sugar for 1-2 minutes until it is well blended and smooth looking, not fluffy.

Add the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla.  If you like more texture, feel free to use chunky peanut butter.  Beat until well combined.

Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until combined with no remaining traces of flour.  Do not overbeat as this will toughen the cookie.

Use a #40 scoop (approximately 1.6 tablespoons) and place the dough on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.  Bake one sheet at a time.  Cause that’s how I roll or row actually, lol.  The final cookies will be just shy of 3 inches in diameter.

The cookies on top were baked for 12 minutes.  The cookies on the bottom with sprinkles, about 11 minutes.

This would be a lovely holiday cookie to gift or for Santa along with an ice-cold glass of milk or a hot toddy (don’t tell the kids).

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Peanut Butter Cookies

A thick but tender Peanut Butter Cookie that is delicious and easy to make!
Course cookies, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Dessert Now, Dinner Later, easy recipe, peanut butter, Peanut Butter Cookies
Prep Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Ingredients to Cream together

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter or chunky if you like I use Skippy Natural Style peanut butter
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Options

  • chocolate chips or sprinkles, raw sugar, Maldon Salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lined cookie sheets with parchment or silpat. (note silpats retain heat, check cookies a minute or two earlier.
  • In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, using a whisk.
  • Cream the butter and sugars together in the bowl of a stand mixer for 1-2 minutes until well combined. Batter should be smooth and creamy not fluffy which would give you cakey cookies. Use the paddle attachment.
  • Add the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla. Mix well and scrape the bowl.
  • Add flour mixture to the butter mixture all at once and mix on low speed just until incorporated.
  • Scoop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until just set*.
  • Allow cookies to cool slightly on the sheet for approximately 2 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Store cookies in an airtight container.

Notes

For softer, chewier cookies, bake approximately 10 minutes, +/- 30 seconds.  The cookies will not color much and the top may still have some sheen.  The cookies will continue to bake outside the oven.  
For a denser, cookie that's a bit crumbly (in a good way), bake for 12 minutes.  The cookies will have some color on top and the edge.  The bottoms will be a bit darker.
Feel free to embellish. Add mini-chocolate chips to dough or add sprinkles.  I use a blend of dark chocolate sprinkles, Demerara Sugar or raw sugar, and a sprinkle of Maldon Salt.
Ritz Cookies (Crackers in Your Cookies?)

Ritz Cookies (Crackers in Your Cookies?)

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Cracker for crackers like me?  I love crackers, the perfect vehicle for dips, spreads, and cheese…it is the ultimate edible utensil.  Taking its place as the number one cracker in my book is Ritz Crackers.  Buttery, golden, flaky rounds that go with everything.

When I find a recipe that uses crackers…I’m all there, Babee.  I know it’s gonna be good, especially if it calls for Ritz Crackers.  One of my favorite desserts is the Atlantic Beach Pie, a delicious, easy, Lemon Pie with a whipped cream top instead of meringue and a Ritz Cracker crust, a play on salty and sweet.

On the main dish front, I love Eric Kim’s Ritzy Cheddar Chicken Breasts, chicken breasts coated in a sour cream-mustard mixture, and rolled in crushed Ritz Crackers and cheddar cheese, think Shake and Bake but WAY better.

DUH

So, when I came across a recipe from Christina Tosi of Milk Bar fame, for a Ritz Cookie, little alarms went off in my head.  GOTTA MAKE THESE ASAP.  Tosi is known for her delicious, quirky desserts like Crack Pie, Compost Cookies, and my personal favorite, Corn Cookies.  I immediately headed to the kitchen to make a batch.

These cookies are pretty darn easy to make.  It calls for butter, granulated sugar, flour, egg, milk powder, and Ritz Crackers. The recipe is on Christina Tosi’s website and as such is pretty casually written, I’ve added some details to hopefully clarify some of the steps.  Let’s get started.

Puttin In the Ritz

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.  Break up Ritz Crackers into pieces, not too small.

Though the type of butter is not specified, I used unsalted butter which worked fine.  If you want a pronounced sweet-salty vibe, start with salted butter instead, or sprinkle Fleur de Sel or your choice of finishing salt on the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven.  Beat butter and sugar until combined and smooth not fluffy.

Add the egg (I might add a touch of vanilla next time too-1 tsp), and beat well.  Add dry mix and blend on low speed just until combined.  Once the flour is added, don’t beat too much.  You don’t want tough cookies.

Add the Ritz Crackers!  Note how big the pieces are.

On low speed, stir until the crackers are mixed into the dough.  This breaks the larger pieces into smaller ones which is what you want.  You don’t want cracker dust.  Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes, this helps a bit with excessive spread.

Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, form dough balls, and place on a parchment-lined sheet.  Word of caution, they spread quite a bit so space at 2-3 inches apart.  I also tried a 3-tablespoon scoop, interestingly enough it didn’t spread that much more than the 2-tablespoon scoop and formed a thicker cookie.

To create round cookies, as soon as you remove the cookies from the oven, quickly shape each cookie with a spatula or cover each with a  glass cup and swirl the cookie around.  Voila’ round cookie.  Cookies on the left were made with a 3-tablespoon scoop while the ones on the right were with a 2-tablespoon scoop.  Thinner cookies were a bit chewier.

Bake Time

The original recipe calls for 1/4 cup or 4-tablespoon scoop, 10-12 minutes.  These still took about 11 minutes despite less dough.  The bottoms were definitely a toasty brown, the edges crispy, and the center chewy and sturdy. Start checking early, as they color quickly. Remove when there is still a hint of sheen on the top of the cookie.  The cookies will continue to cook out of the oven.

Enjoy!

