Papaya recipes are hard to come by, which was good for me; I got to develop my own. I liked that it is a sturdy fruit and did not turn mushy when cutting it 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. I find that 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.
Ingredients
Jump to Recipe for Amounts- All-purpose flour
- Sugar white
- Baking powder
- Butter unsalted
- Kosher Salt
- Macadamia nuts
- Sweetened coconut shredded
- Papaya
- Lime juice
Coconut - There are two different types in the store: sweetened and unsweetened. I have found both in the grocery store here in Pennsylvania. The unsweetened is Nature's Promise Organic Flake Coconut, but it is the Giant's store brand. It is lighter in weight and drier in moisture. The sweetened brand that I use is Baker's Angel Flake Coconut, which is heavier, moist, and soft. So here is a Web site that tells you the difference between flaked or shredded coconut.
Macadamia Nuts - One of my favorite parts of a cookie is nuts. Since macadamia nuts to go with the papaya, I decided to use them with the papaya. I was first introduced to the macadamia nut when I lived in Hawaii. Here is a website with a fantastic article if you would like to know about the History of the Macadamia Nut.
Papaya - 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 found that papaya has many health benefits based on Healthline.
Questions I have gotten are "how do you tell if a papaya is ripe?" or "how to slow up or speed up the ripening process of a papaya?" both questions and more are answered at Real Simple.
Lime juice - When baking cookies, I do use freshly squeezed limes. I find that the bottled lime juice is sweeter and not as tart. Since I am already adding sugar into my cookie dough, the bottled variety doesn't seem to bring out the lime flavor I am looking for. But I hear the bottled lime juice is better for cocktails.
Making Papaya Cookies
Cut a papaya into small pieces and enough to get 1-½ cups. Juice enough limes to get 1-½ tablespoons of lime juice.
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 run a whisk through to blend.
Cream the butter and sugar together on a medium speed for about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and add the lime juice. Turn the mixer to low speed and slowly add the flour mixture.
Scrape down the sides, add the coconut, papaya, and macadamia nuts, and blend into the cookie dough for a minute or less. Of course, you can always use a spatula to even out the papaya, macadamia nuts, and coconut through the cookie dough after that minute. But you don't want to break up the papaya so try not to mix too long. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 2 cookie sheet pans with parchment paper. Taking a small cookie scooper or spoon, drop with a teaspoon and place 12 mounds onto a prepared sheet pan. Bake for 13-14 minutes. You want to see a slight browning around the bottom edges of the cookies. Move to a cooling rack to finish once out of the oven.
Storage
I love fresh fruit in my cookies, but you have to store them differently since fresh fruit retains liquid. Keep them in an open container so the air can naturally evaporate the extra fruit juice. You can cover them loosely but keep an eye on them; if they seem to be getting damp when touched, take the lid off for a while.
Want More Macadamia Nuts
Papaya Coconut and Macadamia Nut Cookies
Barbara HallIngredients
- 1 cup (227 g) Butter unsalted room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) Sugar white
- 1 ½ Tablespoon (1.5 Tablespoon) Lime juice
- 3 cups (375 g) All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) Kosher Salt
- 1 cup (134 g) Macadamia nuts
- 1 cup (90 g) Sweetened Coconut shredded
- 1 ½ cups (210 g) Papaya cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Cut a papaya into small pieces, laying pieces on a paper towel to absorb liquid. 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 to cookie pans with parchment paper and set aside. In a handheld or stand mixer bowl (I use a KitchenAid), cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Next, add the lime juice and incorporate. Turn the mixer down and slowly add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Blend for a minute, stop the mixer, scrape down the sides and bottom, then blend until all the flour has been incorporated.
- Stop the mixer and add the coconut, macadamia nuts, and papaya; turn the mixer to a medium-low and blend into the cookie dough. Papaya is pretty strong but don't over mix; 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.
- Pull the cookie dough out of the refrigerator and either use a spoon to drop a mound on the cookie sheet or use a small cookie scoop (I use an OXO Good Grips Cookie Scoop Small) to get 12 cookies on a pan. Heat oven to 350° and bake for 13 -14 minutes until the cookies are slightly brown around the bottom edges. Move them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
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