Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cricket Flour Cookies with Candied Crickets

Chocolate Chip Cricket Flour Cookies with Candied Crickets

by: Asli Peckan

Makes 20 cookies

INGREDIENTS:

Candied Crickets:

• ¼ cup dry roasted crickets
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 pinch salt

Dough:

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cricket flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¾ tsp salt
• 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate or 1 cup chocolate chips 
• ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

Candied Crickets

1. Heat sugar and butter in a small pan until butter is fully melted
2. Add crickets and stir constantly until butter-sugar mixture begins to bubble and crickets are fully coated
3. Remove crickets from pan onto a sheet of parchment paper 
4. Immediately separate crickets 
5. Allow them to harden while you prepare the dough

Dough:

1. Heat butter in a small saucepan until melted, but not browned
2. Chop chocolate into chunks and reserve ¼ cup for later
3. Whisk flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl
4. Transfer butter into a large bowl and whisk in sugars until smooth
5. Add egg and egg yolks one at a time, whisk until the mixture has lightened in color and appears creamy
6. Add dry ingredients to wet and stir with a rubber spatula until fully incorporated.
7. Mix in ¾ of the chocolate chips and half of the candied crickets, reserving the rest as toppings
8. Cover the dough and refrigerate for 2 hours
9. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line two sheet trays with parchment paper
10. Scoop 2-tbsp portions of dough and roll into balls. Space the dough at least 2 inches apart; they will spread in the oven
11. Press reserved chocolate and candied crickets into the dough
12. Bake for 8-10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the edges are golden
13. Remove pans from the oven and sprinkle cookies with flaky salt. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool
14. Repeat with the remaining dough, making sure to chill the dough in the fridge between batches