Don’t knock it until you try it!
If you want a cookie that covers all of the textural bases, then this vintage recipe for Panko Cookies is one to make. This unusual addition creates a cookie that’s both chewy, moist, and crunchy all in one bite.
Panko is not an ingredient we use in our desserts, but in this recipe, panko gets to see the sweeter side of the kitchen. After the butter and powdered sugar are creamed together, almond and vanilla extracts are added, followed by the flour and panko. Make sure you are using plain, unseasoned panko; we don’t want a sweet-savory sort of deal going on here.
The dough is divided, rolled, flattened, and baked until the edges are just starting to brown. After the cookies have cooled, they get tossed in powdered sugar for a nice snowy effect.
What are the results? Sheer magic. Seriously, there’s a level of sorcery going on in the depths of these cookies. On the outside, these cookies look unassuming, similar to your holiday snowball or wedding cookies, but when you take a bite, you’ll understand that these Panko Cookies are quite different.
Using powdered sugar as the sweetener in the cookie dough gives you that melt-away, delicate touch, while the simple addition of flour and no egg gives you a sturdy but soft shortbread vibe.
The black horse of the cookies—the panko—does many things. It adds crunch to the cookies without drying them out. It always adds a tiny bit of air into the cookies, giving them an additional light and delicate texture
Panko Cookies cover chewy, crispy, tender, and melt-away all in one bite; they might become a regular in your home!
Panko Cookies
Yield(s): Makes about 10 cookies
20m prep time
15m cook time
For the Cookies:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
For garnish:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
2. In a large bowl cream together butter and powdered sugar until light, fluffy, and lump free, scraping the bowl frequently.
3. Gradually add in the vanilla, flour, and panko until completely combined.
4. Divide the cookie dough into 10 portions, rolling the portions into balls and then flattening them into 1. 2-inch thick disks.
5. Bake for 15 minutes, rotating halfway. The cookies should be pale on top but slightly golden on the bottom edges.
6. Let the cookies cool on the baking tray for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To Garnish:
After the cookies are cooled, roll the slightly warm cookies in the powdered sugar.
