Several weeks ago, I saw a conversation taking place on Facebook that greatly intrigued me. My brother's partner had asked her friends and family to guess what the secret ingredient in her chocolate chip cookies were. By the time I found the guessing game for myself everything I could have come up with had already been guessed. Perplexed, I went about my business remembering to return to her profile later that day for the answer. Needless to say I was surprised to read the mysterious additive had been vermouth! Obviously, I decided to try my own hand at making cookies with vermouth and that is what I did today.
Awhile back, my wife wanted to become a martini drinker. Unfortunately for Chris, her tastebuds and aspirations didn't exactly see eye to eye. But that meant I just happened to have some vermouth in my liquor cabinet. Hooray!
So, if martinis aren't really our thing, why try using vermouth in a batch of cookies? For starters, vermouth is an intriguing spirit. It is essentially an infusion of botanicals and to me that means flavors. Depending on the maker, it can contain essenses of wormwood, saffron, elderflower, and even licorice root. Maybe now you can see the appeal? I turned to a favorite oatmeal cookie recipe and I made a few alterations, tasting as I went. Ultimately please with the result, these cookies are superb. They are crisp around the edges and soft in the middle. They have a unique flavor that truly does leave you asking yourself, "why are these so good?" The botanical essense is not overly pronounced; you can simply tell there's something mysterious at work here. Give this recipe a try, or experiment by using an old standard you love but swapping the vanilla extract in it for vermouth. Ingredients
Instructions
Combine the evaporated cane juice, vermouth, and coconut oil in a standing mixer or a large mixing bowl while using an electric hand mixer. Process until the sugar is somewhat dissolved, 2-3 minutes or so. Mix in the baking soda, salt, arrowroot, and oats. After they become incorporated, mix in the flour a little at a time. If the dough is still on the crumbly side, mix in up to 2 tablespoons water. Add it until the dough starts becoming sticky enough to form into balls. Then stir in the chocolate chips.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls, or bigger. Gently press each ball down with your palm to flatten. Shape them into well-formed circles between 2-3 inches across. Spread them out evenly as they will become a little bit wider during baking. For 2-inch cookies, bake for 10 minutes. For 3-inch cookies, bake for up to 12 minutes. Makes approximately 10-12 cookies. And just a note...
Because I am vegan myself I want to mention that not all vermouth varieties are vegan-friendly. When purchasing nearly any alcohol, consult the website www.barnivore.com to ensure you make the ethical choice.
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