Crunch Cookies

These drop cookies get their crunch from crushed corn cereal folded right into a brown sugar dough. The cereal adds texture you just can’t get from flour alone, giving each bite a toasty, almost nutty crispness on the outside while the center stays soft and chewy.

The recipe calls for raisins, but you can swap in semi-sweet chocolate chips if that’s more your speed. Either way, you want the cereal coarsely crushed, not powdered. A few good squeezes in a zip-top bag will do. Too fine and you lose all that satisfying crunch.

Drop them by rounded teaspoonfuls and give them room to spread. Pull them at light golden brown and let them set on the baking sheet for two minutes before moving to a wire rack. That short rest firms them up just enough so they don’t crumble apart.

Chef Tips

• Firmly pack the brown sugar. Loosely scooped brown sugar throws off the sweetness and the cookies will spread too thin.
• Don’t overbeat the dough after adding the flour. Mix just until combined for a tender cookie.
• Store in a tightly sealed container. The cereal softens quickly if exposed to air.

Variations

• Use peanut butter cereal for a nutty twist and add ½ cup chopped peanuts.
• Fold in ½ cup shredded coconut along with the raisins for a tropical crunch cookie.
• Replace corn cereal with crushed graham crackers for a s’mores-inspired version with chocolate chips.