So, folks have been asking me how I go about making my bud cookies. It’s funny, really. You see all these complicated guides out there, people getting all scientific. Me? I like to keep things straightforward. Been doing it this way for ages, and it hasn’t failed me yet. It’s more about the feel of it, you know?
Getting the Green Ready
First things first, you gotta prep your main ingredient. I just take whatever bud I have on hand, grind it up – not too fine, not too chunky. Then, the important part that a lot of people new to this miss: you gotta bake it a little on its own. Some call it ‘decarboxylating’ or ‘activating.’ Fancy words. I just spread it on a baking sheet, low oven, maybe 240 Fahrenheit, for about 30-40 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when it’s a bit toasty and your kitchen smells… well, distinctive. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn, that’s key.
Making the Special Butter
Once that’s done and cooled a bit, it’s time to get it into some butter. This is where the magic really starts to happen. I grab a stick or two of unsalted butter – good quality stuff makes a difference, I reckon. Melt it down in a saucepan on super low heat. Then, I toss in that toasted bud. You just let that simmer real gentle for a good couple of hours. Some folks go longer, some shorter. I find two, maybe three hours, does the trick. Stir it every now and then. Don’t let it boil or scorch! That’s the quickest way to ruin the whole batch. Patience is your friend here.
After it’s simmered long enough, you gotta strain it. I use a fine mesh sieve lined with a couple of layers of cheesecloth. Pour the butter mixture through it, into a bowl. Then I gather up the cheesecloth and squeeze out every last bit of that golden, infused butter. The leftover plant stuff? I just toss it. The good stuff is all in the butter now.
Whipping Up the Cookies
Alright, so now you’ve got your cannabutter. It’ll probably be a greenish color. Let it cool down and solidify. You can pop it in the fridge to speed things up. Once it’s solid, you just use it like regular butter in your favorite cookie recipe. Me, I’m a simple chocolate chip cookie guy. Nothing beats a classic. I just find a basic recipe – flour, sugar, eggs, vanilla, baking soda, chocolate chips – and swap out the regular butter for my special butter. Same amount.
I mix everything up just like I would for any cookies. Sometimes, if the butter is real potent, I might use half special butter and half regular butter, especially if I’m sharing. You gotta be responsible, you know?
Baking and the Waiting Game
Then, I scoop ’em onto a baking sheet and into the oven they go. The baking time is usually whatever the cookie recipe says. The whole house starts smelling amazing – well, amazing in a particular kind of way. It’s a bit different from your standard cookie smell, that’s for sure.
Once they’re golden brown, I pull them out and let them cool on a wire rack. This is the hardest part, waiting for them to cool enough to eat. And also waiting to see how they turned out, potency-wise.
A Little Word of Advice
Now, here’s something I learned the hard way, and I always tell people this: go slow. Seriously. When you eat these things, it takes a while for them to kick in. An hour, sometimes two. It’s not like smoking. So, don’t make the mistake I did years ago, eating one, thinking it’s not working, and then eating another two. That was a long, strange evening, let me tell you.
Start with a small piece, like half a cookie, or even a quarter if you’re new to it or if you think your butter is strong. Wait a good hour and a half, see how you feel. You can always have more later. You can’t un-eat them once they’re in there. Trust me on that one.
So, that’s pretty much it. No big secrets, just a bit of patience and paying attention. It’s how I’ve always done it, and the results speak for themselves. Enjoy the process, and enjoy the cookies – responsibly, of course.
