The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Cooking techniques for edible cookie dough
You ate unbaked batter as a kid; with proper cooking techniques, you can devour it as an adult
Edible cookie dough has been on my “what to write about list” for quite a while.
An article last month, “CDC Issues Warning: Say No to Raw Cookie Dough,” was published in the New Haven Register, a reminder about the health hazards of eating unbaked batter.
Yet, as a child, who didn’t like to do this? Then again, as adults, don’t we still relish the taste and texture of the sweet, unbaked morsels?
Consider that, at the Fancy Food Show, a few companies were touting their edible cookie dough. One of the first cookie dough scoop shops is in New York City. The day I had hoped to experience some dough, the line was around the block. The craze continues, and now there are shops in every state. When you need your fix while traveling, a list of the best edible cookie dough in every state can be found at https://bit.ly/2TeMR6i. Connecticut’s listing is Doughluv, www.doughluv.com, with locations in Colchester and Mystic.
What was next to help us eat enough of it and safely? A cookbook, of course. “The Edible Cookie Dough Cookbook,” by Olivia Hops (2018, Harvard Common Press an imprint of the Quarto Group, $19.99) is the first cookbook to focus exclusively on this quickly growing craze of a dessert. Hops serves up 55 doughs, each one completely safe to eat raw.
The author knows her dough. She is the founder, CEO and recipe creator of Unbaked Bar in Los Angeles, selling scrumptious, edible cookie dough in local retail outlets and nationally, by mail order.
Recipes include gingerbread, snickerdoodle, chocolate chip, chocolate chunk, lemon cookie, white chocolate chai salted caramel, mud pie, brownie and recipes for birthday cake, vegan pina colada, maple bacon.
She includes recipes for treats you can make with cookie dough, from a chocolate-chip cookie dough cheesecake to cookie dough sandwiches, which are like an ice cream sandwich. The recipe for vanilla cake with birthday cake cookie dough is perfect for that special day. For this recipe, visit https://bit.ly/2Rosq9G.
I found the explanation of why her recipes are safe helpful. I knew about not using raw eggs, but new to me was that eating raw flour can cause food-borne illness. Her technique for heat treating flour makes it safe to use. She explains what makes a good edible cookie dough, substitutions, and serving and storing dough. And, don’t try to bake the dough, as there are no eggs or leavening ingredients.
How to heat-treat flour
The author writes, “Heattreating your flour is a must to ensure your dough is safe to eat. ... It’s a simple process and takes only minutes to do. You can heat-treat your flour ahead of time, just be sure to store it in a clean container, separately from raw flour.”
Materials needed: Flour, 2 microwave-safe bowls, microwave, spoon, candy thermometer, sifter.
Measure the amount of flour needed for the recipe and place it a microwave-safe bowl. Place the bowl in the microwave and heat for 30 seconds on high. Take the bowl out of the microwave and stir the flour. It will clump together, but that’s OK. Heat the flour for two additional 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval. After heating the flour for a total of 11⁄2 minutes, place the candy thermometer into the center of the flour. The temperature should read above 160 degrees. Place the sifter over the other bowl and sift the flour into it until no lumps remain. Make sure the bowl is big enough that you can stir your flour in it without making a mess. Allow the flour to cool completely before using it in your edible cookie dough recipe.
Note: If you don’t have a thermometer, that’s OK. Heating the flour for 11⁄2 minutes is more than enough to kill any possible bacteria. If you place your finger into the center of the flour, it should be hot enough that you can’t keep your finger there for more than a few seconds.
Birthday cake cookie dough
The author writes, “This is the flavor that inspired it all. As I ate my cake batter-flavored ice cream when I first had the idea for Unbaked, I knew I wanted birthday cake to be a main flavor. I set out to create a recipe that tastes just like that ice cream and just like the real stuff. I truly think I accomplished that.”
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heat-treated, all-purpose flour
1 cup boxed yellow cake mix 1⁄4 teaspoon salt 1⁄2 cup rainbow sprinkles
In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. It should take about 30 seconds on high. Scrape down the sides of the bowl when done.
