(I seem to use index cards for all the important things.)
You know what all these pictures mean. I have been in the kitchen again with my baking utensils and camera. I might as well start a food blog...or a cookie blog for as often I have posted about cookies recently. I won't. I am not adding another thing to my list of things to do and that would be another I would need to keep track of.
I did get to baking yesterday afternoon.
I received a small shipment of cookie tins and I had another idea for a concept cookie. It turns out I probably didn't order enough tins and they aren't in exactly the right sizes. It's getting a little difficult because there seems to be a growing number that want cookies or that I don't want to forget to send to. I'm not doing a good job of keeping up.
I baked what are turning out to be my solid threesome: Chocolate chips with walnuts, Five Chocolate, and Cherry with Macadamia and White Chocolate. These three alone seem to keep everyone happy.
I tried again to "fix" my latest caramel pecan cookie. I changed the chocolate in the cookie dough and cut the caramel candies larger. No go. I will ditch these cookies. I don't like them and they don't come up to standard as far as I am concerned. Anyone receiving the last of these cookies beware...major sticking to the teeth involved. I don't like them and I am taking them off the list of availability.
I had another concept of using the classic raspberry and chocolate combination. I had done the same in a cake but wanted to see if I could pull it out in a cookie instead. I couldn't find any dried raspberries but was able to find a freeze-dried pure raspberry. I got it home and tasted it and it seemed very intense.
Now...here is how I test the flavor combinations. Pay attention, it can get very involved. I put one small piece of freeze-dried raspberry in the palm of my hand. I shake out 6 semi-sweet chocolate chips and add them. I get 3 white chocolate chips and then add 2-3 slivers of almonds all in the same palm of my hand. I lift the palm to my mouth and let them all fall in. Chew a minute with an intellectual look on your face. It helps if you can pick a far off object and stare intensely without really looking at it. Hmmm, well.
A few adjustments needed to be made. Maybe two white chips to 6 chocolate and almonds are good. Very scientific. Of course then I have to convert it all into measuring sizes for the recipe but that's about it. Then I bake them, ship them and leave it to the tasters.
It would probably help if I actually listened to what the tasters try to tell me about the cookies. Not that I don't listen when they give me feedback, it's just the compliments I don't always listen to. I keep thinking it's only a cookie. I had to think again when Jay came home and saw 5 racks of different cookies spread out and cooling on the kitchen table. He said, "You sure love to do this." And I do.
I wouldn't listen when a dear friend tried to tell me how good the cookies are because I bake them with love.
It seems I do.
I never made the connection between the cookies and how I loved to make them for others.
I thought that was just part of the normal ingredients.
TT
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