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Ritz Cracker Cookie by Christina Tosi

A buttery, crispy-edged, sweet-salty, chewy-centered cookie, thanks to Ritz Crackers!
Course cookies, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword Chewy Toasted Sesame Cookies, christina tosi, cookies, Crispy, Ritz Crackers, sweet-salty
Prep Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

Creamed Mixture

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup) at room temperature
  • 1-3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg

Dry Ingredients

  • 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup nonfat milk powder
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

The Star

  • 2-1/2 cups or 1 sleeve + 5 Ritz crackers Break crackers into big pieces, once added to batter they will breakdown a bit more. Do not crush.

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • Combine flour, milk powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl, on medium speed, mixing until smooth about 1 -2 minutes. Add the egg, beat again until well combined.
  • Add flour mixture and beat on low speed just until it is blended. Do not overbeat.
  • Add the crackers and mix until fully incorporated. You want your crackers to break down into smaller pieces as you mix, but not to cracker dust stage. There should be small pieces of crackers in the dough.
  • Scoop dough on a greased baking sheet (or use parchment paper) 2 to 3 inches apart. The recipe calls for a 1/4 inch scoop which makes HUGE cookies and about 18 cookies. Use a 2-tablespoon or 4-tablespoon scoop which yields 24-36 cookies. You should have twice the number of cookies.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are a deep golden brown and the center a paler golden brown. The dough spreads quite a bit. Chilling the dough helps a bit, but my quick fix to rounding the cookies-as soon as the cookies come out of the oven. Use a spatula to push the edges to shape the cookies into circles. Conversely, use a glass slightly larger than the cookie, place over the cookie and swirl the cookie to round out the shape.
  • Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool. Enjoy!
Rowing for Coconut & Jam Oat Bars

Rowing for Coconut & Jam Oat Bars

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About this time of year, I wax nostalgic about one of my passions (not food this time), rowing.  Say what?  Yes, rowing.  I started rowing, gosh too many years ago to count, and it changed my life.  Instead of trudging toward a sedentary, middle-aged lifestyle, it became my sport and form of exercise.

Spending early morning hours on the water (trust me, I am not a morning person) watching the sunrise, the first rays of light hitting the ripples of water made by the boat, it’s magical.  Beyond that (there’s more?), I have made lifelong friends, found a community, and experienced the camaraderie created by competition, joy, and pain.  #Crewlife

Rock Star Regatta

Boston annually hosts the largest regatta (rowing competition) in the world, the Head of the Charles.  Every October, collegiate, high school, Masters (anyone out of school) converge for the regatta.  Imagine the Boston Marathon but with a bunch of really tall people, wearing spandex (lol) in boats on the Charles.  We row as hard as we can for 5km.  All the while navigating through boats, under bridges (5), and around turns.  Throngs of spectators line the bridges and banks of the Charles to watch and root their rowers on.  It’s exhilarating, I haven’t raced there in a while and I miss it.

Side Trip Fun

If you go that far to race for twenty minutes, you might as well take advantage of being there.  We began taking side trips after Head of the Charles. One year we went to Vermont to find pie, visit King Arthur Flour, and tour Ben and Jerry’s.  Another year found us in Martha’s Vineyard.  The crowds of summer long gone, we wandered the island taking in the cool, crisp, fall weather, foliage colors, and FOOD!  We stopped at 7aFoods for pastries and coffee which I highly recommend.  Finally, a stop at  Morning Glory Farm to roam their pumpkin patch and eat more pie, the Buttermilk Pie was a standout.

The 7AFoods Oat and Fruit Bars were dreamy-a buttery crust topped with blueberry preserves, dried fruits, oat, and a delicious crumble. I asked for the recipe which they graciously sent BUT I have yet to try as it makes two full sheets of bars!  So I searched for a simpler, smaller recipe that would satisfy my 7AFoods bar craving.  Luckily, I found a delightful, easy-to-make Raspberry Coconut Oat Bar cookie from One Girl Cookies that did the trick.

So, I made a batch of these delicious bars while watching this year’s Head of the Charles Regatta.  Sigh, maybe next year I’ll be rowing instead of baking.

Finally, Notes on the One Girl Cookies Raspberry Coconut Oat Bar

These bars are easy to make.  The base crust and crumble are from the same dough.  The dough starts with cold butter, eliminating the time to soften butter, and can be made in a mixer or by hand.  Yep, that easy.  Use a mixer, add the flour, sugars, salt, and butter (diced into little pieces) and mix until it forms a crumble, then add coconut and oatmeal.  Use a pastry blender to cut butter into flour and sugar mixture.  This is much like making pie dough.  Do not blend until it forms a single mass as that would result in a tough crust.  As it bakes, the bits of butter in the dough melt and create steam that makes a tender, flaky crust.

NACL Note

The recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of salt.  It is intentionally salt-forward, a play on the salty and sweet vibe.  If you use a really sweet jam, I would leave the amount of salt.  If you are salt sensitive, try 3/4 teaspoon instead.  You do need some salt as a flavor booster.

Reserve 3/4 to 1 cup of the crumble mixture.  Press the remaining dough into a 9×13 baking pan that has been lined with parchment.  The recipe calls for baking the crust for 14 minutes, it took a couple of minutes more for the edges to brown for me.  Spread preserves over the cooled crust.  I have used blueberry, mixed berry, and apricot, it’s your choice. The base crust is pretty thin so a thin layer of jam is all that is needed.  I might sprinkle the jam layer with dried fruit and sliced almonds before adding the crumble next time.

Before adding the crumble, squeeze the crumble mixture so there are some bigger crumbs, it looks nicer.

With Blueberry Lichi Jam!

With apricot cherry preserves!

