Goji Berry, White Chocolate, and Pistachio Cookies

I still have a quantity of goji berries, so I keep looking for different recipes that use these berries. When the weather starts getting warmer here, refrigerator cookies are ideal for me to make. I can make the dough, which takes about 10 minutes, and then keep the dough into the refrigerator for a day or two and then bake them up when it is convenient. This recipe, which combines goji berries, white chocolate chips, and pistachios, sounded great.

When I made these cookies, I had little issue. The dough was dry so I added an egg yolk to help it come together. It makes just under two dozen cookies, so I made the dough and shaped it into a log, ready to bake at a later point. Now, I guess I have gotten less discerning in choosing cookies, as the rule for refrigerator cookies, which need to be sliced, is to make sure none of the elements are too large. That proved to be tricky for these cookies!

When I tried slicing these cookies, they were very crumbly. Every cookie I had to press together and reshape, but in the end, they looked fine. I think I would chop the goji berries, but I think the pistachios were fairly hard and the white chips were large, so I am not sure what I could do there. Do they make mini white chips? That would be handy. These cookies have a good crunch, and if you don’t have goji berries, almost any dried fruit will work. These cookies aren’t overly sweet, which makes it perfect to pair with your morning tea.

Goji Berry, White Chocolate, and Pistachio Cookies
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/4 cups flour
1/3 cup goji berries
1/3 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup pistachios
Egg yolk, if needed

In a larger mixer bowl, combine the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Beat on medium until light. Add the flour, goji berries, white chocolate chips, and pistachios and stir on low until the dough comes together. If needed, add an egg yolk to help the dough come together.

Shape the dough into a log, about 1-1/2” in diameter. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or longer.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Cut the dough into ¼” slices and place on the prepared baking sheets. Reshape the cookies as needed, if crumbly.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, until lightly golden. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe from Paint, Pencil, Pastries

Oatmeal Cookies with Goji Berries and Chocolate Chips

We often buy different nuts and dried fruits online, as there are a couple of items that I can’t get at local stores. I like to buy sliced almonds that don’t have skin, which are not available here. Trader Joe’s has a version that works if needed, but I order them online and try to keep stock on hand. Since my husband usually makes those purchases, there are sometimes extra items added to our order.

In our most recent order, one of the impulse items was dried goji berries. They are quite popular right now, and they are similar to raisins or dried cranberries. You could substitute with those items if dried goji berries aren’t available, but they do taste different. I don’t think that the goji berries are as sweet as raisins, but I can certainly see how they are similar to dried cranberries.

I made this cookie, which was originally vegan, although I have a couple of other goji berry recipes that I want to try. I didn’t make these vegan, but a vegan recipe wouldn’t not be difficult to make. I’ve never made a vegan “egg” with flax seeds, but many folks are familiar with doing that. This recipe is quite classic, an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, but with added goji berries. I think these have great flavor, but you do taste the chocolate chips more than anything. I think trying these with just goji berries would be outstanding.

Oatmeal Cookies with Goji Berries and Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cup rolled oats
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dried goji berries
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

In a large mixer bowl, combine the butter and brown sugar and beat on medium until light. Add the egg and vanilla and stir to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Once the dough comes together, stir in the goji berries and chocolate chips with a spatula.

Drop the cookies onto the prepared baking sheets, forming mounds about 1-1/2” in diameter. Flatten the dough slightly with the palm of your hand.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, until set and lightly browned along the edges. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe from Vegan Fling