Cookies
Final Idea + Recipe
Coconut Curry Cookies
After some experimenting and research, I decide on the idea of a coconut-peanut-curry oatmeal cookie.
This cookie is vegan, meaning no animal products are being used(eggs, butter, etc.). It contains peanuts and gluten.
The base of this cookie is composed of flour and oats. The curry flavor is strong, but also with it come the coconut and a hint of spiciness from the cayenne pepper. It is slightly sweetened but leans more toward the savory side. The texture is soft, but not chewy. The dough also contains chunks of dried coconut and dried apricot.
Although curry cookie is uncommon but not unheard of, none of the recipes from my browsing are vegan. Coconut cream or coconut milk is usually in place of heavy cream for many curry recipes. It seems that it doesn’t take butter and egg to create the curry flavor, so I decided to make curry but in the form of cookies. The flavor will stay mainly the same, but with some touches of sweetness to make it more like a dessert; the added coconut and apricot chunks also helped. The oats are to give the cookie a chewy texture and help the dough bond.



Recipe
- All-purpose flour-1/2 cup
- Old fashioned rolled oats-1 1/4 cup
- Stevia-1/2 cup
- Curry powder-1 tbsp
- Ground ginger-2 tsp
- Cayenne pepper(red pepper ground)-2 dashes
- Sweetened coconut strips, diced-1/3 cup
- Dried Turkish apricots, diced-15 pieces
- Grounded flax seed(mixed with water)-1.5 tbsp
- Peanut butter-1/2 cup
- Extra virgin coconut oil-1/4 cup
- Coconut cream-1/3~1/2 cup
- Mix dry ingredients, spices, diced coconut and apricots in one bowl.
- Whisk together coconut oil, flax egg, peanut butter, and coconut cream until mixed thoroughly.
- Add wet mixture into the dry, mix with a spatula until no dry flour is visible. Add more coconut cream if the dough is dry.
- Grease a sheet pan with coconut oil.
- Use a 3-tbsp cookie scoop, scoop dough onto the sheet pan, press flat and gently shape with a spoon.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15~20 minutes, or until the bottoms are brown and the dough is set and doesn’t fall apart upon pinching.
- Let cool on a cooling rack(optional) before bagging.


Idea Generation
First, I asked myself: What is a cookie?

Although the definition can be very broad, I listed the components that I believe would apply to my cookie.
I then brainstormed random ideas to get a head start.



I started with the idea of making a savory cookie. I listed several characteristic I want the cookie to have: vegan(does not contain animal products), chewy, flat, rounded, and with add-ins.
The idea of pesto came to mind. I personally enjoyed it over pasta and on bread, but I have not explored its flavor to a great extent. I have cayenne pepper in hand, and thought it would pair well with pesto. Traditional pesto is made of oil, pine nuts, basil, garlic and cheese. I thought about purchasing vegan pesto and using nutritional yeast — a common vegan substitute for cheese — to bring out the cheesy flavor.
I soon realized that this cookie would have contained too much fat if a great amount of pesto is used. However I want the pesto to pop out and be the main flavor.
To my knowledge, a common substitute for oil is applesauce. However, I do not want sweetness of the apple to be a flavor in this cookie, it would not pair well with pesto.

I then looked back at the characteristics I listed. The chewiness in cookie is the result of the combination of sugar and fat, which means I would need to have sugar in my cookie. This contradicts with my plan. I came up with several ways to make up, which are oats, using coconut oil and shredded coconut.
After some brainstorming, I decided to list some ground rules that I wouldn’t change no matter the flavor. In addition, I decided to have the cookies bake in oven. Since I want to be creative with the flavor, baking is the best way to have all the flavors blend.

I stepped back and reconsidered the flavor profile. I listed two more ideas that I came up on the spot. The curry cranberry idea came from a hummus flavor created by the place I used to work at. The Piña colada idea came from the shredded coconut when I brainstormed ways to make the cookie chewy; having dried apricot in hand, I decided it would pair well with the coconut.
I separated the ingredients into three parts: base, fat and add-ins. The curry-cranberry cookie leans toward the savory side, thus it wouldn’t disturb the flavor if whole wheat flour is used. The Piña colada cookie is sweet and rich, and would not pair well with the earthy flavor and coarse texture of whole wheat flour.
However, after test 1 I realized that the Piña colada idea doesn’t work as well as I’ve imagined. The details will be explained under Idea 1 Test.
Idea 1 Test
I decided to test the Piña colada cookie.

I decided to add Nutella thinking hazelnut would go well with coconut and pineapple. This addition makes the cookie more novel and may appeal to the people who enjoy Nutella.
I also substituted eggs with flax-egg, a paste made by mixing grounded flax seed and water. This results a paste that has similar texture to egg. Flax egg is a common substitute in vegan baking.
I listed the ingredients and went for a grocery run. I omitted the rum extract because I wouldn’t find any in the given time. I also decided to use pineapple juice instead of canned pineapples, since I already have coconut and apricot as my add-ins.


After mixing dry and wet ingredients, the dough turned out to be sticky. I added more flour(1/2 cup+2 tbsp), but this later resulted a very doughy, bland flavor.
I baked the cookies in the oven preheated to 350 F. It is the most common temperature for baking cookies, I want to start here and make changes if needed.

