Gift This! Gourmet Toasted Cookie Dough in a Jar

This year I'm adding something unexpected to my give-away cookie trays: gourmet cookie dough! I'm talking about the kind of dough you eat instead of bake. Do you think I'll get many complaints? Yeah, right! Who doesn't love delicious edible cookie dough straight from the batter bowl? This cookie dough is eggless, and 100% edible in its raw (read: un-raw) form.

In this recipe, the flour is toasted before you use it as an ingredient. This makes the cookie dough completely safe to eat, as it removes any of the dangers associated with eating raw flour (E.coli, I'm lookin' at you!). Just place the flour on a baking sheet and toast at 300F for 10 minutes. You can also heat it in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until an instant read thermometer reads 160F.

You can find the 4 ounce lidded jars I used here. They are PET certified, which means they are food-safe and recyclable. The chocolate chip cookie dough recipe provided makes a little more than the six 4 ounce jars can hold, but that just gives you a little extra to enjoy while putting these gifts together. Of course, you can use any food-safe container you wish such as Mason jars or - my favorite - Weck canning jars.

Do you like the labels I designed?  Okay, 'design' may be too generous a word, but spare as they are, they get the job done. I printed them on clear Avery labels and you can find them for purchase here and at most any office supply store.

You can find the template for printing labels here, and if you'd like to add 'refrigerate' labels to your jars (I recommend) then you can find those here. I used scissors to cut the 'refrigerate' labels into long strips, and then adhered them to the tops of the jars and down the sides. This creates a tamper evident seal between the lid and the jar. I think it's a nice touch, and a good reminder to keep this treat cool!

So, what is 'gourmet' cookie dough? In short, it's cookie dough made with the best ingredients around. The ingredients can be endlessly varied, but consider using your favorite specialty butter (I like French butter). Sea salt, pure vanilla extract, and dark chocolate chips (such as Guittard) will make a big difference in flavor, too.

Tie these jars up with stripey ribbon and maybe even include a festive spoon (or two) like these from Sucre Shop. Viola! Instant gift without much hassle.

I love sneaking a bite of this after dinner. Sometimes that's all I need: one bite. I've been known to use a larger dose when staring down a stack of gift wrapping (sugar = energy!).

This recipe can be made up to 3 weeks ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until ready to give.

[click to print]

Edible Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough 
(Toasted Flour Version)
Yields six 4 ounce jar gifts

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup chocolate chips
2 to 4 tablespoons whole milk

Place the flour on a baking sheet and toast at 300F for 10 minutes. You can also heat it in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until an instant read thermometer reads 160F. Let cool completely before using.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together cooled flour, salt, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Pour in butter and vanilla extract. Mix until a dry dough forms. Add chocolate chips and mix on lowest speed (this is "Stir" on KitchenAid machines).

When chocolate chips are evenly dispersed, add whole milk 1 tablespoon at a time with the machine on low speed. Scoop the cookie dough into six 4-ounce jars and twist the lids on tightly (nibble on the rest while you work). Print labels if using (see blog post) or tie on a hand-written tag. Include wooden spoons with the gifts for maximum cute factor!

link Gift This! Gourmet Toasted Cookie Dough in a Jar By Heather Baird Published: Friday, December 04, 2015 Friday, December 04, 2015 Gift This! Gourmet Toasted Cookie Dough in a Jar Recipe