For Epicurious, by Katherine Sacks.
It’s hard to find a child (or, um, an adult, TBH) who doesn’t like licking the spoon while mixing cookie dough. Not only is it hard to wait for the baked cookies to be done, but there’s something so addictive about that sweet, sticky dough. But unfortunately, because of the possibility of salmonella contamination from raw eggs or E. coli exposure from uncooked flour, raw dough isn’t actually okay for kids — or grown-ups — to eat.
Which is why places like DŌ, a trendy new spot in New York City, have been making waves lately by selling safe versions of raw cookie dough scooped into cups or cones, in a milkshake, or as part of an ice cream sundae. The store makes their dough with pasteurized eggs and heat-treated flour, but home cook–friendly recipes for safe, raw cookie dough have been popping up all over the internet.
But when I tried the homemade, eggless versions I found online, I wasn’t too impressed. Without the egg, the dough felt dry; it lacked that familiar moist cookie-dough texture. Which made me wonder, how could I make eggless cookie dough that tastes, well, good? With a little trial and error — and lots and lots of dough — I figured it out. The final product is a super-fun, nostalgic treat that’s perfect for making with kids.
Here’s how to make edible cookie dough so delicious you won’t want to wait to bake it:
STEP 1: TOAST THE FLOUR
First step, make sure the dough is actually safe to eat. I was surprised to find many eggless cookie dough recipes online called for raw flour, even though the FDA warns that raw flour can contain strains of E.coli. To be safe — and make the cookie dough even more delicious — toast the flour in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes.
“To be safe — and make the cookie dough even more delicious — toast the flour in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes.”
STEP 2: USE WHITE AND BROWN SUGAR
The best chocolate chip cookies are made with both white and brown sugar; the blend of sugars imparts just the right levels of sweetness, structure, and flavor. Although Our Favorite Chocolate Chip cookies have a 1:1 ratio of white to brown sugar, in the raw version that gave the dough too strong of a molasses flavor, so I cut back on the brown sugar a bit.
STEP 3: ADD WARM FLOUR
The key to raw cookie dough is that soft, moist texture. After making several rounds of dough, I finally figured out the unlikely key to nailing that perfect texture: warm flour. Adding the toasted flour into the mixer while it's still warm gently heats the butter and sugar, creating a soft, creamy blend that has that perfect cookie dough texture.
STEP 4: ADD FLAVOR
After you've added the warm flour, chill the dough for 10 minutes to cool everything down, and then the flavor fun begins. For traditional cookie dough, add chocolate chips. Or crumble up sandwich cookies for a cookies and cream spin. Mix in toasted oats, cinnamon, walnuts, and raisins for an oatmeal-raisin version.
The Epi team favorite? Peanut butter, with creamy peanut butter, chopped up peanut butter cups, and peanut butter candies stirred in. And my personal fave is the Rocky Road version, with cocoa powder, almonds, marshmallows, and chocolate chips. Try one, try them all, or mix and match the mix-ins. Because now that you know how to make edible cookie dough, you can make it in whatever flavor you like.
STEP 5: GET AS CREATIVE AS YOU WANT WHEN SERVING
Once your dough is made, there are endless ways to serve it. Roll it into balls and stash in the fridge for quick treats. Scoop your kids' favorite flavors into cups and top with sprinkles and chopped-up candy. Press a scoop of softened ice cream between two flattened disks of cookie dough and freeze for an unexpected twist on an ice cream sandwich. Add a spoonful to a milkshake or crumble it onto sundaes. Or keep it easy and old-school: stick a wooden spoon in a bowl of dough and let the kids go to town.
Get this recipe: Edible Cookie Dough with Variations
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