When shaping dough, I used a 3 tbsp cookie scoop. To test the ideal size for final product, I shaped the dough into three sizes: 1 tbsp, 1.5 tbsp and 3 tbsp.
Cookies are baked for 12 minutes, or until the bottom is firm and edges are slightly brown. I decided 12–15 minutes to be the ideal baking time.


However, the cookies did not spread at all. After taking them out, I used a fork to press them down while they were still hot and soft.
Taste Test
- Soft, doughy
- Not much Nutella or pineapple flavor
- Bland
- Coconut and apricot offers a good flavor
- Strong coconut flavor
- Not oily, but can tell it has too much fat
Reflection/Impovement

- Too much flour
- Press the dough down before baking
- Use more coconut chips and dried apricot
- Use more Nutella
- Use more pineapple juice
- Use less oil
- Use less water when making flax-egg
- Bake for a longer time so the edges are crisp, may work better with the flavor
Idea 2 Test
Onto test 2, I decided to go with the curry idea. I have curry powder, ginger and raisin in hand. Since coconut is a important component in many curries, I decided to make use of my coconut cream and coconut oil as well.
Since the cookies from test 1 came out doughy and bland. I added oats in test 2 in hope to give it some texture. Peanut butter will take the place of Nutella, since it is also a common ingredient in curries. Other ingredients mostly stayed the same, so is the coconut component.

I later decided to omit raisin, since coconut and apricot is enough for add-in. Too many chunky add-ins will not help the bonding of the dough, considering oats are also used.

Dry and wet ingredients are mixed separately, then combined. The dough first turned out to be too dry, so a splash of coconut cream is added. To test the ideal size, I baked two sizes of cookies, one with 3 tablespoons of dough and the other 1.5 tablespoons. I pressed the dough down and shaped them using my hand. The batch could make 6 3-tbsp sized (big)cookies.

After 15 minutes of baking under 350F, The bottom firmed up and turned brown. However, the cookies were dry and crumbled later upon flipping and moving.

Taste Test
The curry and coconut taste truly stood out. Cayenne can also be tasted, which added a savory note to the overall flavor.

Reflection/Improvement
- Dough too dry-add more flax egg, oil or coconut cream
- Scale back the curry powder by a little
- Scale back the sugar so it doesn’t conflict with the curry
- Use less oats, more flour to help it bond
- For add-ins , use less dried coconut and more dried apricot
Test 2 eventually became a model for my final product. I tweaked the recipe a bit according to the reflection, and baked the cookies for a longer time. Flavor stayed the same.
Iteration
One of the challenges of making vegan cookies is finding the right ingredient to help the dough bond. Although it can be achieved by using more flour, the end product may turn out cake-like and bland, like test 1. I learned that some kind of paste needs to be used to add moisture, like Nutella or peanut butter. Moisture is also important in achieving a chewy texture. This idea is incorporated throughout my testings.
TEST 1: Nutella, coconut oil, flax-egg
- Result: soft, cake-y
TEST 2: Peanut butter, coconut oil, oats, flax-egg
- Result: dry
TEST3: More peanut butter, coconut oil, less oats more flour, more flax-egg
- Result: less dry than Test 2
Secondly, I wanted to make savory cookies. Although I didn’t move forward with the pesto idea at the very beginning, it did provoke me to consider the balance between sweet and savory. In traditional recipes, sugar is an essential component; it not only goes through caramelization to enhance the flavor, but also keeps the baked goods moist. While I omitted sugar entirely and used stevia instead, I only used a small amount to balance out the deep flavor of the curry powder. Cayenne is also a brave move, but turned out it adds a unique tone to the overall flavor.
Another issue I faced is the spreading of the cookie. Not knowing that the spreading effect comes from butter, I did not press the dough down in test 1, resulting cookies that stayed in the shape of balls. In test 2 and my final recipe, I flattened the dough into a circle, knowing its shape won’t change much after baking. However, if I were to re-make my cookies, I would make them thicker so they won’t break easily.
9/4 TUESDAY
Timeline-outline-brainstorming ideas-brief research
9/5 WEDNESDAY
(Morning)Research about ingredients-compare similar version online
Develop unique ideas regarding the flavor/ingredients used
9/6 THURSDAY
Find a recipe online to twist off of(vegan, includes more fat/oil, like the peanut butter cookies)
Decide on ingredients(what, how much) and where to get them from
9/7 FRIDAY
Researching more-reflect on my ideas, make improvements/changes if needed
9/8 SATURDAY
Errands run-grocery stores-get all the ingredients for testing and final project
9/9 SUNDAY
Test 1-bake cookies in the kitchen in Middlebrook hall-make adjustments-Have others try them and give feedback
Calculate yield and amount of ingredients needed
Grocery run if needed
9/10 MONDAY
Organizing materials and notes from test 1
9/11 TUESDAY
(Morning)Test 2-Bake cookies based on the adjustments-final product
Seek feedback from others
9/12 WEDNESDAY
Organizing ideas-decide on final recipe
9/14 THURSDAY
(Morning)Bake final cookies and bring them to class!
