Texas Mesquite Chocolate Chip Cookies are a creation of a friend of mine who lives down the road here in South Texas ranch country. You can check out her website here.
South Texas = Mesquite
If anything, South Texas is all about mesquite trees. Mesquite fires flavor our barbecues. Mesquite trees crowd the horizon. I always think back to the good ol’ days when clothing irons were filled with embers from the fireplace. Locally, I am sure these embers were mesquite. Even your clothes smelled like mesquite smoke! Mesquite is everywhere in South Texas.
The seed pods (also known as mesquite beans) of the mesquite tree are sweet with a flavor similar to sweet potatoes. Once they are dried, they can be made into flour. Indigenous tribes of our area relied on mesquite flour as a food source. In fact, I believe mesquite flour allowed the tribes to thrive for thousands of years.
Mesquite flour has triple the fiber of whole wheat flour. By itself, mesquite flour has a lower glycemic index than regular flour. I don’t think my chocolate chip cookie recipe has a low glycemic index! But Texas Mesquite Chocolate Chip Cookies are a great introduction to the nutty flavor of mesquite flour.
Chill the dough for best results
One aspect of this recipe that I love is making the dough in advance and allowing it to chill before baking. In the past, I have made the dough then baked the cookies that I needed. You can store the prepared cookie dough in the freezer for several months. This is a great convenience when folks stop by and you want to serve something special.
Regional gifts and regional dishes are always a challenge, especially if you want to send a gift. I think Texas Mesquite Chocolate Chip Cookies are an excellent way to share the flavor of South Texas!
Texas Mesquite Chocolate Chip Cookies are the best gift
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 48 1x
Ingredients
1 stick butter, softened (115g)
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar (100g)
1/4 granulated sugar (50g)
1/4 teaspoon salt (1g)
1 teaspoon vanilla (5ml)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (3g)
¾ cup all-purpose flour (94g)
1/2 cup Mesquite Bean Flour (50g)
1 cup pecans, chopped (115g)
2 cups chocolate chips (320g)
Instructions
Combine butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt in a bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon until creamy. Add vanilla, egg, and baking soda and mix until smooth.
Add the mesquite flour and all-purpose flour and mix until smooth. Add pecans and chocolate chips, stirring to combine well. Cover and chill for a minimum of two hours.
Drop portions of the chilled dough onto foil or parchment lined baking sheets and bake at 350°F (176°C) for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire racks before storing.
Notes
Recipe adapted by Melissa Guerra from:
Cappadona Ranch www.cappadonaranch.com
Recipe by Mariella Gorena published in Mesquite Country Cookbook
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