Persona 3 Shinjiro's Cookies (Ghostpepper's Version)
Persona 3 in 1 page or less.
Taking that as inspiration, I used his instructions as a base, then added what my interpretation of how Shinjiro would’ve done it.
For those new here, Shinjiro Aragaki is a 3rd year high schooler in the hit jRPG ,series, Persona 3, and its many flavors, the most recent being Persona 3 Reload + Episode Aigis. Originally one of the three co founders of SEES, or Special Extracirricular Extermination Squad, he left the group after a certain incident before the events of Persona 3.
After the main character joins (or voluntold depending on how you frame it) the SEES group, Shinjiro does make minor appearances here and there with some information for the player to aid in his quest, though in his own way. The strong, silent type, he does eventually re-join, spending time in the dorm where you, and the rest of the SEES members stay. You’ll learn more about his past, one of which is that he’s a good cook of all things.
One of the tweaks I’ve made is that I subbed out white sugar for Stevia, which in my mind, would be Shinjiro giving these cookies to Akahiko Sanada, a 3rd year who is member of the boxing club, all around fitness junkie, who’s watching his diet. As Stevia in real life is an all natural, no calorie sweetner, this would be Akihiko’s cheat day.
Also for chocolate chips, I made them dark, as I wouldn’t be surprised that Mitsuru Kanorji, a 3rd year heiress to the Kirijo group, would make sure the pantry for the dorm would have quality ingredients. Also, he would want Mitsuru to partake in a plebian snack.
All in all, these cookies represent a bond these three had as the original SEES members. So let’s get to it.
3* Cups of flour. * for the ‘dry base’ will actually be 2 ¼ cups. The other ¾ cup will act as replacement for the stevia amount below.
2 cups dark chocolate chips. The specific brand I used was 69%, though if you can get it to 70 Percent, the better.
1 tsp salt or sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
¾ cup brown sugar
1 tsp pure Stevia. The general ratio for Stevia to sugar is 1 tsp for every 1 cup of sugar. I used pure Stevia to easily get the ratio as there is Stevia with Eritroyal which acts like a filler for sugar but the ratios are different and can get complicated. Pure Stevia keeps the measurements simple.
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla. In the picture I used baking vanilla, though regular vanilla extract will do. The claim for baking vanilla is that it will retain its flavor when baked and won’t be burned away.
2 sticks of butter. Per Justice/Shinjiro its easier when its softened, so leaving it out for a few hours is recommended for easier mixing.
How To Bake: The 'dry base' and butter.
1. We’ll be making the ‘dry base’ which is the flour, salt and baking soda. Put them together and mix them in one bowl and set it to the side.
2. In a larger bowl, put the softened butter in.
3. Measure and add the brown sugar. Measure and add the Stevia/flour blend.
4. Mix together until you get a nice viscosity.
5. Add the vanilla extra extract.
6. Take one egg, mix it until its a bit thinner, easier to mix. Then add the other egg and mix.
Summon the Strength Arcana.
7. We’ll then add the ‘dry base’ into thirds. Add the first third, mix it until the there’s no more white.
8. Add the second third. It might get harder to mix together with a spoon. You can use a whisk if you have it, though I wasn’t a fan as it was leaving quite a bit of the blend in the whisk itself.
9. Add the final third, this may take some effort; you may need to call upon that Shinjiro strength, pace yourself until there is no more white, its a nice, lighter color.
All the Chocolate
10. Put 1 cup of the chocolate chips. Mix until all of it is sticking to the dough blend.
11. Add the next cup, same as before, once again, calling on that Shinjiro strength until all the chocolate is stuck proper.
Creative Baking.
12. Per Justice/Shinjiro, you can use as is and put on the baking sheet, but recommends to put in the fridge. He didn’t specifically say for how long, I put it for an hour.
13. In the meantime, prep your baking tray, use butter or cooking spray over foil so as to not stick.
14. Pre-heat the over to 375, then bake to 9-11 minutes. I was able to get 12 cookies worth after manually mashing. Take out briefly, then heat oven to 400, then bake for an additional 5.
15. Wait for 10-15 minutes than serve. I added a bit more time and upped the temperature as after 11 minutes at 375, it wasn’t solidified. The 5 minutes at 400 was enough to give it a crust, but still soft on the inside. This is most likely due the loss of the white sugar volume, which was replaced with additional flour.
The Verdict
Now for the taste, its as advertised. The dark chocolate does most of the work, as it should. Any lingering concerns if the Stevia was going to overtake the flavor profile was unfounded. It worked in tandem with the brown sugar to leave a gentle, sweet aftertaste after the dark chocolate.
Much like Shinjiro, his quiet strength lies in big hits, trusting his allies to set him up for the big takedown. This is what this cookie does, as Akihiko takes a few, surprised that just 2 is enough to fill him up (For real though, 1 will be enough for most people, 2 is pushing it).
Mitsuru will be looking through her tea cabinet to find something than can compliment this cookie’s strength, smirking to herself about the absurdity of trying to pair tea with a child’s snack. As he teaches this recipe to Makoto Yuki or Kotone Shione in Persona 3 Portable, who turn gives to the group, that ought to improving their proficiency…
Even Ken Amada who at first thinks he’s being treated like a kid takes a bite, learning that not all Western snacks are just sugar vehicles. This is a mature person’s snack after a hard day’s of work, studying, extended session in Tartarus. Yukari and Junpei are arguing why this cookie is so different. Koromaru instinctively knows that the chocolate will kill him, though takes in the gentle smell regardless. Fuuka politely enjoys it, though she’ll need some of Mitsuru’s tea to balance that rich, chocolate wave of flavor.
Did you have one while playing Persona 3?
Would reccomend to have napkins ready. Better yet, have some while watching the Persona 3 OVAs, keep your controller clean. Does this match your version of Shinjiro’s baking prowess? Let me know if you made it!