I guess I was just in a cookie baking mood yesterday. I was making cookies for a M:TG game Bryan was going to tonight and ended up having a couple over for preparation for that game. Bryan has an interview with WotC (Wizards of the Coast, the makers of Magic) this week, so he’s brushing up on the game in preparation. Anyway, I ended up baking tons of cookies – three types in all – and I have two of the recipes for you today.
The fist cookie was one that Bryan says is his favorite cookie I’ve ever made even though he doesn’t like coconut – and it’s full of coconut. Last year, when he was still working for Zombie, we bought a huge container of coconut oil at Costco and I was scouring the internet for recipes for baked goods that used coconut oil. It’s an extremely healthful oil despite the saturated fat in it – and no, it doesn’t smell like suntan lotion. It has a faint coconut smell to it, but you can’t really taste much of it in the finished product. It’s what they use in most movie theater popcorn, albeit butter flavored, and is great for all kinds of things – even as a body oil.
The second cookie is something I specifically looked up just so I could use some of my cranberries and white chocolate chips. I love oatmeal cookies, especially ones with unique add-ins – stuff other than raisins and nuts. I found a recipe that looked promising and they turned out well.
Chewy Coconut Oatmeal Cookies with Coconut Oil
Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod
Yield: lots of cookies!
Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup coconut oil, slightly softened like room temperature butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup shredded desiccated coconut (see resources)
1 cup old fashionedoats
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a stand mixer, cream together the sugar, eggs, coconut oil and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in the oatmeal and coconut.
4. With a medium-sized cookie scoop, portion out dough onto cookie sheets, spacing two inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes, or until the cookies are set and slightly browned. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.
White Chocolate-Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
From Two Peas and Their Pod
Yield: about 2 1/2 dozen cookies
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup of dried cranberries
1 cup white chocolate chips
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
3. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars together until thoroughly combined. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Stir in the oats, dried cranberries, and white chocolate chips.
4. Using a one medium-sized cookie scoop (see resources, below), portion dough into balls and place on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Don’t overbake! Let cookies sit on the baking sheet for two minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.
Resources
1. Shredded, unsweetened coconut (desiccated coconut) – Bob’s Red Mill on Amazon, $14.36 for 4 12oz. Bags
1. Medium (one and a half tablespoon) sized cookie scoop – OXO on Amazon, $13.99
The Domestic Artisan 