My mom and I discovered coconut sugar a few weeks ago while we were shopping at Marshall's--one of our favorite stores. And while most of the time we joke about buying food there and are hesitant to, this time we decided buy the coconut sugar so we could try baking with it. I made "churro cookies" from a recipe by one of my favorite bloggers and my mom made brownies. We were pleased with how the coconut sugar contributed a toasty and caramel flavor to our recipes.
For those of you who are like me a few weeks ago and don't know much about coconut
sugar-- coconut sugar is made from a coconut's palm sap, and it is less refined than regular granulated sugar. After doing some research I found that coconut sugar is also said to contain more vitamins and minerals than regular table sugar. I also found out from livestrong.com that coconut palm sugar was found to be the most sustainable sweetener in the world by United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization in 2014 (I'll put a link to the article below). All of this being said, all types of sugars and sweeteners should be consumed in moderation.
Alright does anyone even read these paragraphs?! Anyways...check out the recipe below to find out how I used my coconut sugar. Not sure where to find coconut sugar? Follow the link below if you want to buy some organic coconut sugar online for just 3$.
Ingredients (makes 1 sheet pan of cookie brittle)
- 14 tbsp butter (1 & 3/4 stick)
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
How to make it
- preheat oven to 350 degrees
- melt butter in a sauce pan and add coconut sugar
- once butter is just melted and sugar is whisked into the butter, mix together butter & sugar mix with the vanilla, salt, and flour
- add half of the chocolate chips to the dough
- line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
- pour dough on lined cookie sheet, and spread to the edges
- press the remaining mini chocolate chips into the dough
- cook cookie brittle for 22-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through
- once fully baked, let the brittle cool on the cookie sheet for 3 min before flipping it onto parchment paper, then flip it onto a cooling rack
- let brittle fully cool before cutting or breaking into pieces
Finished product
For next time...
Next time I would try to spread the brittle dough even thinner in order to get a crispier texture for the brittle. If you prefer a softer & chewier texture, spread the dough thicker.
Variations
If you prefer not to use coconut sugar, you can use turbinado sugar instead. Additionally, you can get creative and customize your cookie brittle by adding your favorite mix ins and toppings. Some ideas include chopped nuts (i.e.: almonds, walnuts, peanuts, cashews) craisins, pepitas, white chocolate chips, and/or shredded coconut. If you are looking for a gluten free option, try using almond flour instead of all purpose flour.
All in all
This recipe is a fun alternative to the classic chocolate chip cookie. It is easy to prepare; you can whip up a batch in about 30 minutes (including bake time!). Thanks to my readers for being patient between blog posts...now I'm off to pack for senior year! Happy baking :)