Toasted Milk Cookies with California Prune Jewels
Forget everything you thought you knew about prunes—and cookies, for that matter. Created by Kyra Johnson of Kyra’s Bake Shop, these gluten-free cookies are a delicious study in unexpected flavors. Naturally sweet California Prunes are warmed with vanilla and pink pepper, then folded into a buttery toasted milk cookie with blue cornmeal, candied ginger and sumac. Each bite delivers rich, caramel-like sweetness, a little crunch and a subtle hint of spice. Finished with sparkling sugar and an optional dusting of gold, these cookies are as beautiful as they are delicious.
Equipment
- Food processor
- Mixing bowls
- skillet
- Fine-mesh sieve or spice grinder
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Sharp knife
- Baking sheets
Ingredients
California Prune Jewels
- 3 cups California Prunes
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 tsp freshly cracked pink pepper
Toasted Milk Powder
- ¾ cup whole milk powder
Candied Ginger Sparks
- ⅓ cup chopped crystallized ginger
- 3 TBSP + 1 tsp blue cornmeal
Cookie Dough
- 1⅓ cups sweet white rice flour
- 1 cup potato starch
- ¾ cup millet flour
- ½ cup tapioca starch
- 2 TBSP + 2 tsp sorghum flour
- 2 TBSP + 2 tsp blue cornmeal
- 6 TBSP toasted milk powder from above
- 1-2 tsp kosher salt depending on brand
- 1 tsp sumac
- 2 tsp freshly cracked pink pepper
- ½ tsp freshly cracked white pepper
- 1⅔ cups powdered sugar
- ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter 2 sticks, cut into small cubes
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 TBSP vanilla bean paste
Exterior Coating
- ¼ cup sparkling or sanding sugar
- Approximately 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
- ½ tsp finely crushed pink pepper
- ½ tsp sumac
- Edible gold luster dust for decorating (optional)
Instructions
Prepare the California Prunes
- Combine the California Prunes, kosher salt, vanilla bean paste and pink pepper in a skillet. Warm over medium-low heat for 8–12 minutes, stirring frequently, until the prunes are softened, glossy and fragrant. Do not allow them to brown or dry out.
- Transfer the warm prunes to a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with a second sheet of parchment. Place another baking sheet on top and weight it lightly to flatten the prunes. Refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, pat the prunes dry if they feel particularly moist. Divide into two equal portions. Roughly chop one half and set aside. Leave the remaining prunes whole for now.
Toast the Milk Powder
- Place the milk powder in a dry skillet over very low heat. Cook, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the skillet, for approximately 6–8 minutes, until deep golden brown. It should look slightly darker than graham cracker crumbs and smell rich and toasted.
- Let cool completely. Sift the toasted milk powder or pulse briefly in a spice grinder to return it to a fine powder.
- Measure 6 tablespoons for the cookie dough and 4 tablespoons for coating the prunes.
- Toss the roughly chopped prunes with the 4 tablespoons of toasted milk powder. Set aside.
- Kyra’s Tip: Toasted milk powder is one of those ingredients I almost always keep in my pantry. It adds wonderful depth and a rich, buttery flavor to baked goods, so I often make a double or quadruple batch. If you make a larger batch, expect the milk powder to take longer to toast. Stored airtight in a cool, dark place, it will keep for about a month.
Prepare the Candied Ginger and Remaining Prunes
- Place the crystallized ginger and blue cornmeal in a food processor. Pulse about 15 times, until the ginger is finely chopped into small, spark-like pieces, approximately ⅛ inch.
- Add the reserved whole prunes and pulse another 8–10 times. Stop while the prunes are still irregularly chopped; you want distinct little pieces rather than a paste.
- Set aside.
Make the Cookie Dough
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the sweet white rice flour, potato starch, millet flour, tapioca starch, sorghum flour, blue cornmeal, toasted milk powder, kosher salt, sumac, pink pepper, white pepper, powdered sugar and brown sugar. Pulse several times to combine.
- Add the cold, diced butter and pulse 15–25 times, until the mixture resembles coarse sand with a few pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla bean paste. Add to the food processor and pulse just until the dough begins to come together. Do not overmix.
- Transfer the dough to a large bowl. Add both prepared prune mixtures—the toasted-milk-coated chopped prunes and the prune-candied ginger mixture. Fold gently by hand until evenly distributed.
Shape and Chill
- Divide the dough into three equal portions.
- Place each portion on a sheet of parchment paper and shape into a log approximately 1½ inches in diameter, using the parchment to help compact and evenly round the dough.
- Wrap the logs tightly and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Slice and Coat
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, combine the sparkling sugar, flaky sea salt, pink pepper and sumac.
- Slice the chilled dough into ⅜-inch-thick rounds. Gently press one side of each cookie into the sparkling sugar mixture, then place sugar-side up on the prepared baking sheets.
- The cookies will spread only slightly, so they can be placed relatively close together.
Bake and Finish
- Bake for 18–20 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are just set but still slightly soft.
- Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets before transferring them.
- For a California Gold Nugget-inspired finish, lightly dry-brush the tops of the cooled cookies with edible gold luster dust, if desired.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Nutrition
Serving: 2cookiesCalories: 192kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 3gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 129mgPotassium: 208mgFiber: 2gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 289IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 0.5mg