Bake the Book
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[Photograph: Grant Cornett]

Cigar aficionados, take note: this recipe makes serious use of your favorite indulgence. Smoke & Pickles flavors soft sugar cookie dough with chopped leaves, and the topping is a boiled down mix of molasses, coconut, and tobacco water. If you're a nicotine neophyte, consult the main recipe post for a breakdown of the best cigars to use here.

Reprinted with permission by Edward Lee. Copyright © 2013. Published by Artisan Books. Available wherever books are sold. All rights reserved.

About This Recipe

Yield: makes about 24 cookies
Active time: 40 minutes
Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • Tobacco Coconut Flakes
  • 1 cup firmly packed sweetened coconut flakes
  • 1 1/2 cups brewed coffee
  • 3/4 cup cola
  • 2 teaspoons molasses
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Tobacco Water (recipe follows)
  •  
  • Cookies
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 14 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons chopped tobacco leaves (reserved from cigar used to make Tobacco Water)
  •  
  • Tobacco Water
  • 1 good cigar
  • 3 cups warm water

Procedures

  1. Preheat the oven to 355°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  2. To make the tobacco water: Peel half of the layers off the cigar and discard. Separate the inner tobacco leaves. Reserve 2 tablespoons' worth of chopped leaves to use in cookies; set aside. Rinse remaining leaves under warm water for 3 minutes. Fill a small bowl with the 3 cups warm water and steep the tobacco leaves in the water for 10 minutes. Strain the water and discard the tobacco leaves. The tobacco water will be quite strong, with a nicotine sting.

  3. To make the coconut flakes: In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut, coffee, cola, molasses, sugar, and tobacco water. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for about 20 minutes, until all the liquid has been cooked off. Transfer the coconut flakes to a baking sheet and allow to cool to room temperature.

  4. To make the cookies: In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and stir together with a fork. Melt the chocolate and butter over a double boiler. Allow to cool slightly.

  5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, buttermilk, vanilla, and tobacco. Stir into the chocolate mixture, then stir the flour mixture into this batter.

  6. Spoon the dough 1 tablespoon at a time onto the prepared baking sheet. Leave room in between for the cookies to spread while baking.

  7. Top each cookie with a little of the tobacco coconut flakes. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookie tops crack but the cookies are still soft in the center. Let cool for 3 minutes before handling. Lift with a spatula and transfer the cookies to a wire rack. Or let cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to a week.