When garlic is roasted it turns nutty sweet and loses its pungency. Roasting the garlic in a nut oil emphasizes that flavor. You’ll be surprised by the succulence and depth of these cookies—no one will guess the secret ingredient. They’re great on their own or fashioned into ice cream sandwiches.
For more garlic-inspired recipes, read the original article, 7 Glorious Garlic Recipes.
Roasted Garlic Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
• 1 bulb of garlic
• 1/4 cup hazelnut oil
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 extra large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1-1/2 cups unbleached flour
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
• Scant cup of rolled oats
• 1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
• 1 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts
1. Preheat oven to 325° F. Remove the outer papery skins of the garlic and break the bulb into cloves; leave the inner skins on the cloves. Place the garlic in a small, oven-proof dish and add the nut oil. Cover the dish with foil.
2. Bake the garlic until it’s very tender, checking after 30 minutes. It will take about 45 minutes to roast this many cloves. Test for doneness by squeezing a clove or two—it should be soft and golden. Remove from the oven and let the garlic cool a bit. When it’s cool enough to handle, squeeze the cloves into the oil and discard the skins.
3. In a food processor or a mixing bowl, combine butter, roasted garlic, and hazelnut oil, and process until well blended. Add the sugars and process until combined. Beat in eggs and add vanilla, and blend well until smooth and creamy.
4. In a small bowl, combine flour, whole-wheat flour, oats, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and process, stopping to scrape down the sides. The dough will be stiff.
5. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop the dough by the rounded tablespoonful about 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Press the cookie dough flat with a fork.
6. Bake the cookies in a preheated 350° F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until they’re just golden brown. Remove to baking racks to cool. They will keep for a week stored in a tightly closed tin or plastic container, or they can be frozen for up to a month. Makes 4 dozen 2-inch cookies
How to Make Ice Cream Sandwiches
You’ll need a batch of prepared cookies and 1/2 gallon of good-quality vanilla ice cream.
1. To assemble ice cream sandwiches, set the ice cream out at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Scoop about 1/4 cup ice cream onto the bottom of one cookie, and place another cookie, bottom-side toward the ice cream, on top. Press the cookies gently to squeeze the ice cream so that it reaches to the outer edges of the cookies.
2. Place the ice cream sandwiches on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze until hard. At this point you can individually wrap the ice cream sandwiches in plastic, or you can place them in a tightly sealed container and freeze until ready to eat. They should be made a few hours in advance so they have a chance to set up and become hardened. They will keep for a few days if well-wrapped.
This recipe will make about 12 to 15 ice cream sandwiches.