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JAMMY COCONUT OAT BARS

Jam & Coconut Oat Bars, a buttery shortbread base topped with preserves and a coconut oatmeal crumble. Adapted from One Girl Cookies.
Course bar cookies, cookies, desserts
Cuisine American
Keyword bar cookies, Jammy Coconut Oat Bars, One Girl Cookies
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Resting Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

All About the Dough

  • 1-1/4 cups (150g) all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup (150g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
  • 12 tablespoons (170g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
  • 1 teaspoon salt Very salt forward, decrease to 3/4 tsp. if desired

Add to Dough Crumble

  • 3/4 cup (85g) unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1-1/2 cups (148g) old-fashioned rolled oats

The Finish

  • 1/2 cup raspberry preserves or use your favorite preserves

Optional Adds

  • 1/4-1/3 cup diced dried fruit that compliments the preserves you use
  • 1/4-1/3 cup sliced almonds or chopped nuts of your choice

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Spread the coconut on a baking sheet. Toast 2-3 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Keep your eye on it as coconut will brown quickly
  • Grease a 9"x 13"x 2" baking pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper.
  • In an electric mixer on low speed, mix the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt until combined. Add the butter and continue mixing until the dough begins to come together. Stir in the coconut and oats.
  • Remove 3/4-1 cup of the crust dough. Set aside. If adding optional ingredients remove 3/4 cup of crumble.
  • Pour the remaining dough to pan. Press evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan, I use a flat bottom cup to press dough into pan. Bake 14-17 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. The crust should be golden brown around the edges. Allow the crust to cool for 10 minutes.
  • Spread the preserves evenly over the crust, leaving a scant 1/2-inch border. If you are adding nuts or dried fruit, sprinkle on preserves now then crumble the reserved dough over the top. Bake 7 minutes, or until the preserves are bubbly. Cool completely in pan.
  • Run a knife around the edges of the bars. Place a baking sheet on top of the pan and flip the pan over to release the bars. Peel the parchment paper off. Then flip again. Using a sharp knife, cut the bars into squares, which in a 9x13 won't be exactly squared, lol.
Apricot Oat Bars Delicious and Easy, Bar None

Apricot Oat Bars Delicious and Easy, Bar None

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Finally, after months of being a COVID couch potato, I got off my duff and headed up to the reservoir to row again.  I had forgotten how nice it was to be on the water in the early morning, to get in a shell, grip the oars, press with my legs, and propel the boat through the water.  Gliding through the water I would catch glimpses of the resident bald eagles soaring then diving toward the water.  I live for these moments…


Who Am I Kidding?

What I really look forward to is COFFEE after the row, lol.  After every row, we head to our favorite spot for coffee and something to nosh on.  Lately, that nosh has been a tasty apricot bar. It reminds me of an Apricot Oatmeal Bar I used to make when the kids were little.

The recipe is from the Williams-Sonoma Kids Cookbook, that granola was a family fav once upon a time.  I decided to find it, dust it off, and make it again.

Kind of like a naughty granola bar, the bars are buttery, sweet, tart, dense, and chewy with a hint of cinnamon and vanilla.  They are incredibly easy to make, all you need is a bowl and a spoon.  Toss old-fashioned oatmeal, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and flour into a large bowl. stir to combine, then add the melted butter, vanilla, and chopped apricots. Add nuts too if you like.

Bake, cool, and cut.  How easy is that?  These bars are great after a hard workout, a long hike, or anytime!

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Apricot Oatmeal Bars

Course bar cookies, Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword apricots, bar cookies, oatmeal
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 36 minutes

Ingredients

  • 12 tablespoons 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut up
  • 1 cup firmly packed dried apricots
  • 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/4 - 1/3 cup chopped nuts of your choice like almonds pecans or pistachios (optional)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • soft butter for greasing pan

Instructions

  • Melt 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter in the microwave. Cut butter into pieces and place in microwave-safe bowl. ?Cover with a small plate or paper towel ( I use the paper the butter comes in) and set power to 50%. Set time to 30 seconds. If butter is not completely melted, continue at 50% power and 15-20 second increments. Or place butter in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat, stir with a wooden spoon until the butter is melted, about 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and set it aside to cool.
  • Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan with a large piece of aluminum foil (some foil hanging over the edges is fine). Lightly grease the foil with the soft butter. YOu could also use parchment paper.
  • Cut apricots into about 1/2-inch pieces. (Use kitchen shears to snip apricots works like a charm)
  • In a bowl, combine the rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Stir with a spoon or spatula until well blended and no lumps of sugar remain.
  • Add apricots, nuts if using, melted butter and vanilla to the bowl. Stir until well blended. The dough will be moist and crumbly. Dump the dough into the prepared baking pan. Press the dough into the pan with your fingers.
  • Bake until the top is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Using oven mitts, remove the pan from the oven, set on a wire cooling rack and let cool completely.
  • Lift the foil and the oatmeal bars from the pan and place on a work surface. Peel away the foil from the sides and bottom. Using a small, sharp knife, cut the big square into 1 1/2-by-3-inch rectangles. Store in an airtight container. Makes 18 bar cookies.

Notes

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma The Kid's Cookbook, by Abigail Johnson Dodge (Time-Life Books, 2000).
The Cookie Bible from Rose Levy Beranbaum!

The Cookie Bible from Rose Levy Beranbaum!

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I have been a big fan of Rose Levy Beranbaum’s books for a very long time. I went to my bookshelf to see just how many of her books I have, I counted six. Of these six, my absolute favorite is Rose’s Christmas Cookies. I can’t recall a Holiday Cookie Tin that has not featured at least one of her cookies.  I was eager to take a sneak peek at her newest book coming out, The Cookie Bible.

