Double “L” Cookies (in memorium…)
I’m certain that you’ve all heard the analogy at one point or another of food as fuel for our bodies. But, most of the recipes I share on this site will never be touted for their nutritional value, they are certainly not anything that would be considered necessary to our survival, or to the optimal functioning of our bodies. So why do I share them? Because food is so much more than fuel for our bodies. Food is history and culture, tradition and memories. It is a connection we forge with the people we care about. Today, I want to share a very special recipe, one that represents a connection from one warmhearted man to all the lives he touched directly and all the lives he continues to touch through the memories invoked by recipes, like this one, that he freely shared.
Family is one of the most important connections we have in our lives. Not all family is connected by blood, some family you choose because you share a common code or calling. The man responsible for these cookies chose to include many friends and colleagues in his family. He was a decorated veteran helicopter pilot with accolades, accomplishments, and a huge heart. He was well known for his skill as a cook and baker. As he made his way in the civilian world, he would do things like show up to work for a 24-hour shift with ice chests (yes, plural) of food. He would often bake plates of cookies to share, defending them from the hands of his coworkers so the intended recipients would have a chance to enjoy them.
Every year this man’s chosen family embark on a hike in his memory. And every year someone bakes these cookies, bringing them along on the hike to share when the summit of the mountain has been attained, a time and place to reflect on the importance of the family connections he forged. In that brief moment, with the taste of a treat from a friend, mentor, and brother that we lost, his memory is strengthened and new connections are formed – a family that continues to grow in his memory.
And so today, in his memory and his tradition, I am sharing this recipe for a treat that is part cookie, part granola bar, combining sweet bananas, sturdy oats, and aromatic spices and packed with white chocolate chips, craisins, and English toffee bits. A warm, wholesome, outdoorsy treat that so wonderfully reflects his nature. I hope that you will feel a connection through his food and, in making these cookies, continue to pass that connection on to your chosen family.
Double “L” Cookies
Equipment
- 2 bowls
- Electric mixer
- kitchen scale, accurate to 1g (or measuring cups and spoons)
- whisk
- cookie scoop (#30 scoop will yield 25 cookies)
- baking sheets
Ingredients
- 200 g flour
- 7 g baking soda
- 1 g salt
- 110 g butter melted
- 110 g dark brown sugar
- 50 g sugar
- 1 large egg
- 5 ml vanilla
- 200 g old fashioned oats NOT quick oats
- 8 g ground cinnamon
- 1 g ground nutmeg
- 100 g ripe banana mashed well
- 160 g craisins
- 170 g white chocolate chips or white yogurt chips or cream cheese chips
- 108 g English toffee bits
Instructions
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.200 g flour, 7 g baking soda, 1 g salt
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the melted butter and sugars until creamy – almost the texture of frosting.110 g butter, 110 g dark brown sugar, 50 g sugar
- Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined.1 large egg, 5 ml vanilla
- Stir in oatmeal, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix well.200 g old fashioned oats, 8 g ground cinnamon, 1 g ground nutmeg
- Stir in mashed banana and mix well.100 g ripe banana
- Stir about 1/3 of the flour mixture into the sugar/butter/egg mix, then stir in the craisins, chips and toffee.160 g craisins, 170 g white chocolate chips, 108 g English toffee bits
- Stir in the rest of flour mixture. Chill the dough for about 20 min.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with silicone mats of parchment paper.
- Using a cookie scoop, portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets leaving about 2 inches between the cookies. Bake for 10-12 min, the cookies should be puffy, set and lightly golden.
Notes
Notes from Double “L”:
Flavor Variations:
- Use orange or cherry flavored dried cranberries.
- Add a handful of some your favorite chopped nuts, or raw sunflower seeds or raw pumpkin seeds.
- Substitute regular chocolate chips, or cinnamon chips (hard to find), in place of some or all the white chocolate chips.
- A few drops of butter flavor, banana flavor, or whatever other flavors you like are nice in addition to the vanilla.
Health Variations
For less cholesterol:- Cut out 2 or 3 tablespoons of butter and use 2 or 3 tablespoons of light or butter-flavored Olive Oil instead
- Use 65g or ¼ cup egg substitute in place of the 1 large egg
My recommendations:
- It is not necessary to melt the butter – I would, instead, suggest just softening the butter or allowing it to come to room temperature. This will reduce the amount of time it takes achieve the correct consistency when creaming the sugars and butter. If you do plan to melt the butter, I suggest placing it in a small saucepan and adding 5g or 1 tablespoon non-fat dry milk powder. Cook over medium heat until the milk solids are a deep golden brown and have a nutty aroma. Once the butter is browned, remove from the heat and add enough water to bring the weight back to 110g.
- Unless you have a dietary restriction to limit your salt, or are baking with salted butter (I typically use unsalted butter for all of my baking), I would recommend increasing the salt to at least 1/2 teaspoon or 3g.
- Scoop the dough into individual portions before chilling, once the dough is chilled through and firm, press each ball of dough into a ½ inch thick puck. Bake straight from the refrigerator for 12 minutes. This helps control the spread and shape of the finished cookie and results in a chewy edge and tender center.
Nutrition
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