Adventures in Cooking – Cookie Recipe Surprise!

So, I was working on a special recipe for one of my sons who has peanut and tree nut allergies – sunflower seed butter cookies were going to be the perfect substitute for the peanut butter cookies he can’t eat! Since I like to experiment in the kitchen, there was no online recipe research done on my part. Instead, I just used one of my other cookie recipes while substituting in sunflower seed butter. Had there been a little research done, things may not have turned out as they did….

The warm cookies were out and we all enjoyed a few – not bad, but not the greatest cookies either. The recipe definitely needed some work.

The next day from a room over…. My husband says, “Hey, where are those cookies you made?”

I replied, “They are in the freezer to keep them fresh – I thought we could just take a cookie out as we want one and heat it in the microwave oven to warm.” A few minutes later after he bit into one, I hear….

“There is something wrong with these cookies.”

“What do you mean? I just made them.” (I mean, they weren’t THAT bad)!

He replied, “You have to see this. There is something definitely wrong!”

Here’s what he had just bitten into…. hmm poisonous or moldy-looking cookies! – what happened? Evidently, the baking soda or powder will react with the chlorogenic acid (chlorophyll) in the sunflower butter and turn the cookies green. Had I done a little research before, and I am glad I didn’t because it was such a fun reaction, I would have probably found this out! They are perfectly safe to eat! And, if you need a cheery recipe for, oh say St. Patrick’s Day, Christmas, Halloween, or April Fools Day, sunflower seed butter cookies made with baking soda or powder is a good recipe to try! I would love to hear if you have had a similar experience. Post it below. And, here’s to all of you out there trying out new recipes for those we love who have food allergies!