See below for the recipe for Lemon Madeleines.

 The Layout

  • Intro – brief description and a memory or an anecdotal story for the cookie.
    Temperature, baking time, and equipment – organized into a table.
    Ingredients – listed in volume and weight measurements also organized in a table, easy to see and follow.
    Directions
  • Mise en place-steps that need to be done before making the dough ie. taking out butter to soften or bringing eggs to room temp.
  • Making the dough-If a particular cookie can be made in either a food processor or stand mixer, both methods are listed. I love this.  Followed by:
  • Forming cookies
  • Baking cookies
  • Cooling cookies

All her cookbooks are organized this way, meticulous and thorough. It’s like getting a Master Baking class in the comfort of your own kitchen.

Each recipe finishes with Baking Gems, MORE valuable tips, and tweaks!

The Recipes

I flipped through the book to earmark recipes I wanted to try. This is where I felt like the book came up a bit short. The selection of cookies seemed just a bit dated. Today’s cookies include new flavors and spices and eye-catching colors created by using freeze-dried fruits.

Few recipes in this book jumped out at me and shouted MAKE ME!  Quite a few recipes in the book are also in Rose’s Christmas Cookies. Recipes I already make and love like Cloud Cookies, Meltaways, Lion Paws, and Spritz Cookies.  If I didn’t have Rose’s Christmas Cookies I might have been putting Post-Its on those very pages.  Recipes have been scaled back in the new book to yield smaller batches of cookies, a good thing, as it limits how many cookies I can eat.

 

Read through the recipe before making it.  I found this book even more detailed than her older books.  Explicit directions like when to take the butter and eggs out before making the dough or what type of flour to use for each recipe.

If only I had taken my own advice and read the recipe first

I plowed through the first recipe, Dream Chocolate Chip Cookies, only to be stumped when I found I hadn’t added the egg. Turns out that twenty minutes before making the dough, I was supposed to crack the egg into the mixer bowl, add the vanilla, and cover it so it can come to room temp first. The egg should have been in the mixer when I creamed the butter and sugar.

Lemon Poppy Seed Madeleines were next up.  Once again, detailed instructions produced a tender sweet-tart Madeleine.  Next time, I would reduce the poppyseeds, a bit too much crunch.  I actually liked them more the next day as the syrup had time to absorb so the cookies weren’t sticky to touch and the tartness had mellowed.

The Verdict

With all that being said. Here is my take. If you do not own a Rose Levy Berenbaum Cookbook, this would absolutely be a lovely addition to your kitchen.  This book will make you a better baker.  Filled with invaluable tips and technique information, it takes that extra step of explaining why specific ingredients and techniques work in a recipe.  Although there isn’t a photo for every cookie in the book, the photos included are gorgeous.

Happy baking!

I reviewed The Cookie Bible via NetGalley

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Lemon Madeleines

From Rose Levy Beranbaum's upcoming book, The Cookie Bible
Course cookies
Cuisine American, French
Keyword easy recipe, leomn poppy seed madeleines, madeleine, rose levy beranbaum
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 24 servings

Ingredients

Oven Temp 350f/175c. Baking Time: 14-15 min for large madeleines Special Equipment: Madeleine molds-lightly coat with baking spray with flour. Disposable pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-1/2 inch pastry tube. 2 baking sheets lined with plastic wrap and lightly coated with nonstick spray.

    Batter

    • 8.5 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons, unsalted butter 120 grams
    • 2 large eggs 100 grams 1/3 cup plus 1 T, (94ml)
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla 5ml
    • 2 tablespoons milk 30 grams (30ml)
    • 1 cup bleached cake flour, sifted into the cup and leveled off 100 grams
    • 1/2 cup sugar, preferably superfine 100 grams
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, preferably aluminum-free
    • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 3/4 cup sugar 5.25 ounces = 150 grams
    • 2 teaspoons loosely packed grated lemon zest 4 grams (from about 2 lemons)
    • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds, optional 19 grams I would use a little less

    Lemon Syrup

    • 1/4 cup sugar 50 grams
    • 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained 47 grams

    Instructions

    Preheat Oven

    • 20 minutes or longer before baking, set oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of oven. Set oven to 350°F.

    Mise En Place

    • 30 minutes to 1 hour ahead, cut butter into tablespoon-size pieces. Set on the counter to soften.
    • 30 minutes ahead, into a 1 cup/237 ml glass measure with a spout, weigh or measure the eggs. Whisk in vanilla. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set on counter.
    • Wash lemons with dishwashing liquid, rinse, and dry before zesting. Finey grate lemon zest. Freeze any extra for future use.

    Make the Batter

    • Add the milk to the egg mixture and whisk it in.
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, lemon zest and optional poppy seeds on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the butter and half the egg mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides.
    • With the mixer off between additions, add the remaining egg mixture in two parts. Beat after each addition, starting on medium-low speed and gradually raising the speed to medium, then beating on med speed for 30 seconds, to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. Scrape down sides of bowl.

    Pipe the Batter into the Molds

    • Fill the prepared pastry bag about 3/4 full with batter. Pipe the batter into the molds. filling them about 3/4 full (4gms for each mini-mold, 16 gms for large cavity). No need to smooth the batter. Refill the bag as needed.
    • Ok, I didn't pipe I just used two spoons and scooped the batter into the molds.

    Bake the Madeleines

    • Bake the mini-madeleines for 10-12 minutes, large ones for 14-15 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the centers comes out completely clean and the madeleines spring back when pressed lightly in the centers. While they are baking, make the lemon syrup.

    Make Lemon Syrup (1/3 cup/95gms/79ml)

    • In 1 cup/237ml glass measure with a spout, stir together the sugar and lemon juice. Heat in the microwave just until the sugar is dissolved. (Or use a small sauce pan over medium heat.)

