Waiting Games

Whoever said that good things come to those who wait had have churned an ice cream or two in their time. I mean, really - is there another dessert that requires so much time to elapse between conception and it's (proverbial) birth? Even meringue cookies, dried overnight, are at least ready and waiting the following morning. But ice cream - at least most recipes... well, they make you wait. From freezing the churning bowl, cooking the custard, chilling everything until nice and thick, churning the mixture and finally freezing it to what we think of as "ice cream" and not "ice cold pudding" - it's a waiting game of decadence. And if you are the impatient type, like say most children (or you know, me), it can be a taunting experience!

The bright side of all of the waiting, of course, is a luscious dessert that you just cannot get on the same level anywhere else. Even if your recipe is just standard vanilla, licking the bowl of a scoop you made yourself blows away even the most dolled up vanilla bean pint. Of course, your own basic ice cream recipe also means you have the freedom to make your own signature flavours: rich chocolate, fruit-filled, full of nuts or my sister's favourite combination - chocolate chip cookie dough.

But when I set about crafting the recipe components for Andrew's ice cream flavour, I wanted something more complex. More... more. I know, I can't do anything the easy way, can I? So, I ripped off the idea of Ben & Jerry's Half Baked, but instead of baked brownies and raw cookie dough pieces, I made up a batch of vegan cookie batter, shaped it into droplets and baked off half of it. The rest I froze as mini dough balls to add raw to the ice cream base, which I planned to make coconut-flavoured, based loosely on this recipe from Chocolate & Zucchini. As a taste-test for Andrew to see if the cookies would fly at all, I made him a few "regular-size" cookies too, and packaged them up with a batch of my standard chocolate chippers he had asked for already. It got the nod (vehemently, I might add) and so onward I forged!

So yes, the final ice cream was a long time coming... and I'm still waiting for his word on the final taste of the concoction, though my dad gave his test sample the thumbs up. And for you all - the few that read these ramblings of mine that is - well, you will have to wait too. But not for long - just like me, you'll get the cookies today, while the frozen goodness chases it tomorrow!

So here's what I came up with - a rich and buttery chocolate dough base playing host to two types of chocolate chips and a handful of shredded coconut. The honey (or corn syrup, for vegans) will keep the raw dough from turning rock hard in the freezer, and the extra coconut extract will allow the flavours to shine through when cold. The baked cookies (whether drops or full size) stay chewy for days afterwards too, a pleasant bonus!

Hey - for Tofu Tuesday at Happy Herbivore (a follow-up to Meatless Monday, and a component of Veggie Week Awareness), why not have a cookie?? Your tofu soul will be proud, and your tastebuds will be delighted!

Double Chip Coconut Drops
Makes 50 standard cookies
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter (or buttery stick margarine)
1 cup shortening
400g silken tofu
2 tbsp honey (or corn syrup)
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp coconut extract
3 cups flour
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips
1/2 cup miniature white chocolate chips
In a large bowl, cream the sugars, shortening and butter until fluffy. In a food processor, puree tofu, honey, vanilla and coconut extract until smooth. Add pureed tofu to the creamed mixture and beat well. In separate bowl, whisk flours, cocoa powder, coconut, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture and mix by hand until flour just disappears. Fold in both types of chips. Wrap dough in plastic and chill a minimum of 24 hours. Preheat oven to 350. Make cookie dough balls and place onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Cool 3 minutes on sheets then remove to a rack and cool completely.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 175.0
Total Fat: 9.2 g
Cholesterol: 10.0 mg
Sodium: 37.2 mg
Total Carbs: 22.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.2 g
Protein: 2.3 g