Cookie Dough Balls

Cookie dough, oh cookie dough, oh how I love thee. The only problem is I was always told that I should never eat raw cookie dough because of the risk of salmonella. Did that stop me? Uh…yeah, no.

Even when I was little and baking those cubes of deliciousness (a.k.a. Toll House chocolate chip cookies) I would sneak a few dough chunks and eat those as I waited for the cookies in the oven to finish baking. Now, I’ve been eating dough that for years and I’m still alive, and so is the rest of the population who has been lucky enough to sneak a bite (or two, or three). So I think that whole salmonella thing is a bunch of whooey! I haven’t heard of anyone getting seriously sick (besides a tummy ache) from eating a little piece of heaven.

Nonetheless, it’s better to be safe than sorry, right? Which is part of the reason why I flipped when I saw these cookie dough ball things on Joy the Baker’s blog.

 

This is cookie dough that you can eat safely because the recipe lacks the one ingredient everyone is afraid of: egg! Instead of binding the dough with eggs, Joy gives three options: Greek yogurt, applesauce, and peanut butter. Well, I wasn’t going to open an entire thing of yogurt for two tablespoons, and I detest applesauce, so peanut butter wins! (but doesn’t it always?)

These cookie dough balls were great! You have to keep them in the freezer, or they’ll get soft and kind of crumbly on you, but that’s ok because with the summer heat an all, a cool treat that isn’t ice cream or a popsicle is kind of mind blowing.

The frozen dough tastes faintly of peanut butter (that’s to be expected), and when you bite into it and you hit a frozen chocolate chip, it’s the best! It makes the coolest snapping sound! (I’m not sorry if you think the simple things in life are amusing and exciting)

So go ahead and make these friendly and safe cookie dough bites. Then, when they are ready, you can eat the entire batch and not have to worry a single bit!

Cookie Dough Balls

Adapted slightly from Joy the Baker
Makes about 2 dozen small bites

Ingredients
½ stick unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup brown sugar
2 ½ tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. peanut butter
½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup + 1 tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1/3 cup (60 grams) chocolate chips

Directions
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the butter and sugars on medium-high speed together until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add in the peanut butter followed by the vanilla extract and beat well.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Turn the mixer’s speed down to low and slowly add in the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on medium-high for about 30 seconds. Pour in the chocolate chips.

Line a cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper so the frozen dough doesn’t stick to the pan. Use a cookie scoop to scoop out portions of dough (the dough may be a little crumbly, so pack it in there if necessary). Drop the dough onto the lined cookie sheet and place in the freezer for a few hours or until firm. I’m pretty sure eating the dough straight out of the bowl would be just as (or even more so) satisfying.