Galangal Cookies with Lime and Coconut
Dark, soft, spicy galangal cookies topped with a zesty lime glaze and shredded coconut topping. These cookies take classic Thai flavors, and turn them on their heads in delicious holiday cookies.
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What is Galangal?
Galangal is a root, closely related to ginger and turmeric, and native to Southern Asia. It tastes most similar to ginger, but stronger, a little spicier, citrus-like, and floral. While it was enjoyed across Europe in the Middle Ages, it has disappeared from most of the world since then, and is now primarily enjoyed in Thailand, Indonesia, and other parts of Asia. The root is crushed up and ground into curry pastes, and is often part of many Thai soups. It can be grated into stir fries or other dishes. While it isn’t the same as ginger and will add a different flavor to your dish, it can be used in a lot of the same ways as ginger. Galangal can be bought fresh, or dried and ground as a spice. This recipe uses dried, ground galangal, like that which can be purchased here.
Is Buying Random Spices a Problem?
It is. It really is a problem I have. When shopping for spices (I tend to like to shop through Penzeys), I tend to gravitate towards more unusual spices, and ones that I’ve never seen before. Sure, I pick up cinnamon and dried basil, but I also really like to pick up something I have no idea what to do with, bring it home, and figure it out. As a result, my spice drawer has ended up with a good number of spices that I’m not quite sure what to do with, just sitting there and waiting for me to figure it out. This recipe came about as a result of me going through my spices, and identifying some that were just sitting there unused. And while the resulting cookies are amazing, maybe I should aim to wait until I have a good use in mind before I buy spices in the future. At the moment my spice area is overflowing, so I’ll be giving it a shot. But no promises- don’t hold me to that!
Looking for Spices? Try one of these Vegan Spiced Recipes!
- Indian-Spiced Vegan Warm Pumpkin Salad
- Vegan Pumpkin Pie Spice Granola
- Warming Vegan Stew with Squash and Cardamom
- Cold Weather Cabbage Soup with Butternut Squash and Turmeric
- Crispy Sesame Spiced Tahini Quinoa
- Homemade Root Beer with Sassafras
- Vegan Lime and Coconut Spicy Cashews
- Golden Milk Turmeric Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
- Spicy Vegan Cold Noodles, Sichuan Style
- Tomato Masala Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Corn and Spinach
How to Make Galangal Cookies
First things first, make sure you have a stick of vegan butter on the counter, warming up a little so it softens for around 30 minutes before you get started. After that, the butter gets all mashed up and mixed with the wet ingredients (molasses, brown sugar, plant-based milk, and vanilla extract). The dry ingredients get mixed in with the wet- I do it all in the same bowl to avoid making extra mess. Once the dough is made, its time to shape your cookies. Scoop balls of dough onto your baking sheet, and flatten them a little bit so they make hockey-puck like discs (around 3/4 of an inch thick). Bake your cookies, and let them cool before glazing.
To make your glaze, mix lime zest with vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Add lime juice, slowly, thinning it out with a little water if needed. Once it’s at a good dipping texture, dip the cooled cookies headfirst into the glaze, letting any excess drip off before dunking the cookies directly into the coconut flakes. Let the glaze harden before enjoying. The finished cookies should be stored in an airtight container, and will be best if consumed quickly!
Galangal Cookies with Lime and Coconut
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegan butter (left on the counter to soften)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup molasses
- ¼ cup soymilk (or other plant-based milk)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tbsp. galangal (dried and ground)
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 lime
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ cup shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat and set aside.
- Use a fork to smash your vegan butter, and then add the brown sugar, soymilk, molasses, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Add the flour, baking powder, and galangal to the bowl, and stir to combine, until you have a smooth dough. Use a small cookie scoop (about the size of a heaping tablespoon) to scoop balls of dough onto the baking sheet, leaving space between the cookies. Flatten the cookies down into little hockey-puck like discs with the back of a flat cup. Place the cookies in the oven, and cook for 12 minutes (you can use multiple baking sheets or work in batches). Once cooked, place on a cooling rack to fully cool.
- As your cookies cool, make up your glaze. Zest your lime into a bowl. Add the powdered sugar, and whisk. Juice your lime, and add it slowly, along with the vanilla extract, into the sugar. Depending on how large your lime is, you might need to also add a little water to get your glaze to a thick, pourable consistency. Once your cookies are cool, place the glaze in a small bowl, and the shredded coconut in a second small bowl. Holding the cookie along the edges, dip the top into the glaze. Let any excess drip off, and then dunk the glazed cookie into the coconut. Place the cookie back onto a cooling rack, and repeat with the remaining cookies. Allow the glaze to harden before consuming.
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