    Brush the Medeleines with Syrup, Unmold, and Cool

    • As soon as the madeleines come out of the oven, place the pans on a rack, poke the madeleines all over with a wire tester, and brush it with 1/3 of the syrup.
    • Metal molds, use a toothpick or pin to carefully dislodge them from molds and then invert them onto the prepared cookie sheets (this prevents sticking)
    • Brush madeleines with remaining syrup and allow to cool completely. Let sit for 2 hours for syrup to distribute.
    • STORE: Airtight one layer; room temp, 3 days; refrigerated, 5 days; frozen, 3 months.

    Baking Gems

    • Use superfine sugar for the best texture
    • After coating with baking spray with flour, brush molds with pastry brush to remove excess spray to prevent air bubbles from forming in the fluted tops of the madeleines.
    • If you do not have enough molds to bake all at once, chill batter in fridge until ready to use.
    • When done, madeleines will spring back when pressed lightly in the center even before they are done.
    White Rabbit CC Cookies-We Got Em, Go Tell Alice

    White Rabbit CC Cookies-We Got Em, Go Tell Alice

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    As a kid, I spent a lot of time running the streets of Chinatown in San Francisco.  After school, I headed to Chinatown to attend Hip Wo Chinese School, which conveniently was housed in the same church our family attended.  I’d love to tell you I was a stellar student and fluent in both Cantonese and English but that would be a lie.  The highlights of Chinese School were recess, calligraphy (a lot like painting), and stopping at the little grocery store right next to the church at the end of the day.  We would grab a Carnation cup of ice cream with the little wooden paddle-spoon, or a cup of noodles (this was before instant noodles, so the shopkeeper made catsup noodles, delish, trust me) to hold us until we got home.

    Candyland

    More often than not, we bought candy from the array right by the register.  I fancy myself a candy aficionado thanks to Chinese School.  My favorites included Ice Cubes, Flickers, Charleston Chews, Big Hunks, Watermelon Stixs, and Milk Duds.  If you recognize all these you’re a genius or just old like me.  I also loved their Asian candies.  Sugus, the precursors to Starburst, Haw Flakes (a sweet-sour plum wafer), and White Rabbit Candy.  White Rabbit is kinda like taffy.  It tastes like sweetened milk.  They’re hard when you first pop one in your mouth but soften as you chew on it. Kinda like a Big Hunk or Look bar.

    I haven’t had a White Rabbit in YEARS.  But, they have been showing up in the new crop of Asian bakeries in the Bay Area.  These inventive bakeries and pop-ups like Grand Opening (From the folks at Mr. Jiu’s), Sunday Bakeshop, Breadbelly, Pineapple King Bakery and Spoons Patisserie are fusing French techniques and Asian ingredients (and visa-versa) to create some delightful sweets and pastries.  Char Siu Bao? Nah, gimme a BBQ Pork Danish, how about an Ube Snickerdoodle or Matcha custard-filled Puff?  Genius.  Instead of strawberry, try passionfruit. Black sesame seeds instead of poppy seeds, why not?  Then there is Third Culture Bakery which popularized sweet rice or mochi desserts.  A little gooey, a lot delish, and gluten-free!

    CCC with a Twist

    Luckily, White Rabbit Chocolate Chip Cookies from Beyond the Noms, popped up on my feed, bingo (was it luck or an algorithm that reads my mind?).  I knew I had to try it.  Essentially it is a chocolate chip cookie with an Asian twist.  Cream butter with sugars until light and fluffy, one to two minutes and the egg and vanilla, beat again.  Add flour mixture and stir just until the flour is mixed in.  Add the stars of the show, the chocolate, and White Rabbit pieces ( you could substitute white chocolate if you can’t find the White Rabbit candy). Done.  I like to chill my dough before baking.  Allows flavors to blend and helps with spreading.

    They’re delicious.  A combination of the milky, vanilla candy, and dark chocolate chunks in a buttery, crispy-edged, tender cookie.  Just out of the oven the White Rabbit candy is gooey, chewy, and sticky-soft.  As the cookie cools, it does become denser, just like a Big Hunk.  If you grew up eating White Rabbit morsels or any of the taffy-like candy bars, you are going to love these cookies.  They will stick to your teeth (ahh transparency). Buy a bag when you are going to make these cookies, the fresher the bag the better for softness.  White Rabbit Candy can be found in Asian Grocery Stores, especially Chinese ones.

    Beat until light
    Stir in chocolate and candy pieces just until incorporated. Don’t overmix.
    Use a #40 ice cream scoop to create dough balls. I plopped one chocolate chunk and one piece of White Rabbit on each ball,
    Delicious candy cookies with an Asian twist! If the White Rabbit seems a bit hard in cookies that are cold, try warming the cookie up a little which will soften the candy again.
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    White Rabbit and Chocolate Chunk Cookies

    Asian Twist to Chocolate Chip Cookies, added White Rabbit Candy to cookies!
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Asian-American
    Keyword beyondthenoms, chocolate chip cookies, cookies, White Rabbit Candy
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 12 minutes

    Ingredients

    Dry Ingredients

    • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
    • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt

    Ingredients to Cream

    • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
    • 1/2 cup brown sugar packed light or dark
    • 1/4 cup sugar
    • 1 egg
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Additions

    • 1 cup chocolate chunks chips are also fine
    • 15-20 white rabbit candies chopped I used ~15 pieces, tap to cut and it will break easily into pieces. Don't try to saw through them. Leave the rice paper wrapper on, its edible and will dissolve.
    • Maldon sea salt flakes optional

