Triple Coconut Cookies

In the past few months, I feel like I've finally started cracking the secret code of recipe development. In truth, I've been working towards developing my own recipes since the beginning of this blog, but progress has been very slow. At first, I changed a few ingredients here or there, playing around with different flavors. With these slight adjustments, I felt like I was moving forward, one chocolate chip at a time.

Even though I did leave a significant mark, the recipes were always another's at heart.

Sometimes I would jump full force into an idea, combining ingredients with abandon and without the experience to know in what proportions they should come together. The results were mixed, with at least half ending up in the trash. I grew frustrated waiting for experience to catch up to the visions in my head. The ability to develop recipes wasn't a natural ability bestowed by the pastry gods; it would have to be earned through long hours in front of a stand mixer.

I woke up well before the sun to spend my mornings in a bakery. There were tears over spilled cake(s). There were plates piled high with treats brought to work and shared with friends.

It took precisely three tries to get these Triple Coconut Cookies right. The first time I didn't add enough flour and the cookies spread out thinly in the oven. While the flavor was right, the texture wasn't quite what I had envisioned. The second attempt was improved, but I knew that the tweak of a few ingredients would take the cookies from better to best.

These cookies are more than just a recipe that turned out right. In a way, they signify the journey of a girl who studied physics and made cakes from box mixes to a girl who takes a wild idea and makes it a reality in the kitchen.

Triple Coconut Cookies are truly a coconut lover's dream. The base of the cookie is made with coconut oil and stuffed with sweetened flakes for a chewy, yet soft texture. Once cooled, the cookies are topped with a light glaze infused with coconut milk to add an extra touch of sweetness. Then, as if it wasn't enough already, the cookies are topped with toasted coconut to complete the triple threat.

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Cinnamon Roll Cookies

Cinnamon is my favorite spice. It feels bold to type those words out on the page, but I sense it's the truth. Cinnamon reminds me of late autumn afternoons, when the sky is darkening, the air is crisp, and the leaves on the trees mimic the shades of the rainbow. Cinnamon reminds me of my mother's homemade rice dish—creamy, sweet, and covered with a thick layer of spice. Cinnamon reminds me of apple cider and spiced wine, close friends, and cozy evenings.

I'm finally ready for fall.

There has been a long running debate in my house over cinnamon rolls and caramel rolls. It's a bit of a silly debate to have in the first place; either roll is welcome in our home and eaten without complaint. However, if push comes to shove, our opinions emerge and are freely given. My family prefers the richness of a caramel roll, drowned in a thick layer of its namesake, while I am fond of cinnamon rolls, tender and covered in a lovely cream cheese glaze. Homemade and hot from the oven, though, it's hard to go wrong with either option.

I told you it was a silly debate.

The weather has been quickly in decline the last week, with cooler temperatures and windy evenings. Cool weather makes me feel like baking and, since I've been avoiding the oven for much of the summer, the yeast was calling me from the refrigerator. There is something about the feel of dough beneath my fingers and the scent of yeast hanging in the air that has a calming effect on me. Without much thought, I found myself whipping up a batch of cinnamon rolls. However, instead of leaving myself with a pan of large rolls I could never hope to enjoy all by myself, I cut the dough thinly and baked the rolls on their sides, turning the classic rolls into sweet cookies I can share with everyone.

A few seconds in the microwave elevate these cookies into a warm, sticky sweetness I adore.

Cinnamon Roll Cookies are full of sweetness and cinnamon and fall. The cookies are essentially cinnamon roll dough, cut thinly and baked. The cookies crisp up around the outside, but stay soft and tender on the inside resulting in a classic cinnamon roll flavor with a new texture. The cookies are made with yeast and do take a bit of time to put together, but I think the end result is definitely worth the trouble. The recipe is easily doubled if more cookies are on the menu.

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Rum Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

“It can hardly be a coincidence that no language on earth has ever produced the expression,
'As pretty as an airport.'” ― Douglas Adams

In my many travels, airports stand to be the most polarizing form of moving from one place to another. On one hand, I find airports to be indispensable—there is no way I could have traveled as far and wide as I have without them (and for that alone I feel as if I am indebted). On the other hand, I find nothing enchanting about my time spent in an airport. People love to romanticize airports, waxing and waning over the anticipation of travel or adventure, meeting old friends or coming home to family members (and these are certainly a part of the experience), but those small moments are swept away in the 5:00 am trips through airport security and the long hours of waiting.

I'm quite certain I've never walked into an airport at a reasonable time of day. Early mornings are a common theme as I set my alarm for a cringe-inducing hour, waking several times throughout the night in a panic that I've forgotten to pack something important. Soon follow the quiet moments of hauling luggage, finding boarding passes, and removing shoes to walk through the metal detector, wondering why I specifically wore a belt on today of all days. While waiting for the airplane to begin boarding, I watch my fellow passengers find the gate, all of whom seem to be in a similar state of dry eyes and caffeine-induced disarray.

A moment spent in an airport is a moment spent in limbo. Time runs on its own accord, jumping forward and backward faster than you can keep pace. It's a place that's neither here nor there, a small plot of land unto itself. It's a place where people gather and disperse. A place no one can call home. Only on a westward flying airplane can you daydream about a cheeseburger and French fries, but arrive to Egg McMuffins and disappointment.

Airports can be romantic in fairy tales and homecoming events, but I'd argue the typical reality falls a little short. My true problem with airports is not being allowed to buy a hamburger at nine in the morning when your body is telling you it's noon.

There is a place in my heart for oatmeal and raisins. It was only a matter of time for rum to join the mix. These Rum Raisin Oatmeal Cookies have all the qualities of the classic oatmeal raisin cookie with a boozy twist. The cookie base has a dark depth of flavor (in part from the addition of molasses), but the rum-soaked raisins steal the show. The cookies bake up soft and stay tender long after their stay in the oven. These cookies are not for the kids, so please keep them out of the younger ones' hands.

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