Case of the enigmatic cookies...

There’s really no great story to which I can liken these cookies. Actually, these cookies are somewhat of an enigma. They’re the type of cookies that when you take a bite, your brain goes a bit haywire. An edible puzzle, that’s what they are. One which can only be solved by—you guessed it—eating more cookies! Born of “leftover” lineage, these cookies have candied nuts, plumped raisins, white chocolate, honey, and parmesan cheese. That’s right: parmesan cheese.

This poor little container of shaved parmesan yelped at me from its resting place in the fridge, and I knew I had to find a use for it soon. You can’t really taste the parmesan, but what you do get is a hint of tangy saltiness. It’s actually quite refreshing, and for lack of a better word, surprising. Yes, these cookies are full of surprises, and not bad ones at that.

I actually quite like these little cookies. They have some chew to them, but overall, this thick cookie has a light and cakey texture due to the cake flour and honey (the honey is a very prevalent taste). These cookies don’t spread much, either (which was exactly what I wanted)! See if you can figure out the enigma…

“Leftover” Honey Cookies
1 c AP flour
1 ½ c cake flour
½ c ground candied nuts, packed (recipe below)
¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
¼ c granulated sugar
½ c brown sugar
¼ c honey
½ c (1 stick) butter, softened
1 egg
1 yolk
½ c shaved parmesan, packed
½ c plumped raisins
½ c candied nuts, chopped (recipe below)
1 c white chocolate chips

(1) Make candied nuts. (See recipe below.) Plump raisins by covering them with water in saucepan, bringing water to boil, and then turning off heat, covering saucepan, and allowing them to rest for 8-10 minutes. Then, strain the raisins and set aside. (They may not look plump, but they are.)

(2) Whisk AP flour, cake flour, ground nuts, baking soda and powder together. Set aside.

(3) Cream sugars, honey, and butter together for about 3-5 minutes until lighter in color. Add egg and egg yolk and mix until completely combined.

(4) Add flour mixture in three parts, mixing only until just combined. Mix in parmesan, raisins, chopped nuts, and white chocolate chips.

(5) Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

(6) Preheat oven to 350. Bake cookies for approximately 10-12 minutes (until edges are slightly brown). (These cookies will not brown extensively.)

Yield: 30 cookies

Candied Nuts

2 cups of raw nuts (I used walnuts and almonds)
1 egg white, slightly beaten
¼ cup sugar (I used a combination of mainly granulated with a bit of brown)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cloves
Sprinkle of nutmeg

(1) Preheat oven to 350.

(2) Toss nuts and egg white together until all the nuts are coated.

(3) Mix in sugars and spices until all nuts are coated.

(4) Spread mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, taking care that the nuts are not overlapping too much. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool before chopping or grinding.

(5) Chop or grind as needed.