The first time I found out about Pandan was on a trip to Thailand several years ago. Here in Germany, the plant is not widely known – in Asia Pandan is often used for sweet desserts and pastries. The flavor of vanilla with a nutty base is perfect for sweet stuff. Pandan extract is now a staple in our pantry and is often used in bakes. Not only here in these Pandan Lemon Crinkle Cookies. Something you should definitely try ;)
The Pandan plant belongs to the family of palm (tree) plants and is native to the tropical areas of Asia. Pandan leaves are great for cooking and baking but are also used to get rid of cockroaches. At least, that’s what Wikipedia tells you. No idea if that is true ;P Well… this blog is about food and not giving tips on “how to get rid of pests”, so we will stick with the cooking and baking information ;)
The leaves themselves are normally not used for baking – you use an extract made out of the leaves. A very green extract that will give you a burst of flavor, and it will also turn your baked goods or cream, for example, into something very green ;) People call Pandan the “Asian Vanilla” because of its distinct flavor. It is often used in combination with lemon and coconut – both really great combinations for Pandan, in my opinion!
The first time I ate something green and flavored with Pandan was in Thailand – little Petite Fours that caught my attention in a little coffee shop. At that point, I had no clue what Pandan is but I was really curious about the intense green color of the sweets. Fortunately, the flavors did not disappoint. Though I have to say… the little sweet treats were very sweet. Quite usual in Asia from my experience. But not bad at all. The cookies here are definitely not that sweet ;P
To be honest – the cookies were somewhat of an experiment. I knew that lemon and Pandan would work well together, so I adapted one of my loved and tested Lemon Crinkle Cookie recipes and added the green extract. The result is really delicious. Mission accomplished I’d say ;) In case you walk by an Asian supermarket one day – go in and get a small bottle of the extract and give it a try (or order it online from the link below). No matter if you use it for the cookies here or in any other dessert – I am pretty sure you will like it.
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(12-14 cookies)
60g butter, at room temperature
50g sugar or xylitol
1 medium egg
zest of 1 organic lemon
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. pandan paste*
150g spelt flour (type 630)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
confectioners’ sugar for rolling
(12-14 Cookies)
60g weiche Butter
50g Zucker oder Xylit
1 Ei (M)
Abrieb von Bio-Zitrone
1 TL Zitronensaft
1 TL Pandan Paste*
150g Dinkelmehl (Type 630)
1/2 TL Backpulver
1/4 TL Salz
Puderzucker zum Wälzen
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Add the butter and sugar (or xylitol) to a large bowl and mix until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix until well combined. Next, add lemon zest, lemon juice, and pandan paste* and stir in. Mix the flour with baking powder and salt, add to the bowl and mix briefly. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and set aside. Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a small bowl. Using a small Cookie Scoop*, divide the dough into 12-14 portions and shape it into balls, then roll in the confectioners’ sugar until completely coated. Place them on the baking sheet with enough space in between and then bake for about 16-18 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool down completely on a cooling rack.
1. Die weiche Butter und den Zucker (oder Xylit) in einer Schüssel hell und luftig aufschlagen. Das Ei dazugeben und gut unterrühren. Zitronenabrieb, Zitronensaft und Pandan Paste* dazugeben und unterrühren. Mehl mit Backpulver und Salz vermischen, zur Schüssel dazugeben und alles kurz verrühren. Den Teig für etwa 30 Minuten in den Kühlschrank stellen.
2. Den Ofen auf 180°C (350°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. Ein Backblech mit Backpapier auslegen und zur Seite stellen. Den Puderzucker in eine kleine Schüssel sieben. Mit einem kleinen Cookie Scoop* 12-14 Teiportionen vom Teig abteilen, zu Kugeln formen und dann im Puderzucker wälzen, bis sie vollkommen damit bedeckt sind. Mit genügend Abstand zueinander auf das Blech setzen und dann für etwa 16-18 Minuten backen. Die Cookies aus dem Ofen holen und auf einem Kuchengitter komplett abkühlen lassen.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Print
Pandan Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- Prep Time: 00:15
- Cook Time: 00:15
- Total Time: 00:30
- Yield: 14 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Cuisine: United States
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Not only does the Grinch like green cookies – these Pandan Lemon Crinkle Cookies are very popular here as well. Really delicious and easy to prepare!
Ingredients
60g butter, at room temperature
50g sugar or xylitol
1 medium egg
zest of 1 organic lemon
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. pandan paste*
150g spelt flour (type 630)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
confectioners’ sugar for rolling
Instructions
1. Add the butter and sugar (or xylitol) to a large bowl and mix until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix until well combined. Next, add lemon zest, lemon juice, and pandan paste* and stir in. Mix the flour with baking powder and salt, add to the bowl and mix briefly. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and set aside. Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a small bowl. Using a small Cookie Scoop*, divide the dough into 12-14 portions and shape it into balls, then roll in the confectioners’ sugar until completely coated. Place them on the baking sheet with enough space in between and then bake for about 16-18 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool down completely on a cooling rack.
Notes
Enjoy baking!
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I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
