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| Yep, dandelion cookies. |
Yes. From my lawn.
No. They are not gross.
No. We did not get sick.
OK, now that we have all the important questions out of the way...
Regular readers will know I've been into trying things I've never tried before over the past few weeks (e.g., fiddleheads, rhubarb). So when I stumbled across this recipe for cookies made with dandelions, I was game.
If the idea of eating an alleged weed off your front lawn makes you nervous, try to relax. Just wash the flowers really well in cool water and pinch the bottom of the bloom to release the yellow petals. There's a better explanation of what to do from the Splendid Table (and it's easy once you try it).
To be clear, these are only partially in the cookie family. They are almost more like a breakfast cookie or a tea biscuit -- cookie-like, but not nearly as sweet.
Some of the previous recipe testers had mentioned that when they stuck directly to the recipe, the cookies were not sweet at all. So, being all ninja-like, I added about 1/3 cup of brown sugar to the batter to sweeten it up a little (heh, you're lucky I didn't throw in some bacon, which is my usual go-to mix-in).
The result was definitely a little sweetness but still not cookieville. Yet I love them! They are perfect with a cup of tea in mid-morning or mid-afternoon. The little sunny yellow bits of dandelion flower look pretty, and the coarseness of the oatmeal makes them taste downright nutty.
So feel free to do some doctoring on this one -- less honey, more sugar, more dandelion, whatever.
I'm sure you have plenty of dandelions to work with.
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Note: Don't forget to leave me a comment on my earlier post with your CSA Rescue request -- I will be sharing my solutions on Monday!
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Dandelion Cookies (adapted from Peter A. Gail, PhD via the Splendid Table)
Ingredients
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup dandelion flowers
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Blend oil and honey and beat in the two eggs, vanilla and brown sugar. Stir in flour, oats and dandelion petals. Drop the batter by well-spaced teaspoonfuls (the batter is thin and will spread) onto a prepared cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Well, I certainly have plenty of dandelions. I might have to give it a shot. Number one son just got back from a school trip to the great smoky mountains institute and one of the things they learned about was wild plants you can eat. He might really enjoy making these!
ReplyDeleteAnd don't forget the greens!! As long as they haven't been sprayed with anything, they make a great salad. Bitter, like arugula and chicory. We've eaten them, tossed with a little onion, tomato, olive oil and red wine vinegar, since I was a kid. Delish!
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