There is very little to say about this chef-in-training blog post recipe that I found on the internet yesterday. Except of course, that these cookies are amazing! They have all the attributes associated with good cookies. They are chewy and crisp at the same time. They taste like heaven. And they are easy to build. No other words are needed about this delicious cookie.
However, there is a lot to be said about “white chocolate chips”!
*Here’s the deal! White chocolate chips or white baking chips do not contain cocoa solids. The better chips contain a small amount of cocoa butter, but many brands contain no cocoa butter at all! Sorry to spoil your day, but the harsh truth just needed to be revealed. And if you think that all white chips are equal, you are in for an even bigger surprise.
According to Cook’s Illustrated (I trust them BTW), “White chocolate isn’t really chocolate at all. While it contains the cocoa butter of true chocolate, it lacks cocoa solids, the element responsible for milk and dark chocolate’s characteristic brown color and nutty roasted flavor. Other pale confections labeled simply “white” chips or bars (these boast less than the 20 percent cocoa butter required to earn the designation “white chocolate”) are just as common in the baking aisle of the supermarket. These milky products usually contain partially hydrogenated palm oil, palm kernel oil, soybean oil, or cottonseed oil in lieu of some or all of the cocoa butter.”
So what is your average good intentioned, honest home baker to do? Well I can’t answer for any other baker, but I can share some interesting information and suggestions for the most highly rated white chip on the market today.
The best bang for your buck and the flavor of real white chocolate are Guittard Choc-Au-Lait White Chips (first choice) and Ghirardelli Premium Baking Chips, Classic White (2nd choice).
Both are creamy and rich, and have that “real white chocolate” taste we all love so much.
So where to buy these chips? For Guittard, on-line through Amazon is your best bet. Watch the shipping charges very carefully. They can be ridiculously high.
For Ghirardelli, which I most often use, they can be found in upscale grocery stores. During the holidays, you can sometimes find them at Bartell’s (of all places). When I find them at Bartell’s, I buy several packages and store them in my freezer.
In my humble opinion, Nestlé Toll House Premier White Morsels and Hershey’s Premier White Chips should be left on the shelf of your local grocery store.
So even though “white chocolate” is kind of a misnomer, I went along with my fellow bloggers and cook book writers and used white chocolate chip in the title of this recipe. Goes to prove, I can be influenced to espouse fake rhetoric as much as any other person quoted in current news broadcasts or articles. All I can say to that is – abandon all hope!
- 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 c. granulated sugar
- ½ c. brown sugar
- 2 lg. eggs
- 2 tsp. coconut extract
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1½ c. oats
- 1 c. shredded coconut, toasted
- 1 c. white chocolate chips
- 1½ c. chopped cashews
Beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, coconut extract, and vanilla; beat until well incorporated.
In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda together. Stir in the oats. Slowly add the flour mixture into the batter until just mixed.
Add the toasted coconut, white chocolate chips, and chopped cashews. Mix until incorporated.
Using a small ice cream scoop, place dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 15-18 minutes or until cookies start to turn light brown. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.