Okay, folks, let’s talk about my little experiment in the kitchen – making cannabis cookies! I’ve always been a bit of a baker, and, well, let’s just say I’m also a fan of the relaxing effects of cannabis. So, I thought, why not combine the two?
First, I gotta say, this wasn’t my first rodeo with edibles. I’ve tried those store-bought gummies and brownies, but they’re always a bit of a gamble, you know? Sometimes they hit you like a truck, other times you’re just sitting there wondering if you ate a regular cookie. I wanted more control, and honestly, I just wanted to see if I could do it myself.
Getting Started: The Decarb
The biggest thing I learned from my initial research is that you can’t just throw some weed into your cookie dough and call it a day. Nope. You gotta “decarb” it first. Sounds fancy, right? It’s basically just heating the cannabis to activate the THC – the stuff that gets you high. I’m sure there’s a super scientific explanation for it, but all I care about is that it works.
So, I ground up my cannabis – not too fine, just kinda like coarse coffee grounds. Then, I spread it out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I popped it in the oven at around 240°F (115°C) for about 30-40 minutes. My whole apartment started smelling pretty… interesting, but hey, that’s part of the fun, right?
Making the Cannabutter
Next up: cannabutter! This is the magic ingredient that’s gonna infuse our cookies with that special something. I found a super simple recipe online:
- Melt one stick of butter in a saucepan over low heat. I used unsalted butter because that’s what I had.
- Once the butter was melted, I added my decarbed cannabis to the pan.
- I let it simmer on low for about 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. The key here is LOW heat. You don’t want to burn the butter or the cannabis. It should just be gently bubbling.
- After a few hours, I strained the mixture through a cheesecloth into a jar. This gets rid of all the plant matter and leaves you with smooth, green-tinged butter.
Honestly, the hardest part of this whole process was waiting for the butter to simmer. I had to keep reminding myself not to crank up the heat!
Baking the Cookies
Now for the fun part! I used a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe – you know, the kind you find on the back of the chocolate chip bag. But instead of regular butter, I used my freshly made cannabutter.
I followed the recipe instructions as usual, mixing the wet and dry ingredients, adding the chocolate chips, and then dropping spoonfuls of dough onto a baking sheet. I baked them at 350°f for the time the original recipe said, just until the edges were golden brown.
The smell while they were baking? Amazing. A mix of chocolate chips and that familiar, slightly earthy cannabis scent. It was hard to resist sneaking a taste of the raw dough, but I managed to hold myself back.
The Results
Okay, so how did they turn out? Let me tell you, these cookies were potent! I started with just a small piece – maybe half a cookie – and waited. It took about an hour to kick in, but when it did, it was a nice, mellow high. Exactly what I was going for. Not too intense, just a pleasant, relaxing buzz.
I definitely learned a few things from this experience. First, decarbing is essential. Don’t skip that step! Second, low and slow is the way to go when making cannabutter. And third, start small when you’re eating your creations. You can always eat more later, but you can’t un-eat what you’ve already had!
Overall, I’d call this a successful baking adventure. I’ve got a batch of delicious, potent cookies, and I know exactly what went into them. Would I do it again? Absolutely! But maybe next time I’ll try a different recipe… peanut butter cannabis cookies, perhaps?
