Extra ingredient

(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