Full disclosure: these Totally Different Chocolate Chip Cookies are unlike any other chocolate chip cookie you’ve tasted.
So different, in fact, that I debated posting this recipe.
I even debated calling them “chocolate chip cookies.”
In the end, though, these cookies were just SO. FREAKIN’. GOOD. that I decided it’d be selfish to keep them to myself.
(You’re welcome. Manners cost nothing.)
Why are Totally Different Chocolate Chip Cookies the book-inspired recipe for Recipe for a Perfect Wife?
Even though I’ve already paid homage to my favorite chocolate chip cookie, I decided to make these Totally Different Chocolate Chip Cookies as the book-inspired recipe for Recipe for a Perfect Wife.
The recipe was pretty much handed to me since it appears at the back of the book. Main characters Nellie and Alice wow their friends with batches of these unique sweets.
The “unique” part is the secret ingredients: ground cloves and shredded coconut. The flavor combo kinda blew my mind, and I knew I had to make these chocolate chip cookies.
What makes these chocolate chip cookies so different?
Once I started mixing the cookie dough — and once the final product slid out of the oven — I realized another reason why these Totally Different Chocolate Chip Cookies are in a league all their own: the texture.
My legit first thought when I tasted one?
BLASPHEMY! THESE ARE NOT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES.
At least, not in the traditional sense.
They’re not your typical crispy cookie or your soft, chewy cookie. They’re SUPER soft. Like, softer than any cookie should be.
Dare I say it? They were cake-like.
I had made chocolate chip cookie… cakes??? WTF.
I was shaken. I was appalled. I was ready to scrap the offending goodies altogether.
But, the more I nibbled on them, the more I realized… “Well, damn. These are just lovely.”
Why I love Totally Different Chocolate Chip Cookies
The taste of these treats is unreal. I’ve always loved chocolate and clove together, but I couldn’t have imagined just how delicious that warm spice in a chocolate chip cookie could be. Many people add espresso to bring out the flavor of chocolate, but I’m telling ya — add ground cloves. That’s the secret to an amazing chocolate chip cookie.
The shredded coconut admittedly doesn’t add much flavor, but I liked the bit of chew it gave to the dough.
JUST BE PREPARED when you’re going in to take a bite. These cookies are not going to be what you’re expecting at first.
If you’ve ever tried a Mississippi Teacake or my Miami Vice Cookies, you’ll be prepared. If not, well…. live and learn. Try this recipe if you’re craving a lil’ something out of the ordinary.
What do you serve with Totally Different Chocolate Chip Cookies?
Serve these cookies as an afterschool treat with a tall, cold glass of milk, or as a lunchtime dessert after some Apple Butternut Squash Soup or Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad.
And, if you decide that you love the taste of warm spices with chocolate, try Christmas Spice Brownies, Spiced Walnut Cookies, and Pumpkin Swirl Brownies.
Note: You should probably eat Totally Different Chocolate Chip Cookies the same day you bake them. They start to get a little stale by the end of Day 2 if they’re not in a good air-tight container.
Totally Different Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 tbsp milk
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
PREP INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
BAKING INSTRUCTIONS
- Cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the milk and mix just enough to incorporate the liquid into the mixture.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, ground cloves, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients into the wet, beating in between each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.Note: the cookie dough will be very loose, almost like cake batter.
- Add the chocolate chips and coconut flakes to the mixer, then beat until just combined.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop cookies onto the prepared baking sheets; only place 5-6 cookies per sheet since they will spread in the oven.
- Bake at 350F for 10-11 minutes, until light golden brown. They will still be very soft.
- Remove trays from the oven to a cooling rack. Let the cookies rest 10 minutes, then transfer them from the pan to the cooling rack. Cool completely.
Mmm, they look good!! 😋🥰 Is that plain flour, not self-raising?
It’s “plain” all-purpose flour, so not self-rising. Hope you like these cookies as much as I do!
So glad you posted this! I’m reading the book and wanted to make the cookies, but not if it wasn’t bonafide. Definitely worth the two sticks of butter, to give it a shot, lol!
Hi Janet! haha, yes, you don’t want to be wasting butter these days on sub-par cookies. These were, as I said, totally different than any chocolate chip cookie I’ve had, but a really tasty deviation. I hope you like them as much as I did!
I am intrigued by the addition of clove. It’s not my favorite, but I am willing to give it a go. For science!
Hi, Jenni! Clove makes me look at chocolate in a whole new light, lol. I hope you’ll give them a chance!