Cover-to-Cover: Holiday Cookies: "Thai Peanut Butter Cookies"

 

I signed up for the Bitten Word's Cover-to-Cover: Holiday Cookies Project and got assigned the   Vegetarian Times "Thai Peanut Butter Cookies".   A quick peak in my cupboard, confirmed that  I had all the needed ingredients on hand when the assignment came in.   Since Tim was off in India again, I jumped right in and made a batch . 

 

Results:  The cookie reminded me of Willy Wonka’s famous "3 course meal" in  a stick of gum with each flavor being unique and  having a time release on the tongue.  The cookie starts on the palate as a  classic peanut butter cookie, followed by a creamy coconut note, and ends with the surprising bite of heat from the curry.  This is great refrigerator roll cookie that will stand out from the crowd - a real keeper but use the kitchen aid instead of recommended mixer.  These cookies are  much too dense for an  electric mixer  and not really a Christmas cookie, but I will make again.

I followed the rules and made the cookies as written except I misread the instructions and added the coconut into the batter.    So I ran a small test batch with one cookie with no topping, one with chopped peanuts, and one 1/2 sweetened coconut and the other unsweetened coconut. 
All were good, but in the end I like plain or maybe a hint of salt. 
 
Best part of these cookies is that the dough should freeze well .  The batch made a giant roll  of 18" and will make more like 72 cookies. 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp. baking soda
• 8 oz. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 Tbs. Thai red curry paste
• 1 ½ cups crunchy peanut butter ( 1 cup peanut butter, plus 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups unsweetened coconut flakes or shredded coconut (I used 1/2 sweetened and 1/2 unsweetened coconut flakes and use scant cups of both brown and white sugar to compensate)

Whisk together flour and baking soda in large bowl.

Cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar in separate bowl with electric mixer. Add eggs and curry paste, and beat 1 minute. Beat in peanut butter and vanilla, then flour mixture.( I added coconut here in error, but it was great mixed in!)

Shape dough into 3-inch-wide roll wrapped in plastic wrap.(Roll like a giant sushi roll.) Refrigerate 4 hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice dough into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, and place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Sprinkle with coconut, or chopped nuts or just a few flakes of salt. . Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are crispy but cookies are still soft in the middle. Cool on baking sheets.