Melon White Chocolate Chip Cookies

When I was back in Germany last month, during one of my rides over the Dutch border, I stopped at a supermarket. Can never resist doing that. I was looking for some small gifts to bring back to the States. 

What I would have really loved to bring back is some vanilla Vla, a pourable pudding served with hagelslag (sprinkles or jimmies) or fruit. It comes in what looks like American milk cartons. But alas, too perishable for the trip. Must. Learn. To. Make. Homemade. Version.

I chose some Hopjes in pretty tins (coffee caramel flavored hard candies), grabbed a hunk of tangy aged gouda and headed to pay. I’m pretty sentimental about hopjes. My maternal grandmother who spoke many languages including Dutch and German, lived in Holland as a teenager and brought to America her love of these candies. I think of her every time I see them.

My Grandmother Ruth on the Left

While at the checkout I came upon a bin of packaged dried fruit and on top sat these pretty dried melon pieces. I scooped up the package and headed out.

For the rest of my stay in Germany, I never had the chance to use them for baking so I threw them in my suitcase to bring back stateside.

My first thought was to incorporate them into some sort of fruit truffle. However, I haven’t made cookies for the blog in awhile so I took the easy schmeasy way out, used the Toll House recipe for the dough and white chocolate chips and dried melon for the add ins.

The result was wow!  My only disappointment is I thought they would add some color to the cookies. So they look a little drab but the flavor is unique made all the more wonderful wrapped in brown sugar caramel chewiness of  my favorite cookie dough.

• 2+1/4 cups AP flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1+1/2 cups white chocolate chips
• 1+1/2 cups dried melon pieces chopped into bits

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper
• Whisk together  flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl and set aside
• Cream butter and sugars together until fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time and then the vanilla extract until throughly combined.
• Stir in the chips and melon pieces.
• Form cookie dough into small  balls with your hands and press them down on the cookie sheet, flattening the shape.
• Bake for about 10 minutes or until edges start to turn golden brown.
• Remove from oven, transfer to a wire rack to cool.