salty chocolate oat cookies (recipe clone from kayak cookies)

Surely everyone knows by now my obsession with Levain Bakery in NYC and my obsession with Kayak Cookies aka Salty Oats Cookies here on cape cod.
I've done all the recipe re-creations I can with Levain.
And now I'm onto Salty Oats.
Some of you may have heard of Salty Oats?
They are predominately sold in the NE.
A semi-healthy cookie that is almost a meal too.
A hearty cookie that packs a flavorful taste with a nice dose of salt.
Like Levain, no one knows the recipe for Salty Oats cookie.


Some have speculated that they use a rice flour to get that perfect chewy like texture.
So with my first batch, I used rice flour.
Never baked with it before, but I like it.
What does the rice flour do to the cookie?
Well it makes is half gluten free, it brings a richness to the cookie and that's about it.
I think I might know more when I make the oatmeal raisin version; with chocolate it's hard to tell as the cocoa powder is rich and dominates the cookie flavor-wise.
At Salty Oats they have these flavors: oatmeal-raisin, chocolate oats, chunky chocolate-pecan--all salted--all good!
With these cookies I created I had set out to create first oatmeal raisin, then halfway through mixing I realized I had no raisins!  So last minute, I made them into chocolate BUT wanted to try them with nuts added. Her recipe has no nuts.
So now, I have salty chocolate-walnut.
The verdict?
I think I almost nailed it.
I know I didn't add enough oats, and I should have made them a bit bigger.
But texture wise I nailed it spot on.
If you know of the Salty Oats and are a fan, do try and make these, they taste just like the chocolate oats one.
And it's an easy recipe to play with, switching out different ingredients.




These cookies really don't spread at all. So if you make them into dough balls, you will need to "gently" push down on them halfway through baking.  Just a gentle push because they do crack!


Truly a good cookie.  Hearty, tender inside with a nice gentle crispy outside.
I added a hint of cinnamon too.
At Salty Oats she claims to use Belgian chocolate; I will have to look for Belgian cocoa powder.
Best part? The salt on top, don't worry it's not overly salty at all, and the other best part?
This cookie is not too sweet--I hate overly sweet cookies.

salty chocolate oats (kayak cookie recipe clone )
print recipe

1 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup + 1 TB dark double dutch cocoa powder
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp (16 TB)
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 ts baking powder
1 ts baking soda
1 ts sea salt
1/2 ts cinnamon, optional
2 large eggs
1 ts pure vanilla extract
2 cups of rolled oats (not quick cooking!)
extra course sea salt for sprinkling the tops

In a medium bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients.
In a larger bowl, cream the butter and both sugars; add in the eggs, vanilla extract and mix.
Add dry ingredients to the wet and mix till just combined--don't overmix.
Next, by hand, add in the rolled oats.
Cover dough well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least three hours or overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Line up two baking sheets with parchment paper or whatever method you use for baking cookies.
Divide dough into 12-13 large chunks; roll into balls and place on cookie sheet about an inch apart.
Sprinkle tops with sea salt before baking.
Bake for about 14-17 minutes. Halfway through baking, you might need to give the dough balls  a gentle push down to flatten very slightly--be careful not to push too hard as they will crack.  Also rotate pans halfway through baking too.
You'll know they are done when the bottoms are almost crisp/set up and the tops have a gentle crisp to them. It's really easy to overbake them, so definitely check at the 15-minute mark.
Makes 12-13 cookies.

friday links

Happy Friday!
Happy Good Friday!
And Happy Easter to you as well.

Shall we get to my latest obsessions?
Alrighty then.

spicy mayo. yeah have you tried it?
it's so good I have to get it by the cup full.
I might be prone to drinking it straight up too.

Don't even get me started on this.  Lake Champlain Chocolate. Heavenly chocolates.
My favorite is the peanut butter, but this caramel is a close second.
And Lake Champlain you need to add a touch of salt to this. Seriously.

Cape Cod finally has a Panera Bread and I finally got to try the Cobb salad with extra avocado.
Tasty indeed.

