Aloha Cookies

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I was dreaming of this cookie for quite some time. It all started with thoughts of Frosted Flakes. Hawaii jumped onto the scene by way of shredded coconut and chopped macadamia nuts. Yes. Perfect. Not sad about that. My biggest struggle with this cookie was the name: Stoner Cookies, Wake and Bake Cookies, Jeff Spicoli Cookies, Kauai Cookies… These were the thoughts keeping me up at night. I tossed and turned and lo and behold stuck with Loaded Aloha Cookies because I think that pretty much says it all. I took these Aloha Cookies to a family party and asked everyone to guess the ingredients. It took until one of the last taste testers to name the Frosted Flakes. The cereal adds the tiniest bit of resistance when you bite down…not quite a crunch, not quite a chew. At first go, I just shoved all of this in my usually Chocolate Chunk Cookies. It worked, but we had to make way for all the other sweetness that was coming in the form of cereal and chocolate and all that other stuff. You know what I’m talking about. We also needed less vanilla. In a classic chocolate chip cookie, vanilla is a player. But here, we wanted her as a background note. A little more subtle. Flour quantities were lessened and increased. And shazam. Here we are today. Done.

Today was going to be all Super Bowl…drinking before noon and hot dogs. Instead, one of my babies is sick so we are shuttered in. I’m cool with that. I’ll be in the kitchen, eating these cookies, playing around with a Honey + Beer Sourdough Baguette I’m working on (are you excited about this too?!) and pretending to watch a game that I’ll never understand. How about you? Are you excited about the game? Do you understand it? Or is it all about Half Time and men in tight pants? Let’s eat some cookies, drink wine and talk about it…

loaded aloha cookies with dark chocolate, coconut, macadamia nuts + frosted flakes | Recipe via DisplacedHousewife
loaded aloha cookies with dark chocolate, coconut, macadamia nuts + frosted flakes | Recipe via DisplacedHousewife
loaded aloha cookies with dark chocolate, macadamia nuts + frosted flakes | Recipe via DisplacedHousewife
{ loaded aloha cookies }

Makes 2 Dozen Large Cookies

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup sunflower seed oil (or other neutral oil)
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups plus 1/3 cup bread flour*
  • 1 cup white whole-wheat flour (I use King Arthur…make sure it’s ‘white’ whole wheat)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 10 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups frosted flakes, slightly smashed
  • Β½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut (I made these with both sweetened and unsweetened and prefer the unsweetened…that said, if you only have sweetened they will turn out fine…it was just a little too sweet for me.)
  • Β½ cup macademia nuts, coarsely chopped

*I also tested these with all bread flour (I used 2 3/4 cups) and omitted the white whole wheat flour completely. The photo just above where the cookie looks really puffy is made with all bread flour. The other cookie photos, show cookies made with 1/2 bread flour and 1/2 white whole wheat. If you like a fluffy, very cake-like cookie, go for the all bread flour. One other quick note on the photos…the darker cookies are from earlier experiments with this cookie. The final recipe will yield something on the fluffier, paler side. xo

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In a large bowl, mix together the butter, oil, brown sugar and granulated sugar until well-blended. Use either a spatula or an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to do this.
  2. Add in the eggs and mix on low until completely incorporated.
  3. Add the vanilla to the butter mixture and mix completely.
  4. In another medium-sized bowl, mix the bread flour, whole-wheat flour, sea salt, baking powder and baking soda.
  5. Pour the flour mixture into the butter mixture and mix until barely blended…there should be steaks of flour still.
  6. Pour in your chocolate chunks,  frosted flakes, macadamia nuts and coconut and stir until JUST BLENDED. Don’t overdo it.
  7. Cover the bowl of cookie dough with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 20 minutes.
  8. Meanwhile…put some parchment paper or a silpat on your cookie sheets.
  9. Turn your oven to 375 degrees F.
  10. Once the dough has gotten its’ chill on…roll into large (about 2 generous tablespoons each or about 1.75 ounces each…yes, I weighed them). I always try to not overwork my dough, but I do nudge it into a nice sphere-like shape so that my cookies will come out nice and round.
  11. Place the cookies on the baking sheet with about 2 inches between each ball of dough.
  12. Put the cookie sheet with the dough balls in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes to firm up a bit. I highly recommend this step…it will help your cookies keep a nice shape as they bake.
  13. Pop the cookies straight from the freezer into the oven for 10-11 minutes.
  14. Once out of the oven let the cookies cool on the sheet for a least 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
  15. Now grab your milk (or wine or fill-in-the-blank) and your cookies and relax. You did good.
loaded aloha cookies with dark chocolate, coconut, macadamia nuts + frosted flakes | Recipe via DisplacedHousewife
{ on my mind }
  • Little known fact: I did a brief stint at a boarding school in Hawaii (the Big Island) and used to spend my summers in Hanalei (Kauai) with my bestie and her family. Some of the best memories from my childhood are during those times. The summers, that is. Boarding school, not so much. I missed my mom’s cooking too much. I think those two reasons are why this cookie makes me a wee nostalgic.
  • I won’t be the first nor the last to shove cereal in a cookie. I think some people are put-off by the strangeness of it…but try it. At least this once.
  • I put Cocoa Pebbles in this Breakfast Crack Cookie…one of my all time favorite recipes and most requested cookie AND most popular posts. If that doesn’t make you want to try it, I don’t know what will.
  • More cookies to eat. We’re done with juices and fasts and cleanses and all that rubbish, right? It’s February betches! Let’s eat sweets: Smoked Salt Chocolate Rye Cookies, Giant Chocolate Chunk Cookies, Snickerdoodles, Breakfast Crack Cookies, Holy Shit S’more Cookies, Bi-Curious Peanut Butter Cookies, Dark Chocolate + Olive Oil Cookies, Chocolate, Cherry + Oatmeal Cookies, Espresso Buttercream Whoopee Pies and Chocolate Crinkles (leave the peppermint bark out).
  • So far this month on DH: this Datil Chicken (I am obsessed with this recipe), Chinese Buns (I can eat these like popcorn) and on the eve of this month, I posted these Blood Orange Scones…which I highly recommend you take advantage of before all the blood oranges are gone…not to be seen again until next year. I might cry.
  • I really am excited about Chinese New Year…check out this recipe for Shumai. I think we can do this.
  • I tried to do three posts this week…thinking it would be my new thing. Too much for this tai tai. I’ll be going back to my usual two posts per week unless I get hit with oodles of free time and inspiration.
  • I hope you guys have a great week loaded with lots of fun and these cookies. Aloha + Mahalo all! xoxo

