By Susan Spungen
- Total Time
- 1¼ hours, plus chilling
- Rating
- 4(539)
- Notes
- Read community notes
These crunchy cookie sticks are inspired by Pocky, the machine-made Japanese treat. They don’t pretend to be the perfectly straight version from the box, but they're freshly baked and taste far better. They're also fun to make: The dough is forgiving and easy to work with, so shaping it is as simple as rolling a Play-Doh snake. Decorating presents an opportunity to go wild. Mix matcha powder or pulverized freeze-dried berries with white chocolate; pair milk chocolate with hazelnuts; or combine dark chocolate with almonds or pecans. Sprinkles, shredded coconut or sesame seeds add flair.
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Ingredients
Yield:34 cookie sticks
- 1¼cups/160 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 3tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½teaspoon baking powder
- ¼teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼cup/55 grams cold unsalted butter (½ stick), cut into pieces
- 3tablespoons whole milk
- ¼teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3ounces/85 grams white chocolate, chopped (about ½ cup)
- 3ounces/85 grams milk chocolate, chopped (about ½ cup)
- 3ounces/85 grams dark chocolate, chopped (about ½ cup)
- Vegetable shortening, as needed
- 1tablespoon pulverized freeze-dried raspberries or strawberries, or ½ teaspoon matcha powder
- 2tablespoons cocoa nibs
- 3tablespoons chopped nuts
For the Dough
For Decorating
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (34 servings)
83 calories; 5 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 25 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
Step
1
Prepare the dough: Add 1¼ cups flour, the sugar, baking powder and salt to a food processor, and pulse a few times to combine. Add butter and pulse until small crumbs form. In a measuring cup, combine milk and vanilla. Stream into flour mixture while machine is running. Pulse until dough is fairly smooth.
Step
2
Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface, and roll until it is just over ¼-inch thick. Use a bench scraper or the side of a large knife to straighten the sides so that it is a 5½-by-8-inch rectangle. Wrap in plastic and transfer to a small baking sheet. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
Step
3
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Use a bench scraper or long knife to cut the dough crosswise into ¼-inch-thick strips that are about 5½ inches long. Transfer half the dough to the refrigerator while you work with the other half. Using the palms of your hands, gently roll each strip on a lightly floured work surface until 7 to 8 inches long. Transfer strips to parchment- or silicone mat-lined baking sheets, keeping them as straight as possible and spacing them about 1½ inches apart. Repeat with remaining dough. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.
Step
4
Bake until golden on edges and bottom, 14 to 16 minutes. Let cool a few minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Step
5
Decorate the cookies: Melt each of the chocolates in a separate metal bowl set over a small saucepan with 1 inch of simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted. If using dark or milk chocolate, add ½ teaspoon vegetable shortening to each and whisk until combined. If using white chocolate, add enough vegetable shortening to make it thin enough for dipping, up to 1 tablespoon, whisking until mixture is glossy. Stir pulverized berries or matcha into white chocolate. (You can also melt the chocolate in the microwave instead: Transfer the chocolate and shortening to a microwave-safe glass bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Whisk to combine, then heat in 20-second increments, whisking between each, until melted.)
Step
6
Holding a cookie stick over a bowl of chocolate, use a small spoon to pour the chocolate over ⅔ of the stick, turning cookie to coat on all sides. Let excess drip off, and scrape against the edge of the bowl. Set chocolate-coated cookie on a parchment- or wax paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with nibs or nuts as desired. (You’ll want to keep all the dips in a warm place while working with them, and return them to the pot or microwave to remelt if needed.) Refrigerate until coating hardens. Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week.
Ratings
4
out of 5
539
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Cooking Notes
Kate
I haven't made these, but the shortening would do two interrelated things. First, it makes the chocolate set without going through the work of tempering it. If you just melt chocolate and wait for it to cool without tempering it, it doesn't set as it was before. Second, it makes it melt at a temperature closer to that of the human mouth, making for a more luxurious melts-in-your-mouth (literally) feeling, rather than a crunchier, takes-a-little-chewing feeling.
sandy
Dave, you can sub in coconut oil instead of shortening it helps the chocolate harden.
Susan Spungen
See the note I added above- the extra milk will make the sticks more fragile. Run the machine, don't just pulse after adding ingredients (I know the directions say pulse- but don't be timid here!)
Kristina B.
Is there a way to make the matcha glaze without white chocolate?
Nora
We made the strawberry glaze with a regular powdered sugar and lemon juice glaze and freeze dried strawberries we made into powder in the food processor instead of white chocolate.
Susan Spungen
You can use coconut oil instead if you prefer. In the case of white chocolate, sometimes it is very thick, depending on the brand, and the chocolate needs to be thinned to coat well. But the purpose when using dark and milk chocolate is to prevent "bloom"
ClaudiaSaltLake
Lovely! Dough WILL come together, have faith, add no liquid. I used a nice mild coconut oil with semisweet and white chocolates. Pulverized raspberries as well as chopped tiny, so pink with red raspberry sprinkles. Toasted pecans with dark chocolate. Chopped crystallized ginger with both white and dark. At the end I swirled the light and dark for marbeled pocky. All fantastic!
