Sea Salt and Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

You will have to excuse me if I'm a little obsessed with Coconut Oil. Seriously, to me it's like butter you can store in your cupboard. For the most part it stays nice and solid, even at room temperature. Of course, when the heat index hits over 95 degrees, it does turn to liquid...but that's ok. It still works. I have used it for both cooking and baking by simply subbing it for butter and it has worked well. Apparently, it even has heath benefits...just ask the Dr. Oz show: The Surprising Benefits of Coconut Oil

It's not a surprise that Trader Joe's has a good deal on Organic Coconut Oil. I happen to prefer a little of the coconut taste, so this brand is perfect.

I had to wonder, though, if Coconut Oil would make a good cookie? Then a couple of months ago, I tried it in my Fish 'N Chips Cookies (you really have to try these...not as gross as they sound), and the results were spectacular!

I'm a big fan of putting "stuff" in my cookies...."kitchen sink" cookies, if you will. My daughter, on the other hand, is a purest. No nuts, no pretzels, no coconut flakes. I still irritate her (mothers learn to do this in mother school) by asking each time I make cookies if I should put some walnuts in the batter (the answer is always no..or so the eye roll tells me). Sigh. So, instead I revved up the taste with some sea salt and dark chocolate. Result? Perfection. No nuts needed.

Sea Salt and Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

Printable Recipe

1¾ cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ cup coconut oil

1 ½ cup dark brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup dark chocolate chips

½ cup chopped dark chocolate (I used a dark chocolate candy bar)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F; line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

Place the coconut oil and the brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.

Add the flour mixture into the sugar mixture, stirring until well blended. Fold in the chocolate chips and the chopped chocolate.

Use a cookie scoop to drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Chill for a few minutes (this will avoid spreading) Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the cookies are just golden. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.

Penzey's is another essential place for me...I have a bag of sea salt just for baking.

I found the consistency of the dough to be a little tacky. Chilling the dough makes it hard..the coconut oil hardens quickly--so chill after you scoop.

As you can see there is some spread, but not too much.

I like to add additional chopped chocolate...you can see the extra little chocolate chunks next to the chocolate chips.

Chewy, with crisp edges. These cookies are great warm from the oven ---melt-y dark chocolate and a little taste of sea salt....chocolate chip heaven!

How do you use Coconut Oil?

Fish 'N Chips Cookies....#Improv

Betcha can't guess the theme for this month's Improv challenge. Fish and Chips! Don't you love it? Of course I had to figure out how to make a baked good using those two ingredients. Enter the lovely baked Goldfish crackers....

Improv is a monthly challenge for bloggers sponsored by Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker. Each month Kristen chooses two seasonal ingredients and we have our way with them. So far, Fish and Chips has been the most challenging for me. :)

Luckily, Kristen gives us some leeway. The challenge wasn't quite so hard when I could include some ingredients that weren't so...well, so fishy. I do love fish, but somehow tilapia doesn't sound quite right in a cookie. The chips part was easy for me. Besides the usual chocolate chips, I was ready to give some roasted coconut chips a try. Oh my. They are good! 

There are times when my husband wonders if I will ever make just a normal baked good. Everything has to have a twist with me. Last week, I was craving an ordinary chocolate chip cookie. While checking around for a good recipe (wow...there are hundreds (!)--I do have to try one of those sea salt and dark chocolate varieties....), I came across a really good one using coconut oil. The recipe, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, from The Cheeky Kitchen is awesome. It is the basis for the recipe I am going to share today.

Fish 'N Chips Cookies
Printable Recipe

1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup pretzel Goldfish crackers

1/2 cup roasted coconut chips (or shredded coconut)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F; line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.

Place the coconut oil and the brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.

Add the flour mixture into the sugar mixture, stirring until well blended. Fold in the chocolate chips, Goldfish, and coconut chips.

Use a cookie scoop to drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the cookies are just golden. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.

So, I've been a little tired and forgot to set the timer on this batch. I call them "Blackened Grouper" cookies. They actually tasted really good...just a bit crunchy. 

Easiest fish I've ever prepared....no bones about it.

These cookies are really, really good. As I write this I am digesting the three that I had for dinner. They are just the right amount of chewy, salty, crunchy, and sweet. I heart them. 

Please check out what everyone else is making with Fish and Chips!