Jiggly Cookies: All the Flavor, None of the Texture

It tastes like a cookie, but it doesn't feel like a cookie. It jiggles. It bounces. It flops. Say hello to jiggly cookies! A dessert that makes you question reality as you bite into it. With a little bit of molecular gastronomy we can reinvent what we know as a cookie.

Once I saw the Instructable Cookie Contest I knew that I would have to come up with something truly unique in order to stand out and I think I have come up with something that has never been done before. I know, I know...you doubt that these would be any good - but they are a real treat to eat! Everyone that I have shared these with have been very skeptical but quickly change their mind after the first bite and always ask for more.

Depending on the type of jiggly cookie you end up making these are very easy to be allergen friendly as well. These are very easy to make vegan, dairy free, soy free, nut free, gluten free, egg free, and nut free. How many desserts can do that? ;)

• Cooking Burner (Stove top, hotplate, etc.)
• Pot
• Spatula/Spoon
• Food Storage Containers, Molds, or Baking Tins
• Blender (Optional, but recommended)
• Cookie Recipe Ingredients (Detailed ingredient lists found in later steps)

One of the things that I love about jiggly cookies is that you can replicate almost any type of cookie in jiggly form.

They all start with a basic set of core ingredients that works like "dough" in a traditional baked cookie recipe. Then the core can be transformed into a specific type of cookie with simple additions.

Core Ingredients:

• 1 cup of Non-Dairy Milk, sweetened, unflavored (I prefer to use "original" soy milk)
• 1/2 tsp Agar powder*
• 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1 Tbsp White Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2 tsp Neutral Flavored Oil (Corn, Canola, Peanut, and Safflower are good choices)
• 1 tsp Lecithin Granules**
• 1/4 tsp Salt

*Agar is a gelling agent derived from seaweed. This is a great vegan alternative to gelatin for almost any application. I have it in powder form but it can also be found in flakes or bars. Here is a rough conversion if it can't be found in powder form: 1 teaspoon agar powder = 1 tablespoon agar flakes = 1/2 agar bar

**Lecithin is a common food additive that in the case of this recipe is being used as an emulsifier so that the oil can be homogenized into the mixture. Lecithin can be found in stores as Soy or Sunflower Lecithin, coming as a liquid or in granule form. I bought soy lecithin granules from my local Whole Foods.

Here are add-in ingredient for several different types that I have tried and loved!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Add-ins:

• 1/4 cup Chocolate Chips, chopped (Whole chocolate chips are too large in my opinion for this application, so chopping them up into smaller pieces makes for a better jiggly cookie)

Peanut Butter Cookie Add-ins:

• 3 Tbsp Peanut Butter Powder (Using regular peanut butter adds too much fat which makes the end result more like a pudding than a jello)
• 1 Tbsp Additional Non-Dairy Milk (or water)

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Add-ins:

• 3 Tbsp Quick-cook Rolled Oats (The oats won't have much time to cook so the quick-cook kind will result in the best end texture)
• 2 Tbsp Raisins

Gingersnap Cookie Add-ins:

• 1 tsp Ginger Powder
• 1 tsp Cinnamon Powder
• 1 Tbsp Blackstrap Molasses

Mediocre cooks rejoice! These jiggly cookies require very little work and don't require any special equipment. These cookies come together in three easy stages of mix, boil, and pour.

It all comes down to mixing core ingredients together through whatever method one may have available. A blender works very well for this but one can also get by with a whisk and a strong arm.

1. Combine all core ingredients together into a blender or other container for mixing
2. Blend/mix until all ingredients are well combined
3. For Peanut Butter Cookies: Add peanut butter powder and additional liquid now. Blend/mix to combine.
4. For Gingersnap Cookies: Add ginger, cinnamon, and molasses now. Blend/mix to combine.

For chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal raisin cookies, reserve the add-in ingredients until the appropriate step.

In order for the mixture to transform into the fun jiggly bites, the agar will need to be activated by heat. The gelling component of agar doesn't activate unless it is heated to around 90°C (194°F) and a surefire way of accomplishing this is by bringing the mixture to a boil.

1. Once have all of the ingredients are well combined, pour the mixture into a heavy bottomed pan or pot.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.
3. Once at a rolling boil remove from heat.
4. For Oatmeal Raisin Cookies: Add the oats and raisins to the mixture directly after removing from heat. The residual heat will help soften the oats*

*If the oats are added before the cooking process is completed then the starches in the oats will break down into the mixture and turn the end result into more of a custard than a jello.

The hot mixture will stay liquid until it cools down to around 40°C (104°F) which gives plenty of time to work with it for pouring into molds or adding more ingredients.

1. Pour the hot mixture into a container or mold of choice. A food storage container (glass or plastic) works just fine but one's imagination can run wild by using any type of mold.
2. For Chocolate Chip Cookies: Let the mixture cool slightly and then add in the chocolate by mixing gently.
3. Put the container(s) or mold(s) into the refrigerator, uncovered.
4. Once the temperature of the mixtures drops it will start to solidify and turn into the jiggly cookies! The time to cool will vary depending on the type of container/mold being used. Large containers may take a few hours to cool all the way through but small candy molds could be done in 30 minutes.

After the cookies have had a chance to cool they are ready to enjoy! They should remove from the containers/molds very easily. Depending on the container the sides may need to be released by doing something like running a butter knife along the wall. If a large container was used as the mold then cut/slice it up into whatever shapes and sizes are desired!

Agar mixtures like these will stay solid at room temperature so don't worry about them melting if left out for something like a party.

Storage: Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Jiggly cookies will stay good for 1-2 weeks

Enjoy your molecular gastronomy creation! You can really "Wow!" your friends and family with these special treats.

What kind of jiggly cookies would you like to make? Do you have ideas for other add-ins that can take these to the next level? Leave a comment below!