Susan Spungen
Lily's right, you just need to process it longer, until it comes together.You can't overwork this dough.
FRITZ
Just recently received some Strawberry Pocky Sticks from Tokyo (and other goodies!), very tasty! I'm looking forward to making these and I hope to make them this holiday season; if I do, I'll compare with the ones from Japan and give some feedback! Happy baking everyone!
Christine C
These were fun to make! My advice? Let gravity work for you when dipping in chocolates and keep the spoon scraping action to a minimum.......or suffer the heartbreak of broken sticks. The dough is forgiving but the baked stick not so much.
Lily
Try running the machine a little longer. I used a stand mixer because I didn’t want to set up the food processor, and the dough came out perfect. I think you just need to mix it a little longer.
Jennifer D.
Do you think the dough can be piped instead of rolled for a neater appearance?
DolceSanDiego
I made these adorable Pokey cookies at our annual cookie baking party. They are very time consuming but definitely worth it. Next time I would make them slightly longer so they can be displayed by standing them in a glass or vase.
Susan Spungen
Process longer, until it starts to clump together (it will!) and then knead a few times on the counter. Try a different brand of white chocolate- some are quite lumpy and hard to melt. I think I had good luck with Lindt. I liked the standard Ghiradelli 70% bars for dipping, or 60% if you prefer
Dave
Is the purpose of the shortening just to make the chocolate easier to dip? I'm wondering if that could be left out so as to avoid the trans fats.
AnnS
I've made these twice. Time consuming, but the results are stunning when paired with other more traditional shaped cookies on a plate or in a box. Before freezing I used my scraper straight edge to mold them into cleaner lines. Make sure you bake them more rather than less -- when slightly under baked they are much more susceptible to breakage.
Laura
Good, and the recipe works, especially if you read the notes I wanted to add that if you just use one kind of chocolate, the way I did anyway, you can cut the chocolate quantity by maybe half . And if you use pecans, chop them finally so they'll stick
Amaretto
I would say it's better to make the dough by hand with less milk so the biscuits aren't fragile. Additionaly this recipe wasn't clear to me for instance was it 250 degrees Fahrenheit or centigrade
colleen
Do these Pocky, pre-decorations, freeze well? Happy Holidays!
Ewint
I’ve made this recipe twice now. Won’t be doing it again. Too many broken and not worth the time and effort. Must be a better way to do.
bethany H
my advice is to stop stressing so much! This is a seriously easy and fun cookie to make with kids. from rolling out the dough, to picking the flavors and toppings. They were the most popular cookie in my cookie box. And stop trying to be perfect. They are better than pocky bc they aren't perfect.
Sandy
Once you have the dough rolled out flat and chilled, just cut the strips with a pizza wheel and bake. My 6-year-old great granddaughter thought square pocky sticks were just fine. Now that I know the recipe works (used semi-sweet chocolate only, since that's what I had), I’ll have her help me next time—now that at last she can visit!
G Boltman
I loved these! Am a fan of pocky so this was a fun alternative that tasted surprisingly like the original (if not better). I added milk and didn't have any problems with the final result, but mine were also pretty thick. I'd make these again before I bought them from the store. (Plus if they're homemade then the calories don't count :P)
Alexandra
one last note. Mine were wonderfully round and even. How did I do it. Use a plastic pastry scrapper and once you've got it rolling use that - it smooths the dough out wonderfully. Then roll using the back base palm of you hand and roll forward very gradually spreading your fingers. ONLY ROLL IN ONE DIRECTION. Then lift and return to top of board. Seemed to work well.
Alexandra
So Having cooked them - interesting they don't come out smooth but as they get covered it's no problem. I found the white chco rather sickly but the dark dark choc very good. Looked impressive enjoyed making them. Worked as recipe.
Alexandra
I am a Brit and I have to say forget all mixing machines and do it by hand. I was nervous having read all the comments but quickly realised I could rub the sugar, butter and flour together by hand as usual and with a 30 sec kneading it came together easily - no added milk. It's in the fridge now - I'll post when cooked for update on taste and texture.
josie anderson
My daughter and I made these but felt we had to add extra milk (1/4 cup) and butter (another 1/2 stick) in order to make the dough workable. During the baking process, we also rolled the dough sticks over half way through so they would brown evenly on all sides.
Emma
This recipe didn't work out for me; the pocky was less rustic and more ugly. I tried to make these cookies without a food processor and used a pastry cutter instead. This might have been the source of error, it's my own fault for not following the recipe exactly.
Valentine
I made them with just cutting long rectangles and not rolling them (being lazy, sorry), and they worked out great! I brushed the chocolate on with a pastry brush and that was just enough, also toasted sliced almonds are great as an easy topping!
Jen
1. Yes, do process for a bit. don’t just pulse the dough otherwise it won’t hold together. I also needed to add a bit more milk than 3 tbsp. 2. Be diligent about 1/4” thickness of rolled dough. If one end is slightly fatter then one end of ur stick will be fatter. It is hard to correct later. 3. Trim the ends rolled sticks for a uniform look. 4. Be sparing with coconut oil if u use instead of shortening, otherwise the flavor is overpowering.5. I need a better drying system. One flat edge.
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