Darak Cookies by Maria Orosa is made with Rice Bran Flour. Developed during WWII, it provided key nutrients to soldiers held in captivity.
What are Darak Cookies?
Darak Cookies are made with the key ingredient Rice Bran Flour. It was developed by Maria Orosa who is the Philippines most famous food technologist. For those in the know she was the one that invented Banana Ketchup. She is also known for developing hundreds of other recipes that use ingredients found in the Philippines in abundance.
The ingredient Darak or Tiki Tiki or Rice Bran Flour is one of them. Rice Bran flour is a by product of the rice milling process. It is from the outer husk of the rice. Normally this “food waste” is given to livestock as animal feed. Through Maria Orosa’s studies she know that Darak is filled with plant based protein, vitamins A, E, D and B.
During WWII she worked as a Captain in the Marking’s Guerrillas and hid these Darak Cookies in construction materials used in prisoner camps. Darak Cookies are known to be lifesaving cookies.
Unfortunately Maria Orosa died during WWII and her body has never been found. She died in a hospital hit by Japanese forces and all the bodies in that hospital were buried in mass graves.
Ingredients for Darak Cookies
This recipe is from the Esquire Magazine Philippines
- 1/2 cup of rice bran (Darak or tiki tiki flour) – you can find this at health food stores.
- 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. Use any citrus like lime, orange, or calamansi. If you are in the Philippines Dalandan is a good substitute as well.
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup of butter (1 stick of butter)
How to Make it these life saving Darak Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a bowl mix together the rice bran, flour, sugar, zest and salt.
In a separate bowl cream the butter until smooth and add in the egg. Whisk until incorporated and smooth and then add in the mixed dry ingredients. Mix well until the Darak Cookie dough forms.
Next spray a mini muffin tin with oil and scoop 1 teaspoon of Darkak Cookie dough into each cavity. You can also do this on a greased cookie sheet. Just place each scoop 2 inches apart if you are using a cookie sheet.
Then bake for 6 minutes and then rotate the pan and bake for a further 6 minutes.
Leave to rest in the tins or sheet for 5 minutes.
Finally transfer the Darkak Cookies to a wire rack to cool fully.
How to Serve Darkak Cookies
These cookies are great on its own. I believe that are a great way to start your day along with a glass of Salabat. They are so healthy and good for you!
Darak cookies are also great to pack in school lunches or to have as an after school snack.
Further Reading on Maria Orosa
War Hero Maria Orosa Invented Power Cookies. Here’s the Recipe – Esquire Magazine Philippines
Freedom fighter Maria Y. Orosa and her life-saving ‘darak’ cookies – Inquire.net
Marking Guerrillas – Wikipedia
Overlooked No More: Maria Orosa, Inventor of Banana Ketchup – New York Times
Maria Ylagan Orosa and the Chemistry of Resistance – Lady Science
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Darak Cookies by Maria Orosa
Darak Cookies by Maria Orosa is made with Rice Bran Flour. Developed during WWII, it provided key nutrients to soldiers held in captivity. Recipe is from Esquire Magazine Philippines.
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes
Course: Merienda, Snack
Cuisine: Filipino
Servings: 12 Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a bowl mix together the rice bran, flour, sugar, zest and salt.
In a separate bowl cream the butter until smooth and add in the egg. Whisk until incorporated and smooth and then add in the mixed dry ingredients. Mix well until the Darak Cookie dough forms.
Next spray a mini muffin tin with oil and scoop 1 teaspoon of Darkak Cookie dough into each cavity. You can also do this on a greased cookie sheet. Just place each scoop 2 inches apart if you are using a cookie sheet.
Then bake for 6 minutes and then rotate the pan and bake for a further 6 minutes.
Leave to rest in the tins or sheet for 5 minutes.
Finally transfer the Darkak Cookies to a wire rack to cool fully.
Serve right away and store any cookies in a tight jar.