Survey: All About Cookies

All About Cookies

We want to write about it and need to know what you like about cookies. Please help us out. The survey is very short (only 4 multiple choice questions).

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Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Search - #3

Taste Test # 3 - Toll House Wins Again!!

Contenders (recipes are linked):

Double Tree Cookie Recipe (or best rendition of it) (#7)

Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie (#8)

Jacques Torres' Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe (#9)

Results (13 Reviewers - 4 children, 9 adults)

Double Tree Hotel chocolate chip cookie (best rendition) - 3 votes (all adult)

Nestle Toll House chocolate chip cookie - 6 votes (3 children, 3 adults)

Jacques Torres' chocolate chip cookie - 4 votes (1 child, 3 adults)

Review

Double Tree recipe: Chewier than Nestle Toll House cookies, this recipe gets props for staying power. I felt that the cookies tasted fresh, longer. With rolled oatmeal added to the recipe, the texture may not be for everyone. Though I can't be sure if the recipe is the exact one that the Double Tree Hotel actually uses, the cookie hits the spot when you are hanker'in for something sweet. Keep in mind the cookie is served warm at the hotel. During the taste test, all cookies were delivered within 24 hours of baking, but never warm. I'm not sure if that would sway the results. - 3 stars

Nestle Toll House recipe: Still the majority favorite. Though I love the taste, I don't think that the recipe does well staying fresh. In order to keep the integrity of the cookie from faltering, my suggestion is to make the cookie dough ahead, roll into golf-sized balls, place them in a air tight container and keep in the refrigerator. Just pop each ball on a baking sheet and bake them when you want a "fix". You get fresh cookies from a favorite recipe. Pop them in the oven before company comes over and look like a hero....Martha Stewart, move over!

Jacques Torres recipe: A little more complicated than the typical recipe, I personally think it is worth the effort. Cake and bread flour is used in place of all-purpose flour. Pillsbury makes cake flour (in a box down the baking aisle at your local grocery store, but not by the regular flour). The bread flour can be found next to the all-purpose flour. I think the cake flour gives the cookie the consistency that is lacking in Nestle's Toll House recipe. The cookie remains moist, not crunchy and the 60% cacao morsel just put me over the top....YUMMY. Ghirardelli makes a morsel to accommodate the recipe, though you can find the morsels used in the recipe at Whole Foods Markets (the information is included at the end). 3 1/2 stars. I loved it and may combine parts to use with Toll House. Hmmm, I wonder...

Taste Test #4 will add a "spa" and "shopping" experience into the mix. Can you guess what recipes are next?

Martha Stewart Show

Press Dough is going to the Martha Stewart (blogging) show on Thursday, January 14, 2010! As an audience member, I will be sending out twitter (@pressdough) updates. Make sure you are following. Join me to hear about "Martha" news, what it is like to be in the studio, and how often Martha actually blogs. I'll be sure to post a complete recap of the show. Stay tuned.

Got any questions for Martha? Beginning at 6:30am (EST), I'll be taking the train into the city and checking my twitter account. Show starts at 10 a.m.!

Smiley Face Cookies

Make someones day or send out get well wishes with smiley faces. Did you ever hear the phrase: If you smile at someone, they will always smile back? Why not spread some happiness with smiley face cookies:

This month's family circle has the DIY recipe for creating these happy sweet snacks. An easier way to create the same results are with cookie tattoos. Completely edible, just peel and stick onto any frosted or fondant surface. No need for food coloring messes or piping bag complications.

Fun Cookie Facts

Happy New Year!

2010

Get motivated for some baking! January is the perfect month to nestle yourself in the kitchen, try out some new cookie recipes and have fun. Here are some cookie facts from faqfood.com to get you started:

1. Testing out cake batter and oven temperatures, ancient bakers created the cookie by placing a small amount of batter on a sheet and baking that first.
2. Chocolate chip cookies are the most popular kind of cookie in the United States (tip: good to keep this in mind when baking for others).
3. Cookies are best either fresh out of the oven (warm) or the day after they are baked. Waiting a day lets the flavors absorb with each other.
4. If you seal up freshly baked cookies, they will retain too much moisture and fall apart.

2010 Cookie Talk Blog Resolutions:

• Post more often
• Share new cookie recipes
• Increase participation and information exchange (please leave a comment with an inquiry, suggestion, or recipe exchange)
• Talk about baking experiences and old wives tales (that actually work).
• Review gadgets for baking (Have a gadget for me to review, send me an email?)

Halloween Fun with Edible Cookie Tattoos

Halloween Party Fun!

Get your Halloween party started this year by involving your little ghouls and goblins. Baking cookies and cupcakes can be so much fun when you add a little flare. Try these tips:

1. Don't go crazy with "made from scratch" baking. A box of cake mix and tub of frosting satisfies your little chef's need to help and their somewhat limited attention span. In our house we used marble cake mix to create these fun-sized cupcakes. Scooping the batter out and squeezing the chocolate on top in the shape of a smiley face provided the "big girl/boy" feeling and yet creative enough to maintain their interest.

2. What child doesn't love tattoos? Edible tattoos are great fun for kids. Each 3 1/2" round tattoo can be applied to a simple round cookie/cupcake by peeling and sticking to frosting. For extra fun, I have the kids cut around the shape (i.e. scared cat or pumpkin) and stick onto these mini cupcakes. Crafts and cooking all in one. Just imagine how proud the party goers will be to make their own snacks!

