Finn Dinkle

The first time my oldest son (now four) baked with me was at eight months old. I sprinkled some flour on his cheeks and we took pictures. I like to think these experiences in his first year helped spark his interest in baking and cooking. Today, he is quite the chef. He understands seasonings and has taken a real interest in creating remarkable meals for himself and the family.

What I didn’t realize was how much he would learn in addition to the baking. It has introduced him to fractions and increased his interest in math. He has learned patience and the importance of following directions. I’d take credit for these wonderful lessons, but really I just love to bake and spend time with him and the rest was a bonus.

Today when Rowan cooks with me, he puts on his adorable apron from his Auntie Jessica and Uncle Josh and gets creative. On the random occasions when he cooks in his play kitchen, he goes by the alias Chef Finn Dinkle. Finn and I want to share one of our favorite cookie recipes with you. We found it on pinterest brought to you by Well-Traveled Wife with a few of our own adaptations.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1 cup + 1 Tbsp. brown sugar, packed
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 6-8 oz. semisweet chocolate chipsli>
• 1.5-2 cups shredded coconut

Gather your ingredients and get started . . .

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a cookie sheet
• In a large mixing bowl, mix the coconut oil and brown sugar. Add in the eggs and beat with a hand mixer until fluffy. Add in the vanilla extract and combine.
• In a smaller bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder. Mix the flour mixture into the coconut oil mixture in three steps until all the flour is incorporated. Add in the chocolate chips + coconut and mix well.
• Drop small rounded spoon fulls onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for about 10 minutes or until slightly browned around the edges. Let them cool and be safe or eat them immediately with a little milk. (live on the edge)

These cookies are full of coconut flavor and absolutely delicious. If you love coconut like we do, do yourself a favor and double the recipe.

Another time in the kitchen with Finn presented a unique baking problem. A snow storm was whirling around outside adding inches of snow and creating white out conditions stopping us from getting to the grocery store. Our refrigerator was bare. No milk, no eggs, and only one stick of butter remaining. Our hot cocoa demanded a yummy treat, but what were we going to do without eggs? Here is one of our own recipes. Created with love and a limited pantry out of necessity. We call it:

Make Your Own Egg Peanut Butter Cookies

• 1 Tbsp oil
• 2 Tbsp water
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup white flour
• 1/2 cup apple sauce

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Whisk together 1 Tbsp oil, 2 Tbsp water, and 2 tsp baking powder and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter, peanut butter, sugars and vanilla until smooth and a bit fluffy.
• Beat in your “egg,” baking soda, salt, and flour.
• Blend in your apple sauce.

Because this recipe does not use eggs, it was the perfect time to introduce Chef Finn to licking off the beaters! Man, does that bring back memories – except, I’m sure ours had eggs.

• Spoon onto cookie sheet and (optional) sprinkle sugar over the top.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes. Cool.

There is never a bad time to enjoy a homemade cookie. Goodies to eat, a little education to boot and lots of fun to be had. We hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we do.

Cheers,
Kelly and Finn (aka Rowan)