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Killer Zebras, Robin McKinley’s “Sunshine”

Chelsea M-C

“I slept badly that night, but this was getting to be so usual that it was an effort to try to decide if the nightmares I’d had were the kind I should pay attention to or not. I decided that they probably were, but I didn’t know what kind of attention to pay, so I wasn’t going to. I went in to work, turned my brain off, and started making cinnamon rolls, and garlic-rosemary buns for lunch. Then I made brown sugar brownies, Rocky Road Avalanche, Killer Zebras, and a lot of muffins, and then it was ten-thirty and I had the lunch shift free.”

― Robin McKinley, Sunshine

I’ll start by happily telling you that this is one of my favorite books. It sits on my library shelves, little reference flags poking out all over the top of the spine marking where I found an enticing food within the pages. It is one of the more unusual vampire stories I’ve ever read, and is a mouthwatering marvel when it comes to the descriptions of the baked goods that Rae dreams up in the coffeehouse where she works. More about that soon over on Patreon…

There isn’t a description of what these baked goods actually look like in the book, which can be daunting, because there’s not much to go on, but also liberating, because it’s all up to my imagination. In my research, I read that the author, Robin McKinley based these cookies on a kind of pinwheel cookie recipe, so I based my recipe loosely on that. I really wanted a flashy cookie with cool looking zebra stripes, and given the pinwheel connection, I figured the stripes would be in the dough, rather than drizzled over the top. Mind you, this is just my personal take on them, so by all means, shop around online to see what other bakers have dreamed up, too!

My first attempt at these cookies was less than successful- I had too many warring flavors going at once, and didn’t chill the dough enough, so when I tried to fold it into stripes, it sort of mushed into indistinct muddy brown.

The second test, though, after I made some tweaks, was WOAH. Those stripes! That Mexican hot chocolate flavor! The texture of the cookies is that of a crisp shortbread that starts to melt instantly. There’s a slow burn from the chipotle that warms and lingers on the tongue, which makes these a surprisingly perfect offering for the short cold days of winter. That touch of white chocolate on the bottom completes the flavor journey, smoothing out the bite of the spice so you keep coming back for more. These cookies didn’t last long at all in my house, and neither will the next batch, I’m sure!

Seriously, check out the book, and make up a batch of these amazing cookies, then come on back and tell me what you thought of both! ;)

Recipe for Killer Zebras

makes: about a dozen cookies – prep time: 10 minutes – chilling: at least 1.5 hours – baking: 12-15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 3/4 cups cake flour/all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. ground chipotle (maybe less? mine was old)
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • dash of vegetable oil
Using a hand mixer (or some elbow-power), cream together the butter and sugar. Add in the vanilla extract and salt, and divide the mix into two equal halves, in two bowls. To one half, add a cup of the flour; to the other, add the remaining 3/4 cup flour, along with the cocoa and spices.
Mix each half of the dough until no flour remains, then form into semi-flattened logs of equal length. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes- the goal is for the dough to be chilled enough that the two layers stay distinct when you are rolling them out.
When your dough has chilled, lightly dust your work surface with flour. Working with one of the logs of dough, gently roll out to about 1/8-1/4″ thickness. Set aside, and repeat with the other log of dough. Place one layer of dough on top of the other, offset by about a third. Using your creativity, fold the layers over one another so the colors alternate. At this point, your goal should be to fold the dough a few more times until you have a log of what looks like zebra stripes (Yes, in retrospect, I should have taken progress pictures of this part, as I was making it up as I was going!). I tapped my log several times on the counter to flatten the sides, until I had a stripy log about 8-inches long, and 3-inches on each side. Wrap and chill again for an hour or so.
When you are ready to bake, heat the oven to 350F and set out a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using a sharp knife, slice the log into cookies about 1/4″ thick. Arrange these on the baking sheet with a little space in between each. Bake for about 12-14 minutes, until slightly golden around the edges. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then gently transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
When the cookies are mostly cooled, begin melting the white chocolate and oil by microwaving in short bursts and stirring until you have a smooth, melted consistency. Working with one cookie at a time, brush a layer of the melted chocolate onto the bottom, then set back on a sheet on parchment or a silicone pad. Repeat with all the cookies. Give the chocolate a few minutes to set before serving or enjoying.
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