The Beloved was feeling cookie-ish on Sunday, so I told him I’d Come Up With Something on Monday for him to munch on throughout the week. Because I am an Awesome wife. Also, I enjoy cookies. I love it when my self-interest dovetails with my being a Devoted Spouse.
Y’all know I don’t really like to go out and buy a couple of ingredients to make a particular recipe. I’d much rather root around in the cabinets and See what there is to See. And this is what I found.
I mean, aside from staples like milk, eggs, sugar and flour. So, I set out to create a cookie containing as many of my Finds as possible.
Rather than testing and testing a base recipe, I needed one that already worked. Preferably one containing a bunch of the ingredients I had on hand. I found it in this recipe for Maple Nut Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies by the Culinary Alchemist. Incidentally, he also has a blog called “Corningware411, A retrospective on Corning’s space-age material, Pyro-Ceramic cookware.” How completely awesome is that for a niche blog?! He’s Also a mentor on Bakespace.com. I didn’t know all these things about him until I started writing this post, and now all of us know.
Anyway, I took CA’s keen recipe and smashed it, bashed it and added items to it until it was almost unrecognizable. And full of chocolate, cashews and pretzel pieces. The poor dear was positively Straining it was so full of Items. So I made the cookies Huge.
My recipe made 16 huge cookies. If you want twice as many cookies, make them half as big as I did.
“But Jen, why ever did you call them Mighty Rhinos?” you may ask. A facebook fan came up with the name after I asked for suggestions. Other suggestions considered and set aside after the Awesomeness of the Mighty Rhino included:
- Kit and Caboodles
- Wake Up and Smell ‘Em Cookies
- Garbage Cookies
- Humdingers
- Hodge Podge Cookies
and
- Crack
They are pretty delicious. Mix in whatever you want: M&Ms, chocolate or peanut butter chips, nuts, raisins, etc.
MIghty Rhino Cookies
A chocolate-based everything-but-the-kitchen-sink cookie, the mighty rhino might become a favorite go-to for lunchboxes or potlucks!
Ingredients
- 4.5 oz all purpose flour
- .75 oz best quality cocoa powder, , preferably Dutch process
- 1 cup rolled or steel cut oats, , whirred to dust in a food processor or blender
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 8 oz unsalted butter, , slightly softened
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, , very gently rounded
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup Grade B maple syrup
- 1 large egg
- large handful coarsely chopped cashews
- large handful broken salted pretzels
- 3 oz bittersweet chocolate, , cut into mix-in sized pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Arrange racks towards the bottom and middle of the oven.
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, oats, baking powder, baking soda and espresso powder. Set aside.
- Cream together the butter, brown sugar, sugar and sea salt until smooth--no light and fluffy here, folks.
- Cream in the vanilla and maple syrup and mix until smooth.
- Add the egg and mix until smooth.
- On low speed, mix in the reserved flour mixture.
- With clean hands, mix in your mix-ins. You can use a spatula if you prefer, but the dough is heavy and sticky.
- Optional Step: Cover dough and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours. This allows the dough to "ripen" and the flavors to marry. It's not necessary, but it does make the cookies taste great.
- Portion onto Silpat- or parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Flatten each cookie slightly, and bake for 8 minutes, then rotate the pans on the racks. Bake for another 7-8 minutes until well-spread and firm on the edges.
- Take the cookies out of the oven and let firm up on the sheets for 2-3 minutes before transferring to racks to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, place in zip-top freezer bags, suck out the air, and freeze for up to a month.
Notes
I chopped the chocolate with a serrated knife. This gave me larger chunks and a bunch of chocolate dust, all of which I put in the dough. The dust melts into the dough and the chunks act like chips. I highly recommend this.
Dip your cookie disher in water between scoops. The dough is a bit sticky, and the water helps keep it from sticking in the disher.
If you use rolled oats, whirring them to dust isn't really necessary. I did it to mine because all I had was steel cut oats. But, if you've never added oatmeal dust to your cookies, you really should try it--it is delightful. Leave half of the oats whole and whir the other half and experience the magic for yourself.
Baking time is approximate, depending on your oven and how large you make your cookies. Mine baked for about 18 minutes. Smaller cookies may be done in as few as 10 minutes, so keep an eye on them.
Nutrition Information
Amount Per Serving Calories 201Saturated Fat 6gCholesterol 32mgSodium 92mgCarbohydrates 23gFiber 1gSugar 14gProtein 2g
All hail the Mighty Rhino
Jill | Dulce Dough says
These cookies have so many yummy things in them, and I love the name!
onlinepastrychef says
Thanks, Jill! One of my fans named them–I think it’s a fantastic name, and I love that it has absolutely nothing to do with what is actually *in* the cookies! 😆
Yuri - Chef Pandita says
You are an amazing wife and an amazing friend 😀 momofuku has crack pie and you have crack cookies. I will call these mighty rhino crack cookies 🙂 pandahugs!
onlinepastrychef says
I will accept that name, Yuri! And I think you are pretty amazing, too. 🙂
Deb @ knitstamatic says
Love these cookies. Whimsical and fun, that’s what it’s all about. And you know, I have all the ingredients at home. There may be some cookies in my near future.
onlinepastrychef says
That’s why I made them–I had all the stuff at home! Enjoy:)
[email protected] Noodle says
I must take lessons on Wifely Awesomeness from you – when Mr. Noodles starts getting peckish for some cookies, I usually give him my “You lookin’ at me?” face. The Mighty Rhino Cookie, however, is too monstrously delicious looking to ignore. Hubs may get lucky tonight – and get some of these cookies, too! 8-P
onlinepastrychef says
I am telling you, these cookies are Good! Make some, and tell Mr. Noodle they’re for him when they’re really for you. You deserve these cookies, TN! 🙂
Smith Bites says
i love your style Miss Jenni – and The Professor loves cookies so . . . you know, i’m sure i’ll be making a GF version soon!
Jennifer Field says
I think a GF Mighty Rhino *needs* to happen, Debra!
Dionne Baldwin says
I love these Mighty Rhinos! Cramming all those treasures into cookies is a great idea. The more the merrier right? I’d want big ones too just to make it worthwhile. I’m a sucker for cookies.
Jennifer Field says
Exactly. Sometimes, the best motto is “Everyone in the pool!” =)