Bob Marley iced coffee is good.  A bit sweet, but then again I don't like sugar in my espresso or coffee, but this was good.
Not too many preservatives or chemicals in there--which is good.

it's ice cream season!

And guess what?  The snow storms on cape cod have stopped!!
We also got a couple days of sun.

east dennis, ma

race point, provincetown, ma

harwichport, ma

race point lighthouse beach, provincetown, ma

harwichport, ma (one of the deep sea fishing ports)

so nice to be outside, on the docks and it's not bitterly cold.

can you imagine living here? harwichport, ma (wychmere beach club)

around the web:
10-minute yoga workout to jumpstart your spring from yoganonymous
matzo pizza! from seriouseats.com
fried sun-dried beef w/ chili dipping sauce from shesimmers.com
vitamin D & muscle efficiency from paleo lifestyle magazine
store fresh grated ginger in freezer from thekitchn.com
DIY easy rosemary focaccia from thekitchn.com
buffalo chicken deviled eggs from closet cooking
DIY cabinet door storage for measuring cups from thekitchn.com
8 yoga poses to help cervical spine & neck issues from mindbodygreen.com
make your own honey bunny grahams from half baked harvest
DIY homemade frozen pizzas from thekitchn.com
cakespy's favorite buttercream frosting from cakespy.com
vegetable manchurian from ang sarap
custard cream cookies! from bits of sunshine
healthy fudgy brownie bits from averiecooks
6 ways to clean smelly plastic containers w/out chemicals from thekitchn.com
cadbury creme scotch eggs from cakespy.com
homemade chocolate hazelnut baci from butter baking
zesty chickpea & cumin dip from strayed table
cookies & cream ice cream cupcakes from taste & tell
carrot daikon kimchi from autumn makes & does
10 habits that will help you become slimmer from mindbodygreen.com
spaghetti squash pad thai from shared appetite
12 great tips for the perfect steak from will cook for friends
focaccia rolls from fabtastic eats
mustard & walnut cheese crackers from mad about maida
breakfast sushi rolls from apron strings blog
DIY homemade cadbury creme eggs from the hungry mouse
saint agur blue cheese sables from seriouseats.com
meyer lemon mascarpone cake from seriouseats.com
4 ways to boost your metabolism from blisstree.com
healthy: pb power fudge from heidi powell
how long does it take to fall out of shape? from outsidemagazine.com
homemade mango lassi from use real butter
(youtube video of a girl who is having a funny aftermath from wisdom teeth removal)
10 companies making fast food healthy from dailyburn.com
the power of being honest with yourself from marksdailyapple.com
do you all believe this?
do you use apple cider vinegar for health reasons?
healing powers of apple cider vinegar


Have a wonderful weekend!

cake pan cookies stuffed w/ almond joys

Is it a brownie or a cookie?
A brookie perhaps, but I didn't coin that phrase.
I didn't know what to call these.
Cake pan works for me, memory-wise that is, since I'm an old fart.
What do these taste like?
To me, they taste like a softer version of a shortbread.
Not at all heavy or dense, light and very flavorful.
I'll take flavor over sweet any day.
And the best part?
Not that sweet.
Oh I cannot tell you how much I hate over-sweet cookies and brownies!
So if you are looking for a semi-lightened up version of a cookie then bookmark this recipe.
One thing you do have to watch when baking these is that they bake up fast.
Since they are not that heavy they will bake fast and tend to overbake/dry up very fast.
So heed warning on the baking times!


They don't keep long. Maybe a couple days wrapped in air-tight container.
But rarely do baked goods last even a day with my family and friends.


Do you want the middle piece?

cake pan cookies stuffed with almond joy

print recipe

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 ts baking soda

¾ TB baking powder

5 TB double dutch cocoa powder

½ ts sea salt

2 sticks (16 TB) unsalted butter, room temp

½ cup light brown sugar, packed

½ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk

½ ts pure vanilla extract

8 almond joys eggs or whatever candy you wish (might need more/less depending on cake pan size you use AND what size almond joys you use)

Cooking notes:  I used almond joy egg shapes since their size and shape made sense for this recipe.  If you can’t find them then use another egg shaped candy or whatever you desire.

