Mushrooms in My Cookies? Yep. Candy Cap Cookies.

Everyone knows I get a little creative with my ingredients. In fact, all of my friends joke that I can't make anything plain or basic. Ever. Case in point: I can't stand to make plain Rice Krispies treats; there's always a twist. Fine, they're right.

So, it was no surprise that I decided to make some cookies with dried candy cap mushrooms. In case you aren't familiar, candy cap mushrooms actually smell and taste like maple syrup. In fact, I've washed my hand dozens of times since I made these and they still smell like the candy caps. It's a crazy ingredient that I love.

These are candy cap cookies iced with a frosting that has candy cap syrup. This recipe only uses a little bit of the syrup. I used it in a seasonally appropriate whiskey cocktail. Stay tuned for that recipe!

Something you should know about this cookie: I actually ate one. Well, I ate half of one. Most of the time I am content just to create and share with people who have more of a sweet tooth than I do. So, it's saying a lot that I indulged. They were that enticing.

Candy Cap Cookies

Ingredients

Cookies

• 1 cup dried candy cap mushrooms

• 1 cup boiling water

• 1 cup butter, softened + 1 T for sautéing

• 1 cup organic dark brown sugar

• 1 egg

• 1/2 teaspoon coffee extract (use vanilla extract, if you prefer)

• 1-1/2 cup flour

• 1/2 cup ground almonds

Candy Cap Syrup

• reserved mushrooms water (mine was about 1 cup)

• 1 cup organic dark brown sugar

Frosting

• 2 cups organic powdered sugar, or more to thicken icing

• 1 to 2 Tablespoons candy cap syrup

• 1/4 teaspoon coffee extract (use vanilla extract, if you prefer)

Procedure

Cookies

Rehydrate dried mushrooms. Place them in a small bowl and pour boiling water over them. Stir to ensure that they are all submerged. After 20 minutes, strain them but reserve the soaking liquid. Squeeze excess liquid out by hand, then chop or thinly slice.

Melt 1 Tablespoon butter in a skillet and add in the sliced mushrooms. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together 1 cup butter and brown sugar. Beat in egg and coffee extract. Slowly add flour and ground almonds while stirring. Once it's come together, add in the sautéed candy caps. Incorporate the dough into a ball. Divide the ball in half and wrap in plastic wrap to chill for 15 to 30 minutes.

Candy Cap Syrup

While the dough chills, make your syrup. Strain the soaking liquid a few times to remove any chunks or debris. I think I strained mine three times. Pour the liquid in a small sauce pan and stir in brown sugar. Over medium heat, bring the liquid to a boil. Swirl the pan to dissolve the sugar, then reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes. If you would a thicker consistency, cook it longer.

Cookies Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the dough has chilled, roll it out to between 1/4" and 1/3" thick. Use a cutter and place the cookies on a parchment paper or silicone mat-lined baking sheet.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until bottoms of cookies are firmed. Let cool on the baking sheet for 3 to 4 minutes before removing to a wire rack and letting them cool completely. Frosting In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the ingredients until smooth. If it needs to be thicker, add more powdered sugar. If it needs to be thinner, add more syrup. Set aside.

To assemble, place a small amount of the frosting on top of the cooled cookies. Gently use a spoon to push the frosting to the edge. Set aside to let the frosting set.