Papaya recipes are hard to come by, which is good for me; I got to develop my own. I liked that it is a sturdy fruit and does not turn mushy when cut into small pieces.
If you are unsure how to cut papaya, here is a web page, "How to cut a Papaya," containing a link to a video. YouTube has a video to accomplish almost any task, and cutting papaya is no exception. All cookies need some structure, and coconut goes very well with papaya.
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Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar white
- Baking powder
- Butter unsalted
- Kosher Salt
- Macadamia nuts
- Sweetened coconut shredded
- Papaya
- Lime
I found that papaya has many health benefits based on Healthline.
Making Papaya Cookies
I really like papaya, but with any cookie that has fresh fruit in it, you need to get as much juice out of the fruit as possible. Otherwise, you could end up with soggy cookies after a day or two. Lucky for you, there are a few tricks I share below to help with this problem.
Prepping
Next, weigh or measure the sugar and set it aside. Finally, weigh or measure all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt) into a bowl and whisk them together to blend.
Now, for the papaya, I cut the ends off and then peal the outer skin off with a sharp knife.
Cut the papaya in half and scoop out the seeds. You want a clean inside, just like you would do with a cantaloupe.
Slice and cut the slices into small pieces until you have a cup full. Then, spread them out on paper towels to absorb the fruit juices.
I also take another paper towel, lay it on top of the pieces, and gently pat down the paper towel to get some of the juices on top of the papaya pieces. You want as much of the fruit juices as possible to be absorbed.
Cut the lime in half and juice it into a bowl or a juicer container like I have. It is a cheap one that I got at the grocery store.
I measure the amount of macadamia nuts I am going to need and then take a look at them; you might want to cut some in half if they are too big.
Mixing Cookie Dough
To test the butter's softness, I cut it into cubes. It should have only a slight resistance.
Turn the mixer on to medium speed for a minute or two. You want soft peaks, and the butter should look creamy.
Add the sugar and mix on a medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes. You want to blend the sugar into the butter. Then add the lime juice.
Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. Now, turn the mixer on a low speed. I add the flour mixture about ⅓ of the amount at a time. Blend the flour mixture in, but try not to overbeat the flour. It will make your cookies tough.
Finally, add the nuts, coconut, and papaya. Mix through for about 30 seconds or less.
Depending on how much juice is left in your papaya will determine how wet your cookie dough will be at this point. The coconut will help to absorb some of the juices.
Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Baking the Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C), and line 2 cookie sheet pans with parchment paper.
Using a medium cookie scooper place 12 scoops onto one of the prepared cookie sheet pans.
Bake for 11-13 minutes until a slight golden brown is around the bottom edges. I leave them on the pan for a minute once they are out of the oven before moving them to a cooling rack.
Enjoy!
FAQ's
I had papaya many years ago, but it is not a common fruit here in Lancaster, PA, for adding to cookies. You do want to make sure that the papaya you use is ripe.
I have gotten questions like, " How do you tell if a papaya is ripe?" and " How do you slow down or speed up the ripening process of a papaya?" Both questions and more are answered at Real Simple.
I am not going to lie. They can be tricky. The first thing is to extract as much liquid as possible from the fruit before you add it to the cookie dough. I have left my cut-up fruit out on the counter for half a day before using them. I change the paper towels they are laying on several times if needed.
But even after the cookies are baked, I do not store them in an airtight container. The cookie tend to get soggy rather quickly that way. I put them in a container and just lay the lid on top. If they start to feel moist just remove the lid and let the air evaporate some of the juices.
More Macadamia Nuts
Recipe
Papaya Coconut and Macadamia Nut Cookies - Updated
Barbara HallWould you like to save this recipe?
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Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) Butter unsalted room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) Sugar white
- 1 Tablespoon (1 Tablespoon) Lime juice
- 2 cups (250 g) All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) Kosher Salt
- ½ cup (67 g) Macadamia nuts
- ½ cup (45 g) Sweetened Coconut shredded
- 1 cup (140 g) Papaya cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Cut a papaya into small pieces, laying pieces on a paper towel to absorb liquid. I also lay a paper towel on top of the cut-up papaya. Weigh or measure sugar and set aside. Juice 1 lime into a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, weigh or measure the flour, baking powder, and salt, running a whisk through to blend.
- Line two cookie pans with parchment paper and set aside. In a handheld or stand mixer bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy, about a minute or two. Then, add the sugar and on a medium mixer speed blend for a couple of minutes. Next, add the lime juice and incorporate. Turn the mixer down and slowly add the flour mixture. Blend for a minute, stop the mixer, scrape down the sides and bottom, and then blend until the flour has been incorporated about a minute.
- Stop the mixer and add the coconut, macadamia nuts, and papaya. Turn the mixer to a low setting and blend for about 30 seconds or less. The papaya is pretty strong, but don't overmix; you don't want to break up the papaya any more than you have to. Cover the bowl loosely and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C) and line 2 cookie sheet pans with parchment paper. Using a medium cookie scoop, add 12 cookie mounds to one of the prepared pans. Bake for 11-13 minutes until the cookies are slightly golden around the bottom edges. Once out of the oven, I leave them on the pan for a minute or two before transferring them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
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Notes
NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.
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