What Are Your Best Unusual or Exotic Cookie Recipes? Good Questions

What Are Your Best Unusual or Exotic Cookie Recipes?
Good Questions

Q: I would love some suggestions on really creative cookies — the kinds that bring out the oohs and ahhs. Something with rosewater, or Indian spices, or something that isn't your plain old oatmeal raisin (no offense to oatmeal raisin; you are my favorite).

I am just looking to spice things up a bit.

— Sent by Joanna

Editor: Joanna, on the one hand, we think that old-fashioned favorites are the most "ooh and ahhh" inspiring cookies. Big, pillowy whoopie pies, buttery chocolate chip cookies, and beautifully iced sugar cookies tend to be greeted with cries of joy.

But if you want to twist it up a bit, what about adding a 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom to a favorite chocolate cookie recipe? Or making cookies spiced with chai tea? Or icing sugar cookies with exotic jellies, like the heart cookies above? Those are from Martha Stewart, courtesy of the Jewels of New York, and they have lychee-raspberry preserves on them!

• Get the recipe: Jewel Heart Cookies at Martha Stewart

Readers, do you have some unusual, interesting cookies for Joanna to try?

More Cookies from The Kitchn
• Mexican-Spiced Wedding Cookies
• Dark Chocolate Walnut Cookies
• Ultra-Chewy Lemon Coconut Cookies
• Earl Grey Tea Cookies
• Chai-Spiced Cookies

Next question?

(Image: Martha Stewart)

Comments (11)

These are old fashioned, and a bit off the norm! My family and friends LOVED them!

http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/1990s/1996/09/anise-scented-fig-and-date-swirls

The dave Lebovitz Nori shortbreads are also pretty good.

posted by Tara blogs about everything on August 7th 2009 at 11:53am
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Oh I LOVE those date swirls too. They are pretty much my favorite cookie.

posted by faith on August 7th 2009 at 11:58am
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These crunchy sesame cookies are REALLY good, and easy to make. It uses Tahini.

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1687690

posted by quitecurious on August 7th 2009 at 12:15pm
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I dunno if these count as cookies exactly, but the Samoas bars that were featured on this site a while back got a lot of "oohs and ahhs" when I made them.
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/inspiration/weekend-treat-samoas-bars-082289

posted by wunami on August 7th 2009 at 1:03pm
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Not terribly odd, but a nice twist on a standard chocolate cookie recipe... and yummy. Double Chocolate Fig Cookies:
http://www.eons.com/groups/topic/408786-Double-Chocolate-Fig-Cookies

posted by chveya on August 7th 2009 at 2:43pm
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I make chocolate walnut cookies that are baked inside 3-dimensional molds that look like half a walnut shell. The cookies are then "glued" together with chocolate buttercream. People are usually pretty impressed with those!

As well, there are the Swiss cinnamon stars (no flour -- nuts instead), linzer cookies made with very pretty cookie cutters and raspberry jam, vanilla crescents, "checkerboard" cookies... Most of these recipes are old family recipes or from cookbooks (e.g. the checkerboard ones come from Nick Malgieri's cookie book, and the Swiss cookie recipes from an article he did in Gourmet in the 1980s).

posted by mschatelaine on August 7th 2009 at 3:09pm
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My favorite cookies, aside from the aforementioned oatmeal raisin, are these molasses cookies from here at the Kitchn:
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/dessert/recipe-mini-molasses-cookies-with-lemon-filling-017251

This Gourmet article listing their favorite cookies should also provide some good ideas:
http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/cookies

posted by Kakugori on August 7th 2009 at 7:57pm
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Engifer Smákokur (Icelandic Ginger Cookies)

recipe on my flickr page. The photo leaves much to be desired, but the cookies sure are good!

posted by ctmagnus on August 8th 2009 at 1:03am
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I also recommend checking out The French Cookie Book -- the best book on the art of cookie making, as only the French can do. I cherish my copy!

http://www.amazon.com/French-Cookie-Book-Bruce-Healy/dp/0688088333

posted by mschatelaine on August 8th 2009 at 6:32am
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Here are Nick's checkerboard cookies, just as I make them! (the dough is particularly delicious, and lends itself to other types of cookies as well):

http://thebarmybaker.blogspot.com/2006/12/going-boldly-where-no-barmy-baker-has.html

posted by mschatelaine on August 8th 2009 at 6:36am
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I use a recipe that's similar to oatmeal raisin but instead of raisins it calls for dried cherries (though I have used raisins anyway) and cardamom. I found the recipe here: http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2009/02/baked_oatmeal_c.html

And I make wonderful cake-y sugar cookies like my grandma made, but that one's a family secret. I haven't seen it out there yet. ;)

posted by muse2323 on August 9th 2009 at 1:11am
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