3. Don't forget to allow time for licking!!

Happy Homemade Cookies Day

Happy Homemade Cookies Day!

Celebrate by baking up some traditions, straight from family recipe books:

Polish Cookie Cutouts (flakier and tangier)

Ingredients:
1 lb. butter ( I never promised low-fat)
3 cups Flour
3 Tablespoons vinegar (white)
5 Tablespoons water

Mix together butter and flour. Add the vinegar and water. Separate batter into 2 sections and refridgerate overnite for at least a few hours. Roll out each section to 1/8 inch. Cut into squares or cute cutout shapes. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until the cookie stops bubbling and is light brown. Frost with smooth/cookie icing is best. Makes about 5 dozen.

New spin on cookie cutouts: stick on cookie tattoos to your finished product. Just cut around the edible picture, freeze, peel and stick onto any frosted cookie to create a one-of-kind cookie design.

Not enough time for cookie cutouts?

Try these easy Peanut Butter Squares

Ingredients:
1 - 28 oz jar crunchy peanut butter
2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

12 ounces of chocolate morsels
1/2 cup of butter
1 1/2 teaspoon of water

Mix with hands (great for kids to help with). Press into a small cookie sheets (13x9). Melt the chocolate morsels and butter in a double broiler (sauce pan filled 1/4 of the way with water and glass bowl placed over top of water - place on stove on high, water will begin boiling under glass bowl). Add water and spread on top of peanut butter mixture. Chill in refrigerator and cut into squares.

The ABC's of baking cookies

Did you know that most children loose about 30% or more of what they learned during summer?

Only 3 more weeks of summer vacationing, then back to school. For young readers, a fun way to get back in the "swing" of things is to re-introduce sight words through fun and inventive techniques. Cookie cutters, shaped in the letters of the alphabet, are a great way to ignite interest. Sold individually(through Press Dough), kindergartners and 1st graders have fun using letter shaped cookie cutters to spell, decorate cookies, and work on projects (dip in fingerpaint for letter impression).

For an additional teaching opportunity, get the children measuring, mixing, and rolling out cookie dough for that arithmetic advantage. A connection between academics and real life begin to make more sense and will engage children in understanding why they need education. It is an effective way to get your child on the right path in realizing the importance of studying and school work.

Teachers:

Alphabet/lettered cookie cutters will keep the child engaged. Use for child assessments or as a visual for handwriting, particularly students who may need extra tools and/or techniques (i.e. special needs, autistic students). Handwriting without tears is a method used in many school districts to give students a breakdown of each letter. For some students a visual support is necessary. Letters made of cookie cutters can change things up a bit and may actually get the student(s) more focused on the task at "hand".

Kids involvement in tag sales = Profits (No Kidding!)

Our tag sale has come and gone.

The rain held out for most of the morning, kids had fun with their baked goods/lemonade stand, and my hubby was in his merchandising glory (he loves doing this...don't ask me why). In light of our experience, I've come up with some tag sale tips I hope you find useful.
Tip #1
Get your kids involved!
Set up a lemonade or baked goods stand for your kids. This will give them a little entrepreneurial spirit and the money they will make...OMG! It is amazing how someone will haggle over a $.50 item with you, but will so easily give that same $.50 to an adorable child selling lemonade/cookie.
Tip #2
Rise and Shine Early
Get the stuff out there early. Forget the "NO EARLY BIRDS!" posting in the paper. Do you want to sell your stuff or not? Most professional tag sale'rs come early. Deal with it. Grab a cup of joe and start selling.
Tip #3
Merchandise as best you can.
This area I left up to my husband because he genuinely loves it. He continues to move and re-position throughout the day. It matters where things are set up. A lot of times, there are just drive-bye's. Make sure the targeted items and/or great looking ones are easily visible.
Tip #4
What are great sellers you ask?
Don't take this to the bank, but we've found that people seek out: cd's, dvds, decent handbags, toys...children's sleds are NOT high ticket items:)
Tip #5
Price right!
I can't stress this enough. You will not get rich off of a tag sale. Your goal is to make a little cash from items that you would probably give to charity anyway. Most people will not pay more than $5, maybe $10 for something astronomically great. If you are selling furniture or antiques, don't call it a tag sale, call it an estate sale or moving sale.
Tip #6
Focus...
Try to stick to the point of purging out the old. We did this somewhat successfully until a lady bought some of our stuff and saw that she had some junk (of her own)that she was going to give to charity in her trunk. Guess who got the junk? She was very sweet though.
Tip #7
Price items
Price individually (labels or colored coded) or set up tables that are generic (i.e. One dollar table, 2 for $3 table etc.). People don't like to ask. I must admit that this tip, we did not follow. My husband was the price police and priced an item on the fly. I don't recommend this method.
Tip #8
Buy (or make) signs and place in populated areas
We don't recommend placing an ad in the paper. We posted on craigslist and strategically placed signs in high traffic stations/corners. Make sure that your sign is clear and concise. Arrows directing buyers to the sale is a plus. No need to spend extra money. People drive around just looking for the signs.

Happy Father's Day

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!