The following is an online extra from our February 2022 Sourcebook issue, accompanying our article on cooking with cannabis.
Cannabis and cookies join forces in the recipes below. (Photo courtesy Daniel Harthausen)
Girl Scout-inspired Cannabutter Cookies
By Daniel Harthausen, founder of the Young Mother pop-up
Daniel Harthausen, founder of the Japanese-influenced pop-up Young Mother, says he prefers making cannabutter treats with sativa-dominant strains that produce a more energized, focused and creative high. When cooking with cannabis, Harthausen is a firm believer in batter-based recipes, noting that they typically yield the most consistent results. His go-to recipes include chocolate-coconut and chocolate-mint cookies inspired by classic Girl Scout varieties. “I recommend doing cookies or brownies, things that don’t go too high up in temp, [as you] don’t want to burn off the THC,” he says.
Cannabutter
1 pound unsalted butter
7 grams marijuana of choice
10 cups water
Medium-sized pan
Cheesecloth
Slow cooker
Two 16-ounce Mason jars
Baking sheet
Gloves
Metal mesh strainer
To clarify butter, add unsalted butter to medium-sized pan. Turn heat to medium and melt butter completely, leaving on heat until it starts to bubble. Turn heat to medium-low. Continuously skim the surface of the butter with a spoon, removing any impurities that rise. After the butter is clear, strain it through a cheesecloth to remove solids.
Next, decarboxylate the marijuana. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Spread marijuana on a baking sheet, making sure to create one single layer with no buds overlapping. Place in preheated oven and decarb for 35 minutes, then take marijuana out of the oven and let cool. Once cool, break apart marijuana using your hands (I like to wear vinyl or latex gloves). Split marijuana in half by volume and add each portion to one of the Mason jars.
Split the clarified butter in half by volume and add each portion to one of the Mason jars. Seal the Mason jars and place into the slow cooker. Add enough water to cover each Mason jar up to the lid. Turn slow cooker on its highest setting. Once the water is fully heated, turn the slow cooker to low and let the jars bathe for 24 hours. After 24 hours, strain the butter infusion through a metal mesh strainer. Be sure to press solids and let drip to maximize yield.
“Samoa” Cookies
1 cup cannabutter
1⁄2 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons whole milk
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Using the bowl from a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, turn mixer to medium and cream butter and sugar until fluffy, four to five minutes. In a separate bowl mix flour, baking powder and salt. Turn stand mixer to low and in increments of three add flour mixture to the creamed butter. Add milk and vanilla extract, blending until combined and the dough starts coming together in large chunks. Divide dough in half, pressing each half into disks. Place both disks in a gallon freezer bag and refrigerate for one hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a mini-muffin tray with cooking oil. Using a scale, measure out 15 grams of dough and press to the bottom of the mini-muffin tray evenly. Bake cookies for 12 min, rotating the tray halfway through. Once finished, using a knife, carefully pull each cookie out and let rest on a drip rack for 30 minutes or until fully cooled.
Coconut Topping
3 cups shredded, sweetened coconut
15 ounces soft caramels
2 tablespoons milk
Chocolate Topping
1 pound Merckens chocolate coating wafers
Spread coconut flakes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees until toasted. Very important: Stir the coconut frequently to prevent burning. After 10 minutes, set aside to cool in baking tray. Boil a pot of water and place caramels and milk in a medium steel mixing bowl. Place bowl over the pot and cook, stirring frequently until all the caramels have melted. Remove the bowl from the sauce pot and mix coconut with the melted caramel. While still warm, press little balls of the coconut mixture on top of the cookie and press down gently until evenly distributed across the whole surface. Set aside to cool completely. While waiting, melt chocolate in the microwave. In a microwave-safe bowl, add about 1 cup of the chocolate wafers and microwave for 30 seconds, stir, then microwave for 15 seconds, stir, and repeat until chocolate is fully melted. Dip the non-coconut side of the cookie in the chocolate and scrape away any excess. Place cookies coconut side-down on some parchment paper and let the chocolate completely cool. When cooled, flip cookies over, re-melt the chocolate if necessary and place into a Ziploc or piping bag. Cut the corner of the bag and drizzle chocolate over the cookies in thin lines. Let cool completely. Serve immediately or keep in the freezer until ready.
“Thin Mint” Cookies
1 cup cannabutter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
Chocolate Topping
1 pound Merckens chocolate coating wafers
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
Cream butter and sugar in an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add milk and extracts with mixer on low speed. In a separate bowl whisk flour, cornstarch cocoa and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to the butter mixture on low speed, mix until combined. Spray medium-sized muffin tins with coconut oil spray. Add 10 grams of mixture into each muffin tray. With gloves on, push cookie mixture flat in the muffin tray. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Once finished, let cool in tray for 10 minutes. Place a baking sheet over the muffin tray and flip over to remove cookies. Place cookies on a wire rack until completely cooled. Repeat process until all the cookie mixture is used. Add chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl and melt in the microwave. Once melted, mix thoroughly with a fork and add peppermint extract. Coat each cookie with chocolate on both sides and let cool on wax paper. Once each cookie is coated, transfer to the freezer and let freeze for 30 minutes. Cookies can now be transferred to the container of choice.