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Comments

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I love your comments, reviews and questions! If you love this recipe, please rate it when you leave a comment. Star ratings 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 help people discover my recipes. Your support means a lot, I look forward to chatting with you!

Rebecca xox

15 Comments

  • Megan February 10, 2018 at 12:19 AM

    This is a fun twist on ingredients for a cookie. Love the crunch of the cereal!

    Reply
    • Rebecca Firth February 10, 2018 at 4:14 PM

      Hi Meagan!! I’m so glad you liked these — they are one of my favorites!! xoxo

      Reply
  • Coco in the Kitchen October 12, 2016 at 10:44 PM

    You put frosted flakes into the mix?
    You devil, you!

    Reply
    • DisplacedHousewife October 13, 2016 at 2:27 PM

      Coco — So good!!! Adds a nice chewy texture thing in there!!! xo

      Reply
  • Sinead February 9, 2016 at 5:38 PM

    These sound promising! Confession: I once bought an extortionately priced Christina Tosi cookie mix at Target. I don’t know why. I plead temporary insanity. In any case, then you had to buy other crap to put INTO the cookie batter. Pretzels, and something else that I have blocked from my memory. It could have been cereal. I ended up calling them “trash can cookies,” because that’s exactly where they went. Yes. I threw a batch of cookies into the trash. Unheard of.

    Perhaps she should have a look-see at your recipe, which sounds ever so much more fabulous.

    Football? Yes, I do understand the game. Aging former cheerleader at your service. That said, I no longer enjoy it, what with all the wife-beating, child abuse, and traumatic brain injury. If I’m really in the mood for bloodsport, I can watch a little hockey. Or deal with the bizzitches on the school auction committee. :)

    In other news, those pork buns were amazing and I’ll be making that datil chicken as soon as I can get my greedy little hands on the necessary spices. What kind of wine would you pair with that? (I am not a beer drinker, BTW, so don’t suggest that. Practically un American, I know. What can I say? I have a seditious soul.)

    Reply
    • DisplacedHousewife February 9, 2016 at 11:45 PM

      I have had so many Aloha Cookies in the past week…it’s startin the effect my self esteem. ;)

      Those buns are so easy, I love them!! And that Datil…you have to get some!!! It’s so dang tasty.

      Keep on baking and cooking, I love it!! xoxo

      Reply
  • Cheese and Chinese February 8, 2016 at 4:45 PM

    Those look absolutely delicious!

    Reply
  • Heather (Delicious Not Gorgeous) February 8, 2016 at 1:51 AM

    i love putting rice krispies in chocolate chip cookies- it gives them a really nice crispy/crunchy/crackly texture. can’t wait to try adding frosted flakes to cookies!! (let’s home at least part of the box survives me + a ton of milk).

    Reply
    • DisplacedHousewife February 8, 2016 at 2:54 AM

      Rice Krispies are sooooo good in Chocolate Chip Cookies!! I hope you like these Heather! xoxo

      Reply
  • Sally February 7, 2016 at 11:13 PM

    Can’t wait to make these!

    Reply
  • Anna February 7, 2016 at 11:00 PM

    Yummy!!

    Reply
  • Josh February 7, 2016 at 9:53 PM

    Wow these look great. I can’t wait to make these.

    Reply