Edible chocolate cookie dough with cherries

Yesterday was #NationalChocolateChipCookieDay! So why shouldn’t we celebrate with something that is equally (or in my mind, superior) as delicious… Edible cookie dough.

More specifically CHOCOLATE cookie dough with cherries!

Why not chocolate chip, I hear you say? Well, last night I did a Twitter chat and the theme was ‘cookies’. One of the questions was to design your ultimate cookie flavour. That is a difficult question indeed as all my favourite flavour combinations (chocolate chip, mint choc chip, anything chocolate for that matter) has already been discovered. It got me thinking that one of my most favourite ice cream flavours is cherry and chocolate.

Sue me, but I’m not a huge fan of baked cookies. There is just something that I feel is a miss. Perhaps they are too sweet or too soft or perhaps not soft at all. I am yet to come across a cookie that will blow me over. That said, I’m a total sucker for edible cookie dough. I simply cannot get enough of it! Especially when it is paired with ice cream – it makes for a very decadent dessert.

Is cookie dough safe to eat?

Edible cookie dough is very different from regular cookie dough. For one, the flour is heat treated* to ensure that any harmful bacteria has been killed.

It also doesn’t contain raw ingredients that may become harmful over time.

It therefore is a combination of processes and the right ingredients that will determine whether or not you can eat the dough. (I am never impartial to licking the bowl when I’m baking though! That is the best part…)

Can I bake cookies from edible cookie? dough?

You can certainly try, but I guarantee you that it will simply be a hot mess. Edible cookie dough doesn’t contain eggs to provide structure, nor does it contain any rising agents so your cookie will be rock solid (if it bakes at all).

Storing edible cookie dough

I have never had to store edible cookie dough for more than a day since I normally just make enough for one or two portions so that I won’t have to worry about storing it. That said, it should last as long as the most recent expiry date of your ingredients. I put both butter and milk in my recipe and therefore if I keep it in the fridge I will have to eat it before the milk expires. In the freezer it will keep well in an airtight container for a month. If you do freeze it, ball it up first and freeze in a single layer on a baking tray. That way you only need to take out what you need.

Heat treating the flour

This process couldn’t be any easier! Measure out and sift your flour onto a baking tray. I like to put mine on parchment paper as it makes it easier to transfer to my mixing bowl.

Preheat the oven for 5 minutes to 180℃ or 350℉. Once the oven is hot, place your flour (and cocoa powder if you are using that like I am) into the oven and toast the flour for 5 minutes. It shouldn’t change colour, but it will be hot.

Once toasted you can use it immediately to make your delicious edible cookie dough!

Do you fancy any more sweet stuff?