These cookies will break your New Year’s resolutions. They are not even remotely healthy. In my book they are perfect cookie: crunchy, coconutty, sticky and chocolaty. Yes, the knock off versions of a favorite Girl Scout cookie, Samoa. You won’t be able to eat just one a day; you’ll end up eating four or more. These cookies are the perfect example of an ‘indulgence’ dessert I allow myself once a month. However, this month, I got to indulge myself twice as I perfected the recipe! I followed the recipe blueprint from Design Sponge.
There are only few
changes but I tried a new caramel method in efforts to ‘healthify’ the cookie.
I gave up on the biscuit because I wanted the crunchiness oil or butter
provides. For the new caramel method I tried my recipe and taste tested on Cory.He could not tell a difference between the cookies with date or traditional caramel. Using regular caramel is easier, but this was fun to try.
I may come up with a raw version of this cookie in the near future in which the
date caramel will come in handy.
Definitely Not Healthy
Coconut Cookies
Ingredients
For the
Biscuit
- ¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup oat flour (blended ½ cup of old fashioned oats to make the flour)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons solid coconut oil
- 1/2 cup sugar
- ½ vanilla bean scrapings
- 2.5 tablespoons milk almond milk
For the Toppings
- 1 cups unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted
- 1/2 cup caramel sauce (melted caramels or recipe from below)
- 12 ounces 70% cocoa dark chocolate
Date Caramel Sauce
- ½ cup dried dates
- 2-5 tablespoons almond milk
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
Preparation
1. If using the date version of the
caramel sauce, soak dates in water for 1-2 hours, or until softened.
Heat the oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets
with parchment and set aside.
2. In a bowl, add flours, baking
powder, and salt. Mix together with a whisk.
3. In a large bowl, cream the coconut
oil and sugar together until light, about 2 minutes (do not over mix or the
coconut oil will get too warm and soft). Stir in the vanilla and 2.5 tablespoons
of almond milk. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until well blended,
about 1 minute.
4. Roll dough out onto a floured
surface. Dough may need to be refrigerated for 5 minutes if it is unmanageable.
Roll dough until it is about 1/4th inch thick. Use a cookie cutter
to cut the dough out. I used a small mason jar and a cap from a bottle for the
center to make small doughnut shapes.
5. Bake until golden on the edges,
about 10-12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking. Cool on
a wire rack.
6. While the cookies are cooling,
make the topping. If making the date version of the caramel sauce, drain the
dates. Place the dates in a food processor or Vita Mix® with 2 tablespoons of
almond milk, salt and lemon juice. Pulse and keep scraping the dates from the
sides of the machine until a smooth thick sauce forms. Add more almond milk as
needed to thin the sauce. If using caramel cubes simply melt in microwave for
30 seconds and stir.
7. Chop the chocolate bar into
chunks and place in a small bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Microwave
for more time to melt but watch carefully for burning and do not microwave
chocolate for more than 15 seconds at a time. Place toasted coconut on a saucer
and have ready.
8. Spread caramel sauce on the tops
of the cooled cookies. Immediately dip into the coconut. After you have dipped
each cookie place them on a piece of wax paper. Drizzle the tops of the cookies
with melted chocolate. Allow chocolate to harden before storing.
By the way, upon hearing about
rampant stomach flu reports at my church I decided to eat a couple cookies,
despite feeling nauseous. It may be some time that I get to enjoy eating again.
Or it could just be sympathy nausea.
