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Kristen Tomlan knows the temptation all too well. Let’s face it, the best part about baking cookies is stealing a bite of dough right off the spoon—a little taste-test can’t hurt, right? It seems harmless at the time, but then you’re left with a stomachache a few hours later. Yet even though it’s risky, the indulgence is still irresistible, which inspired Tomlan to found Do, the first-ever cookie dough scoop shop, back in 2014. Clearly she was onto something—the line of customers has been known to stretch out the door and down the block. Now Tomlan has launched a book, Hello, Cookie Dough (out now), filled with 110 recipes you can make at home and are meant to be eaten raw and don’t require an oven. (Her secret for uncooked batter that won’t make you feel sick: pasteurized eggs and heat-treated flour.)
In this excerpt from the book, Tomlan shares three festive confections. The once-forbidden treat is now back on the table, just in time for the holidays.
Caramel Apple Harvest
Makes 35 scoops / Time ’til Dough: 20 minutes / Time ’til Cookies: 2 hours 35 minutes
The best part of autumn in New York is apple picking. It is a family tradition that dates back to before I can remember. Every September we’d enjoy a day in the orchard picking apples and spend the next few months attempting to eat them all. Each year when it starts to feel chilly out, I grab a bunch of girlfriends and head to New York’s best upstate farms to continue the tradition. Whether you’ve picked them yourself or picked them up from the grocery store, with this dough you’ll need only two apples from your haul to be ready for fall!
- 1 ½ cups oats (if you’re making this gluten-free, check that the oats are also gluten-free!)
- 2 apples
- 1 cup Sprite
- 1 cup plus 1 tbsp heat-treated all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp brown sugar
- ¾ cup pasteurized egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup caramel bits
- ¼ cup cinnamon chips
In a food processor or blender, pulse the oats three or four times, until they have a roughly chopped consistency. They shouldn’t be as fine as the flour but should be visibly chopped, about a quarter of the size of whole oats.
While the oats cool, core and dice the apples, then fully submerge them in the cup of Sprite to soak.
Once the oats have cooled completely, in a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, heat-treated flour, cornstarch, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the granulated and brown sugars and mix on medium until light and fluffy; about 4 minutes will do the trick. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl. Add the egg whites and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated, about 2 minutes.
Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low just until the powdery texture of the flour disappears, about 15 seconds. Immediately add the rest of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and mix a final 15 seconds.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to fold in the caramel bits and cinnamon chips. Drain the apples and arrange in a single layer on paper towels. Pat the apples dry, then fold into the dough.
A Hot Cocoa Holiday
Makes 32 scoops / Time ’til Dough: 15 minutes / Time ’til Cookies: 2 hours 30 minutes
National Hot Cocoa Day (December 13) should be on everyone’s calendar as a time to celebrate drinking sugar in the form of liquid chocolate. Now that’s a national day I can get behind. In fact, I think this hot cocoa cookie dough deserves its own day. Let’s sub out National Carbonated Beverage With Caffeine Day for this noncarbonated, caffeine-free, beverage-inspired cookie dough. You heard it here first—November 19 is now a day to celebrate, so get mixing!
- 2 ½ cups heat-treated all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter (12 tbsp), at room temperature
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup pasteurized egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
In a medium bowl, whisk together the heat-treated flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the granulated and brown sugars and mix on medium until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl. Add the egg whites and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated, about 2 minutes.
Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low just until the powdery texture of the flour disappears, about 15 seconds. Immediately add the rest of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and mix a final 15 seconds. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to fold in the mini marshmallows.
Gingerbread Man of My Dreams
Makes 25 scoops / Time ’til Dough: 15 minutes / Time ’til Cookies: 2 hours 30 minutes
Clearly, I couldn’t make any old gingerbread cookie dough for the shop. This gingerbread recipe is extra-soft and extra-special. It’s got all the cinnamon-y, ginger-filled molasses depth that warms you from the inside out; plus, there are two ways to bake it. You can either drop it on a cookie sheet and make soft, chewy, thick cookies, or (with an easy modification) roll it out to make the cutest—yummiest—gingerbread shapes.
- 1 ½ cups heat-treated all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter (12 tbsp), at room temperature
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup dark molasses
- ¼ cup pasteurized egg whites, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
For just the dough:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the heat-treated flour, cornstarch, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar and molasses and mix on medium until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl. Add the egg whites and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated, about 2 minutes.
Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low just until the powdery texture of the flour disappears, about 15 seconds. Immediately add the rest of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and mix a final 15 seconds.
For cutout cookies:
To make cutout cookies, prepare a batch of gingerbread dough with 3 cups of flour (1 ½ cups more than what is called for in the recipe) and omit the baking soda. Divide the dough in half, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the freezer.
While the dough chills, lay out a large sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Drop one half of the chilled dough into the center of the wax paper and cover with another sheet of wax paper. Roll the dough to ¼-inch thickness and cut with floured cookie cutters. Place on the lined baking sheet. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
Bake for 9 minutes. Different sizes of cookies may bake differently. Keep your eyes on the edges–once they look dry and a shade darker, they are ready to come out of the oven.
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