Add the vanilla and mix on low until combined.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cake mix, and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing on low. Mix until the flour has been fully incorporated.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the rainbow sprinkles by hand.
Eat immediately or store in an airtight container for 2 weeks at room temperature, 1 month in the refrigerator, or 3 months in the freezer. Serves 6-8.
Vegan pina colada cookie dough
The author writes, “When people hear there are no eggs in Unbaked’s dough, they always ask if it’s vegan. Unfortunately, it’s not, due to the butter we use. This recipe is for all of the vegan cookie dough lovers out there who have patiently waited for me to create a vegan flavor. I decided to play off of the use of coconut oil and use it to my advantage to create this extremely flavorful dough.”
1 cup unflavored coconut oil (Look for a brand with no coconut flavor or aroma)
2 tablespoons coconut oil (Look for a brand with a strong flavor and aroma)
1 cup sugar
2 cups heat-treated, all-purpose flour 1⁄4 teaspoon salt 1⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons pineapple preserves
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the coconut oils until completely combined. Add the sugar to the coconut oil mixture and cream together for 30 seconds on high. Scrape down the sides of the bowl when done. In a medium bowl, combine the flour and salt and whisk until combined. Gradually add the flour mixture to the coconut oil mixture and mix until fully incorporated. Add the pineapple preserves and mix until the preserves are evenly mixed throughout the dough. Eat immediately or store in an airtight container for 1 month in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer. Serves 6-8.
Maple bacon cookie dough
2 strips of thick-cut maple bacon 1 cup butter 1⁄2 cup lightly packed brown sugar 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar 1⁄2 teaspoon imitation maple extract 13⁄4 cups heat-treated, all-purpose flour 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
In a medium skillet, cook the bacon on medium heat until mildly crunchy (feel free to make it more or less crunchy to fit your liking). Once cooked, place it on paper towels to drain and cool. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. It should take about 30 seconds on high. Scrape down the sides of the bowl when done. Add the maple extract and mixed until combined. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix on low until fully incorporated. Cut the cooled bacon into small pieces. Fold into the dough by hand until combined. Eat immediately or store in an airtight container for 5 days in the refrigerator or 2 weeks in the freezer. Serves 6-8.
Note: This dough is amazing to use as a spread on toast or to put a scoop on top of pancakes or waffles for breakfast. If you want to use it as a spread, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of milk to thin it to your liking.
Culinary calendar
Barrel-Aged Brew Fest, Jan. 19, 1 p.m., Black Hog Brewing, 115 Hurley Road, Oxford, 203-2626075, $45; designated-driver tickets $10. Sample barrel-aged beers and ciders from Connecticut and regional breweries and producers. The Caseus Cheese Truck and Chief Brody’s Banh Mi will be on site, with snacks from Drunk Alpaca. Participating breweries and tickets at https://bit.ly/2F2LHHa.
Mohegan Sun’s Sun Wine & Food Fest, Jan. 24-27. Celebritychef appearances, tastings of fine wines, bourbons and beers and cuisine from a variety of regional restaurants. On Jan. 24, “Boston Brews and Bites,” features top Boston chefs teamed with Boston pro athletes. They’ll cook their favorite tailgate dishes. Saturday’s Grand Tasting features 1,000 varieties of wine, beer and spirits and Saturday night’s Celebrity Chef Dine Around, with more than 20 top chefs, including Bobby Flay, Todd English, Alex Guarnaschelli, Marcus Samuelsson and Rocco DiSpirito. For schedule of events and prices, visit sunwinefest.com. What chef would you like me to interview? Which restaurant recipes or other recipes would you like to have? Which food products do you have difficulty finding? Do you have cooking questions? Send them to me: Stephen Fries, professor and coordinator of the Hospitality Management Programs at Gateway Community College, at gw-stephen.fries@gwcc.commnet.edu or Dept. FC, Gateway Community College, 20 Church St., New Haven, 06510. Include your full name, address and phone number. (Due to volume, I might not be able to publish every request. For more, go to stephenfries.com.)