almond joy cookies

Should I be a butcher? A baker? Or a candlestick maker? Rub-a-dub-dub, three men in a tub.

I often don't recognize that I am the exception and not the rule with my kitchen creation crazes. I am delighted to spend all my free time standing above the black and white tiles, hovering over the counter tops and floating back and forth in my 10 x 2 foot kitchen space to access ingredients, bowls, utensils, or the oven/stove/microwave appliances. It never seems lonely, although I am almost always alone. Nor is it boring or quiet as thoughts and ideas are racing like a endorphin high athlete in my head. I had for a while starting putting on a Radiolab episodes while I cook, but realized that I would completely zone out and not listen to the witty banter between Jad and Robert. So instead of feeling bad about the lack of company or missed opportunities to learn about sciencey things in my free time, I started to appreciate my thoughts and creativity. I realized that I am expanding my mind in others ways. But when I start expanding my belly too this kitchen craze may need to be halted.
So, I woke up Sunday morning and wanted to make a treat before I went to work. I wanted to use the shredded coconut I bought weeks ago.  I thought about the other ingredients I had and decided to try a 'almond joy graham cracker cookie.' I made a basic cookie dough, except used flax meal in the place of an egg, and added chocolate chips and the shredded coconut to the batter. I also had some graham crackers left over from my sister's visit and crumbled a few sheets in the dough in attempt to add a honey graham flavor. The dough was wonderful! Plus, I could eat as much as I wanted because it didn't have raw egg in it! Not that the raw egg factor has ever gotten between me and the dough, I always eat the dough, but there are some that worry about this. Just think, if Gaston from beauty and the Beast can pop all those raw eggs why can't I? And if my parents let me do it as a kid, why not continue the habit with a healthier and stronger body. Seriously, I ask. Ponder it. Will you be a great parent and let your kids eat the dough? Keep in mind it's something kids remember FOR EV ER!

Coconut and chocolate chips, 
oh my!

To continue on, I didn't bake the cookies after stirring up the dough because I honestly have been enjoying the dough balls more than the baked cookies. I always end up telling Scott that once they are baked I don't like it anymore. I have baker bias. The flavors are just different after they come out of the oven, probably a combination of being drier and not as sweet. But this time I did a tester bake batch and only put a few dough balls in the oven. Just as expected, I was disappointed with the baked cookie. The graham cracker crumbs made the baked cookie turn out a little more stiff than normal, whereas the graham crumbs in the dough created little crunchy pockets of goodness. I'm pretty happy that I had the foresight to not put all my eggs in one basket, or all my cookies on one sheet. Real life lessons learned about real insignificant problems. Who needs Radiolab? (I still do.)

They're baked