    Instructions

    • Sift flour, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl. Set aside.
    • In a stand mixer on medium speed, beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar for 2 minutes. The mixture will lighten in color.
    • Add egg and vanilla and mix on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, until it looks like a buttercream. Scrap down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
    • Add flour mixture and stir (low speed on mixer) until just combined.
    • Stir in chocolate chunks and white rabbit candies.
    • Scoop approximately 2 tbsp. of cookie dough and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave roughly 1.5-2 inches between cookies. Optional: stick additional chocolate and candy pieces in each dough ball. Refrigerate for approximately one hour.
    • Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the center has lost that wet sheen look. I like baking one sheet at a time. If you bake multiple sheets, be sure to switch places and rotate sheets midway through baking.
    • The White Rabbit Candy will soften and melt at times creating a not-quite-round cookie. The candy melts and creates crispy edges. While the cookies are still warm just out of the oven you could take a glass and place it over each cookie and swirl thus smooshing the cookie into a round shape OR you could embrace the not-round look and enjoy the sweet crispy edges that look like lava flow off an island.
    • Transfer to a cooling rack and top with Maldon sea salt flakes if desired. Serve warm.

    Notes

    I use a #0 scoop which is just a little less than an ounce, approximately 1.6 tablespoons.  You could use #30 which is just over 2 T.
    Calories: 224kcal
    Carbohydrates: 29g
    Protein: 2g
    Fat: 11g
    Black Sesame Chocolate Chunk Cookies from a Nerd

    Black Sesame Chocolate Chunk Cookies from a Nerd

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    The flavor of the day is toasted black sesame seeds.  They’re delicious-earthy, nutty, and bolder than white sesame seeds.  They add texture, color, and zing to cookies, cakes, and just about anything.  During the holidays I made black sesame shortbread, a tasty rift on shortbread. So, when Black Sesame Chocolate Chip Cookies from Cooking Therapy skittered across my feed, “so making these” was imprinted on my brain.

    A couple of “what if I add this or change that” moments resulted in a few tweaks to the cookie as I was trying them. This is the latest version of Black Sesame Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

    The Process

    I tried both commercially bought Sesame Seed Powder (they do the grinding for you) and grinding my own sesame seeds after toasting.  Most recipes call for seeds that you measure out and then grind to a powder.  The dilemma is how much powder is equivalent to whole sesame seeds.  I weighed half cup of seeds and then half a cup of powder. Powder weighed 40gms,  1/2 cup of seeds weighed 60gms.  Hmmm, for some reason I thought powder being more compact, would weigh more for an equivalent volume. Guess not, bottom line, go by equivalent weights you can’t go wrong BUT that’s 30% more powder or a cup and a half of powder to 1 cup of seeds. My head is about to explode.  Think I’ll just use equivalent volumes.

    The first tweak was adding toasted sesame oil, I didn’t notice a significant flavor difference.  Maybe I should have added more.  If you have made Jesse Szewczk’s Toasted Sesame cookies (phenomenal cookie), or Sarah Kieffer’s Sesame Cookie, both use sesame oil to pump up the flavor.

    Tahini Paste was the next tweak.  In place of the sesame oil, I added 1 tablespoon of Tahini Paste.  In a stringent scientific experiment, my test cohort (co-workers, lol)  concluded the they could taste the sesame flavor in these.

    Looking for a flatter, less cakey cookie, I weighed the amount of flour and stopped at 250gms.  This is where I tell you, implore you, to get a SCALE…

    And an ice cream scoop!

    A Google search led me to a blog called Crazy for Crust which had an entire section on how to tell when you cookies are done. There is nothing I like more than baking nerds!  For instance, the tendency for me is to bake just a little too long.  Her invaluable tip-when the glossy sheen or wet look is gone and the edges are golden brown, your cookies are done is now my mantra for drop cookies.

    Out of the Oven

    Cookies continue to “bake” for about 20 minutes after removing them from the oven.  A “just right baked” cookie will fall as it cools creating those lovely crevices.  If you prefer cripsy, round cookies, continue to bake for a couple of minutes,  or if you like raw cookie dough take the cookies out a little earlier.  Your choice, me? I’m like Goldilocks, I want it just right.

    Use chocolate chunks, pastilles, or break up chocolate bars/slabs into pieces.  Much more visually interesting than chips.  to go the extra mile, reserve some of the chocolate pieces and place 1 or 2 on each formed cookie dough ball before baking.

    Cookie Monster Would Approve

    Less flour, Tahini paste and Fleur de Sel to finish the cookies, resulted in a tender, gooey, chocolatey, sesame-y cookie with a bit of crunch from the sesame seeds.  Put this on your bucket list.

    Print

    Black Sesame Chocolate Chip Cookies

    A chocolate chip cookie with toasted black sesames for a new twist on an old favorite!
    Course cookies, Dessert
    Cuisine Asian-American
    Keyword black sesame seeds, Chewy Toasted Sesame Cookies, chocolate chips, Sesame chocolate chip cookie, sesame seeds
    Prep Time 35 minutes
    Cook Time 15 minutes
    Calories 244kcal

    Ingredients

    Dry Ingredients

    • 2 cups all purpose flour (King Arthur flour) 250gms
    • ½ cup black sesame seeds, powdered I measured toasted black sesame seeds, 1/2 cup = 60gms. I used black sesame seed powder 40gm which measured 1/2 cup in volume. See notes.
    • 1 tsp baking soda

    Wet Ingredients

    • 1 cup unsalted butter, browned
    • ¼ cup granulated sugar
    • ¾ cup light brown sugar
    • 2 large eggs
    • ½ tsp salt
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1.5 tsp toasted sesame oil or 1 tablespoon Tahini paste