I used a 10-inch cake pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk all the dry ingredients together; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, either by hand or using a mixer (I don’t have a mixer so I did this by hand) mix butter & sugars until thoroughly combined.

Add in the egg and egg yolk and vanilla extract, mix well. Then add in the dry mixture, mix until just combined, do not overmix.

Spray an 8, 9 or 10-inch cake pan with non-stick spray.

Spread batter into cake pan evenly. If it’s too sticky then wet your fingers. Don’t push the dough down too hard, you want it light, so just make sure to cover all areas.

Place, in a circle, about 7 almond joy eggs and then one in the middle (see photo on how to place). Gently push them in, don’t push down all the way through.

Bake about 16-19 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. You’ll know the cookies are done by crisp edges and slightly puffy middles, and the tops will be soft, this is good.  Don’t let it get crisp! It’s a fragile cookie dough and will dry out if overcooked.  So look for non-jiggly middles and a “gentle” crisp on top.

Let it sit in pan after baking for at least 30 minutes to finish setting up.

Slice into pie like slices (see photo on website).

Makes 8 large slices.

cookie butter french toast

Sunday mornings, I love making breakfast.
Even if I'm dead tired.
I have the kitchen all to myself, it's quiet, and now that spring is supposed to be here on cape cod, the birds are starting to sing just outside my kitchen window.
I know this sounds like a set up for a great movie scene, but truth in fact, it's one the best times I great creative.  Well, that is, if I have enough espresso THEN the creative juices get flowing.
On sunday mornings I have hubby home in which to experiment my lastest breakfast creation.
Most creations he loves, some creations I can't tell him what it is for fear if he knows then he won't eat it.  Yes, he is a fussy eater--picky moreso.
I know, an all-around foodie like myself married a non-foodie.
Ask him what is cookie butter and he'll reply "it's cookies with butter in it".  Gah!
So when I set out to make a kicked up breakfast recipe, I rarely tell him what it is until he's halfway through the meal.  Like this dish I'll tell him it's "just" french toast!
He'll hear the words "french toast" and be cool.
Then a few bites later, he'll say "what did you do to it--it tastes different?"  Gah!!
I would love to know if any of you do this with your spouses or kids?
The inspiration for this came about at 2am on a sunday morning, I woke up starved and already thinking about sunday breakfast.  OK, and my obsession with cookie butter plays a huge part too!
My brain says "what haven't we done breakfast-wise with cookie butter?"  And here is where french toast came into play.
How would it work?
Simple make sure the bread is frozen, so we can spread the cookie butter on fairly easily.
Make sure you work fast dipping cookie butter coated bread into egg wash.
And make sure the butter coated frying pan is nice and hot!
It all worked perfectly.

(on the side of the french toast is my tomato-kielbasa hash which, if anyone is interested I can post the recipe?)

The frozen bread helps the cookie butter adhere better. Make sure to apply a thin layer of cookie butter.

(the person who owned our house before us, LOVED pink--it's everywhere in the house!)


Next time I make these I think I will use whipped cream.  The maple syrup was sweet, and really not needed as the cookie butter french toast was quite tasty on it's own.

cookie butter french toast

print recipe

6-8 Slices of white or whole wheat bread, kept frozen

3 eggs

½ cup or so of milk

½ - ¾ cup of cookie butter

butter for frying French toast

maple syrup or whipped cream for garnish

chopped walnuts or pecans for garnish, optional

Get frying pan ready, you want it nice and hot. Cast iron (no grill) works best to give the cookie butter a nice sear and will help keep it adhere to the bread.

Make the egg wash by mixing the eggs with the milk; stir well.

Take your frozen bread and spread a nice thin layer of cookie butter on both sides.

Place the prepared bread on a plate, by the stove, next to your egg wash pan.

