Have you ever heard of Pandan? What a fantastic ingredient to learn about! Many people believe that Pandan is to Asia what Vanilla is to the Western world, (though with a completely different aroma and taste, of course.) Pandan is a herbaceous tropical plant that grows in Southeast Asia. It has a wonderfully unique fragrance and flavor — I think it’s subtly nutty and floral. Pandan paste is commonly used in Thai desserts because it’s quite sweet and it imbues foods with a lovely green color.
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces unsalted, softened butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract
- 1/2 teaspoon Pandan Flavored Paste
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 egg
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preparation:
Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 to 12 minutes
In a large mixing bowl, mix the sugars with the butter until smooth. Add the vanilla, coconut, Pandan Paste, and cream and mix until evenly combined. Then add the egg and mix until blended. Slowly stir in the flour with the baking soda and stop mixing as soon as all of the flour is incorporated. Then, fold in the chocolate chips.
Use a 1 1/2-inch ice-cream scoop to shape balls of dough and place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet, about 12 per sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
They should look slightly doughy when they’re removed from the oven — that’s perfect! Place the cookies on a cooling rack after a minute or so. Then let them sit for about 10 minutes before eating.
Some additional notes:
Pandan paste can be found in Thai and some Chinese markets or online at GroceryThai.
For a slightly plumper cookie (my preference), scoop the dough into balls and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before baking.
For more St. Patrick’s Day recipes, you might also enjoy:
St. Patrick’s Day Homemade Corned Beef Hash
St. Patrick’s Day Cabbage and Cherries
Green Eggs and Cheese
St. Patrick’s Day Corned Beef Hash Frittata
Soda Bread