    Adds

    • 1 ½ cup dark chocolate chips sub semi-sweet chocolate chips

    Instructions

    • Combine flour, sesame powder and baking soda in a medium bowl. Mix until combined and set aside.
    • Brown butter in a small sauce pan. Heat butter over medium high heat until the butter melts and then lower it to low. Cook the butter until golden brown and small brown solids start to appear. Remove from the heat and set aside.
    • Combine granulated sugar and light brown sugar in a large bowl. Add the brown butter. Whisk with a stand mixer or hand mixer until just combined.
    • Add the eggs and whisk until a smooth creamy mixture forms. Add the salt, vanilla extract, and sesame oil or Tahini paste and mix until just combined.
    • Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix with a spatula/wooden spoon until just combined.
    • Add chocolate chunks and mix until just combined.
    • Let the cookies rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.
    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
    • Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a 2 tablespoon (medium-sized) cookie scoop to scoop cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart.
    • Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are light brown.
    • Rest for 10 minutes on the baking sheets and then another 10 minutes on a cooling rack before serving.

    Notes

    So, I have commercially available toasted black sesame powder and I have toasted black sesame seeds.  I decided to try both to see how much it impacted the texture of the cookies.  I weighed the toasted sesame seeds and whirled them in a grinder.  I stopped at a pretty finely textured powder.  If you go too far you will end up with a paste. 
    There wasn’t a significant difference in texture between the two.  The sesame does give the cookie a rougher texture, similar to adding a bit of cornmeal, but subtler.
    The self-ground sesame seeds to powder cookies seem to have a touch more flavor but I did also switch out the sesame oil for Tahini paste, so it remains to be seen if the seeds were the difference.  I just failed my science class, lol.
    Hella Good Ube Mochi Muffins-Mochi Madness

    Hella Good Ube Mochi Muffins-Mochi Madness

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    I have been looking for a dessert/cookie recipe using Ube for a while when I came across a recipe for Butter and Ube Bibingka/Mochi on Mark Hella Cooks.  I adapted his Bibingka/Mochi and made muffins, delicious and gorgeous. Just a bit of ube extract gave the batter a vibrant purple that is so whimsical and appealing.

    Did I Get Ahead of Myself?

    Are you asking what the heck is Ube?  It just dawned on me this is not your dash to the corner store item.  First, ube is similar to a sweet potato BUT it’s PURPLE, so swag, purple food.  It is used in a lot of Asian desserts, particularly Filipino ones. It is mild-flavored, kinda nutty, kinda vanilla-y.  Aside from fresh purple yams (hard to find), it comes as a powder, jam, and extract.  On a recent visit to the Asian Art Museum in the City, I inhaled a delicious Ube Snickerdoodle from Sunday@  the Museum, cafe.  Ever since I have been perusing the internet for ube cookie recipes.  No cookie yet but luckily I found Mark Hella Cooks Ube Mochi recipe. It is easy, delicious, and eye candy worthy.  I made muffins so everyone could have their own little dessert with crispy edges, yum.

    Ube-by, Baby, Making Cookies For A Cause

    I wanted to include the muffins in my little box of cookies for Ukraine.  The world is upside down right now and I just can’t sit on the sidelines and watch.  So I do what I can by fighting the things I hate with the things I love.  I baked cookies for donations to World Central Kitchen and Sunflower of Peace. My tiny part. #BakersAgainstRacism, #BakersforUkraine

    I put together individual boxes of cookies, a first for me, to share with friends and co-workers.  Everyone was so generous, it reminded me that most folks are decent, kind, and caring.  How is it that just a few are actually responsible for so much hate and suffering in the world?  Most folks just want to live their lives and be happy.

    Each box included tried & true cookies, comfort cookies, my family favorites.  Here are the Cookies for Ukraine Box.

    Purple Yam All In My Brain

    Rounding out the cookie box, are these incredibly easy and delicious Ube Butter Mochi Muffins.  Mochi has become my best friend when I need a gluten-free treat.  Made with glutinous sweet rice flour, the texture is chewy, a bit dense in a good way, and totally addicting.  If you have tried Third Culture Bakery or Mochi Donuts, or Manju, you will love these.  If you like to start with the classic butter mochi muffin try this one.  It is by far the most popular recipe on 3Jamigos.

    The muffins can be made in one bowl, that’s how easy they are.  The method in the recipe below is from Mark Hella Cooks. Alternatively, place coconut milk and butter in a microwavable bowl and nuke for 1 minute.  Add evaporated milk, vanilla extract and eggs.  Mix well. Combine mochiko flour and baking powder then add to milk mixture.  Whisk until smooth.  Proceed with the recipe at step 3 as written.

    Once you have drizzled the ube batter into the muffin tins, be careful not to shake the tin which would cause the batters to blend too much, You want to retain the marbling.

    Butter or spray the muffin tin with PAM REALLY well, it determines the rise and the shape of the top of the muffin.

    Enjoy!