Place butter in heated frying pan, dip prepared bread in egg wash and place in heated frying pan.  Do not crowd the pan as we want to keep the pan nice and hot so it gets a nice sear and not that much cookie butter sticks to the pan.

Fry in batches and keep done French toast in a warm 200 degree oven.

Make sure to place more butter in pan as you fry each new batch of French toast.

Serve with chopped nuts and maple syrup.

friday links

Happy Friday!
As much as I want to say the word "happy" I am not with all these winter storms that keep hitting the Cape.
Two days ago was the first day of spring and right after that we had yet another snow storm.
This one dumping six inches of snow.  Which by the way, six inches of snow to us now is a mere couple of inches. I don't like getting used to it that way.
It's not so much the snow that bothers me, it's the lack of sun that is killing my moods.
We seem to be on this pattern of five days of cloudy, dark or snow weather, and maybe one and half days of sun.
I miss the sun, I miss the natural Vit D she gives me too.

chatham fish pier

chatham fish pier. The beach is still pretty no matter the weather.

provincetown. the row of cottages on route 6a just before entering p-town. ghostly looking, but in two months they will all be filled with life.

my latest obsession, the chipotle tabasco sauce has just the right amount of smoke added to it, and has just the right amount of heat.
you must try your avocado toast this way.

or try this way: on an egg sandwich.

I was asked to try Bonnieville's Power Cookie.  Pretty darn good for a vegan, gluten free and dairy free cookie! With no refined sugar too!
Those kind of cookies are hard to make AND hard to make tasty.  If I had to change one thing?
It needs more chocolate flavor.

The strawberries at Whole Foods have been simply stunning.
They always have the best selection of produce.

It's here!  I was sent a copy of Gesine latest cookbook!
I'm thrilled to pieces.  Have you seen the latest recipes?
Bake It like you Mean It is about showcasing cakes from the inside out,   Each chapter is devoted to a technique of making different types of cake beginning with the easiest recipe and moving to the more technically difficult as the chapter progresses.  When the cakes are cut they reveal intricate layers of patterns and designs.  One recipe you can have right now: Pyramid Cake is on her website.
Not only that, but recipes like creamsicle cheesecake, creamsicle meringue, truffle caramel fig cake, pumpkin mousse cruller tart, meyer lemon and blackberry zebra cheesecake....

sunshine creamsicle cheesecake pg. 170

around the web:

banana-brickle muffins from taste & tell
ham & cheese bread rolls from ang sarap
raw strawberry-lemon cake bars! from fragrant vanilla cake
s'mores candy bars! from not so humble pie (I am doing this!)
get enough sleep to ward off anxiety from greatist.com
avocado lovers maybe healthier overall from greatist.com
researchers care more about yoga than ever before from mindbodygreen.com
4 foods that can put you in a bad mood from aligyno.com
raw mint Oreo's from the sweet life
25 things to make you smile from buzzfeed.com
14 most common fitness injuries from outsidemagazine.com
bacon fat gingersnaps from seriouseats.com
best small towns in America (I love that P-town is on here) from fodors.com
dr oz's 30-day detox from doctoroz.com (anyone done this? seems costly)
how to make turkey jerky (paleo lovers) from marksdailyapple.com
turn bad habits into good ones from greatist.com
whole foods commits to full GMO transparency from wholefoodsmarket.com
detox asana: 8 yoga poses to spring clean your body from yoganonymous.com
how tapping can help you deal w/ debilitating disease from positivelypostive.com
secrets to living beyond 100 from intentblog.com
earl grey cupcakes w/ early grey frosting from fork and flower
curried baked carrot chips from oh my veggies
vintage easter basket cookies (step by step) from bobbies baking blog
spicy breaded sweet potato fries from peanut butter & peppers
easter biscuits from julias pantry
apple bourbon cream cheese wontons from lab at 56
bang bang shrimp from running to the kitchen
hawaiian bbq chicken taquitos from damn delicious
enter to win a trip to Duncan Hines Test Kitchen from bake or break
avocado feta salsa from diethood
buffalo chicken quinoa bites from damn delicious

Have a wonderful weekend!