Worry Free Cookie Dough

Ok, do I have any cookie dough lovers out there?  Who doesn’t, right? I made chocolate chips cookies last week for the boys for a little after school sweet surprise.  The funny thing was, the first thing they said when they got home wasn’t, “hey Mom thanks for the cookies!”  It was,“ Is there any cookie dough left?” Of course they ate the cookies too, but their first thought was, cookie DOUGH!  They know I always have left over cookie dough, because I make a double batch, so I have enough to scoop up the rest in my cookie scooper and freeze. This is great for those last minute late night chocolate cravings.

 I’m not a cookie dough guard. If they want to snitch some dough from the bowl, I’m good.  We collect our eggs everyday from a cute little coup in our backyard. The eggs are fresher than fresh.  Although, if they prefer to eat more cookie dough rather than cookies, maybe I need to re-think this and find a recipe without eggs.  But wait, not only are the raw eggs potentially harmful,  I just learned that raw flour is too. What?! I can’t tell you how many undercooked rolls I’ve eaten in my life.  Not to mention, the bowls and bowls of cookie dough. So, even though I’ve never fallen deathly ill, it may be a good idea to find a safer recipe option without eggs and raw flour and try it out.  But...I'll never give up my vanilla!:)  

 

HOW TO HEAT TREAT FLOUR  

Toasting flour in a 350F oven for just 5 minutes we kill off any harmful bacteria, allowing us to eat this edible cookie dough without fear.

To make it:

1. Preheat your oven to 350F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (this will make transferring the flour so easy).
2. Measure out your flour and evenly spread it over the parchment paper.
3. Bake in your preheated oven for 5-7 minutes.

To ensure that the flour is really safe, I recommend using an instant read thermometer to verify that the temperature is at least 160F. Allow flour to cool before proceeding with recipe. During the heat treating process, I found that some of the flour has the tendency to clump or bake together.  To keep these clumps out of your cookie dough, run the flour through a sifter before stirring it into your edible cookie dough.  Also, make sure you let it cool!  It cools quickly, but too-hot flour can melt your other ingredients, leaving you with nothing but an edible mess.

 Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (215g)
• 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature! (226g)
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar, tightly packed (250g)
• 1/4 cup sugar (50g)
• 1 teaspoon VanillaPura Madagascar rum vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-2 Tablespoons milk optional*
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips I recommend using a mix of mini and regular sized (85g)

Optional Mix-Ins:

• creamy peanut butter
• colored sprinkles
• crumbled Oreos

 Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread flour in an even layer over the parchment paper.
2. Bake on 350F (72C) oven for 5-7 minutes**
3. Allow flour to cool, then run it through a sifter to break up any clumps that may have formed while baking.  Set aside.
4. In a large bowl (preferably a stand mixer), combine softened butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Use an electric mixer to cream together until very creamy and very well-combined, 1-3 minutes.
5. Gradually add cooled, sifted flour, stirring until completely combined. If dough is too stiff after thoroughly stirring, add milk, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
6. Stir in chocolate chips (and any additional add-ins you might like!)

7. Store cookie dough in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Cookie dough will firm up some in the refrigerator, so for best enjoyment let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before enjoying leftovers