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    Ube Butter Mochi Muffins

    More mochi muffins! Purple Yams is in my soul
    Course Dessert, Muffins
    Cuisine Asian-American
    Keyword butter mochi, Gluten free, mochi muffin, ube
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 50 minutes

    Ingredients

    • 4 tablespoons butter (2 ounces) (salted is fine) melted
    • 1 cup sugar baker’s/caster sugar preferable
    • 2 large eggs @ room temperature
    • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon ube extract Available at Asian Stores, online McCormick's
    • 8 ounces mochiko rice flour (1/2 box) 230gms
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 6 ounces evaporated milk Sub whole milk
    • 7 ounces full fat coconut milk(Arroy-D or Chakot)

    Instructions

    • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (non-convection), and generously grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin with butter.
    • In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and continue to mix until combined. Add the rice flour and baking powder and stir until combined. It might look a little lumpy, it's okay. Stir in the evaporated milk and the coconut milk. Continue whisking until smooth*
    • Remove 3/4 cup of the batter and place in a small bowl. Add the ube extract and mix together.
    • The batter will be pretty runny. Using a large ice cream scoop the remaining batter into each muffin tin. It should fill the entire tin, each cup filled approximately 3/4 full. Gently drizzle ube batter onto each muffin tin. A squeeze bottle with a large opening will work otherwise use a teaspoon. The batter will sink so there is no reason to swirl it. I drizzle in a spiral pattern with a healthy glob in the center.
    • Carefully place the muffin pan in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.
    Anzac-ly The Delicious Biscuit (Cookie) I Was Looking For

    Anzac-ly The Delicious Biscuit (Cookie) I Was Looking For

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    Marching orders in hand, I gathered the ingredients to make Anzac Biscuits.   Think Oatmeal Cookie meets Oatcake or Granola Bar…you end up with a biscuit (cookie) that is buttery, sweet-salty, chewy-crispy (are these oxymorons?), and EXTREMELY delicious.

    A Brief History On Anzac Biscuits

    These tasty biscuits (cookies) can be traced back to World War One and the Australian-New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC).  As the story goes, moms and wives sent these biscuits to their soldiers fighting, both as a morale booster and reprieve from the dreary military rations.  Made simply of flour, coconut, oatmeal, Golden Syrup, butter, they were easy to make and tasty.   The end product was a caramel-ly sturdy biscuit that traveled well and lasted a long time.  A welcomed treat from home.

    Simplicity At Its Finest

    Put this biscuit recipe in your incredibly easy with huge returns file.  Very easy and perfect for little hands helping in the kitchen.  Stir the dry ingredients together in a big bowl (kids love doing this), melt butter with the Golden Syrup on the stove (you do this), add the baking soda mixture to the butter (once again, your job) and add to dry ingredients (kids love to stir and make a mess).  Scoop, bake, and eat!  Easy-peasy.

    Tweaks

    The recipe is from Dorie Greenspan’s (Goddess of Baking) book, Dorie’s Cookies.

    I used a one-eighth cup to portion the dough (could not find my scoop of this size 🤔) which produced cookies a little over 2 inches in diameter.  Use either a #24 or #30 ice cream scoop for bigger biscuits, I would. They’re that good.

    Press the dough into a puck-like disc on the baking sheet.  Gives the biscuits a running start to a nice even shape.

    If I had baked these cookies for 17-18 minutes, as directed, I’d have lumps of coal for all those naughty kids at Christmas.  The first batch baked for 14 minutes at 325 degrees, which produced deep golden brown cookies with dark edges.  The second batch baked at 320 degrees for 13 minutes.  The biscuits were deep brown, carrot cake color without the dark edges.  If you like a chewier, lighter-colored cookie, reduce the baking time, personally not recommended.  If you make larger cookies, adjust baking times accordingly.

    Subbing honey or corn syrup for Lyle’s Golden Syrup can be done in a pinch.  But if you can, please try to use Lyle’s Golden Syrup.  It is made from sugar cane and has a nuanced caramel flavor you won’t get with honey or corn syrup.  Lots of larger grocery stores carry Lyle’s or you can order it on Big Bad Amazon.  Don’t confuse their Dessert Syrup for the Original Cane Syrup, that’s like Log Cabin to real Maple Syrup.

    These biscuits are incredibly tasty and easy to make, put them on your “biscuit” bucket list.

    P.S.

    Not all these biscuits came out perfectly round as pictured, lol.  As soon as they came out of the oven, I placed a glass over the not-so-round ones and swirled it in a circular motion thereby jostling the cookies into perfect rounds.  Tricks of the trade, babee.

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    5 from 2 votes

    ANZAC Biscuits

    Iconic Austrailian-New Zealand Biscuit (cookie) created during WW1, recipe adapted from Dorie's Cookies
    Course biscuits, cookies
    Cuisine Australian
    Keyword Almond Cookies, Anzac Biscuits, Anzacs, Lyle's Golden Syrup
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 15 minutes

    Ingredients

    Dry Ingredients

    • 1 cup AP flour 136 grams
    • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats 80 grams
    • 3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut 90 grams
    • 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100 grams
    • 1/4 cup light brown sugar or additional granulated sugar 50gms * Not in Dorie's recipe! Add if using unsweetened coconut, momit if you like,

    Wet Ingredients

    • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt Use 1/4 teaspoon if using salted butter, Dorie's recipe uses sea salt, I thought it was a touch salty.
    • 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick
    • 2 tablespoons Lyle's Golden Syrup

    Leavening Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon boiling water
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

    Instructions

    • In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, coconut, sugars, and salt and set aside.
    • In a small saucepan over low heat melt the butter with the Golden Syrup and remove from heat.
    • Combine the boiling water and baking soda in a small bowl to dissolve the baking soda.
    • Pour the water and baking soda into the butter mixture and stir to combine.
    • Pour the butter mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined.
    • Use a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop to mold each cookie by gently packing dough into ice cream scoop and then turning out onto cookie sheet or form 1 1/2-inch balls of the dough with spoons)
    • Place cookies 1-2 inches apart on baking sheet. Bake for 17-18 minutes* or until deep golden brown (the color of carrot cake). Makes 16-18 cookies.
      *Read my post regarding baking times!

    Notes

    These cookies should be a nice rich deep brown.  Meant to be a little dense and crispy as they historically needed to travel well.  For a chewier cookie, a little less baking time will do the trick, if that is what you like.  It won't have as much of that nice caramel flavor you get from browning but still tasty!