Several months ago I got an idea for new and creative cookies. The cookie recipes themselves aren’t that exciting, they’re basically a chocolate chip cookie, but with different bits, and a sugar cookie, but with seasonings. However, once you bite into one, you’ll wonder how you can go back to normal cookies ever again.
The majority of my inspiration came from looking through the flavor bible. If you like cooking, or being creative, this is the tool for you. Being able to know which spice goes best with citrus is great for making the perfect dressing. Knowing how well figs and walnuts go together is icing on the cake, or cookie, as the case may be.
Middle Eastern Cookie
This cookie has a flair for the dramatic with Halva, dried figs, and walnuts.
Halva is a middle eastern treat made from tahini, and sugar. It’s sweet, a little bitter, and soft.
The basic chocolate chip cookie dough adds chopped figs and walnuts, and pieces of halva.
½ cup Butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 flax egg (1 T ground flax, 3 T water)
1 t vanilla
½ t baking soda
½ t salt
1¼ cup flour
¼ cup each chopped figs, walnuts, and halva
- In a mixing bowl cream together the butter, and sugars until light and fluffy. With a stand mixer this will take about 5 minutes.
- Add the flax egg and vanilla and mix to combine.
- Slowly add the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the figs, walnuts, and halva. Mix just to combine.
- Scoop onto baking trays and bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes.
Rye and Caraway Cookie
Replace part of the flour with rye flour, add a little molasses, spices, and caraway, and kerblam, you’ve got one cool cookie. Spices to spice up your life are ginger, cinnamon, and clove. Just a little and you’ve got it made
1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
1 cup rye flour
½ t baking powder
¼ t ginger
¼ t cinnamon
¼ t clove
1 t caraway seeds
¼ t salt
¾ cup butter
¾ cup sugar
2 T vanilla
1 flax egg (1 T ground flax + 3 T water)
2 T molasses
- Mix together the dry ingredients and set aside.
- In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla, flax egg, and molasses.
- Gradually add the flour mixture.
- Portion onto a baking sheet and flatten. Bake at 350 F for 8-11 minutes.
