Cookies Please...

Summer is officially coming to an end and for a lot of people starting school or going back to school, Fall can actually be a whole new beginning.  September can be seen as a reboot to the year.  We can all take time to reflect on what's happened so far this year, how far have we come along to our goals and resolutions we created months ago in January?  If we've forgotten these goals at this point, now is the time to start back up or make adjustments and try again.  With that being said, I've still been working on my business by doing lots of baking.  I spent some time focusing on cookies!
Here are a few photos of some "experiments" I've worked on in the kitchen.  My Brown Butter Chocolate Chip cookie is super soft.

BROWN-BUTTER COOKIES!!

Who doesn't love a good chocolate chip cookie?  I decided to add coated candy chocolates to some, for even more fun!  September not only reminds me of back to school, but after school snacks.  There's not too much more comforting than a warm cookie with a glass of cool milk.

I made a few twists to the classic Peanut Butter Cookie, I ditched the flour and added chocolate.  Well, chocolate in the form of Nutella!  These Nutella Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies did not disappoint.

You will never miss the flour in this rich, dense cookie.

Yummy Nutella hidden inside.

 The last cookie I experimented with was the ever classic Sugar Cookie.  How could I amp up the simple flavor of the sugar cookie with out really changing it completely?  I decided to increase the vanilla flavor by adding fresh vanilla beans.

Some people might be scared to work with the fresh beans.  But, after a couple of times, scraping a bean is pretty easy.  And the results are well worth it.  The tiny little black flecks in the finished product, not only add big flavor, but add a hint of elegance as well.

I had my little helper with me for these cookies.

Baking, for me is fun, my son Adler also has fun helping me.  He loves the dough, rolling it out, mashing it, and cutting it up.
Things tend to take much longer when he helps.  Mostly, the clean- up part.  On the other hand, having him share the joy with me, is well worth it!





Now, I may have mentioned before that I am not the best cake decorator, I guess I could say the same when it comes to cookie decorating.  However, these simple cut-out cookies are buttery, soft, and the fragrant taste make up for the simple decorations.  I have a set of seasonal cookie cutters with lots of shapes, there are obvious shapes like pumpkin for October and Umbrella for April.  But, what shape represents August?  I figured you can't go wrong with a flower and sun shape for the hot summer month. 

I decided to use a simple sprinkling of Cane Sugar to top the cookies.

The soft dough needs to be chilled for at least 2 hours before rolling it out.

Pulling the cookies out of the oven at just the right time is key.  Just when the edges turn golden brown, results in a soft chewy cookie.  Of course, if you like a little crisp to your cookie keep them in a little longer.                                   

Partner baker, as well as, taste-tester.

These cookies came out so good that they made Adler giggle till he fell over!



I've also come very close to finishing my menu, with prices!  Of course, I thought I would have this done by now.  But, I just have a couple more recipes that I want to try out first.  So, by the end of the month I'll have a final draft ready to post!  Until then, I have partnered with LocalStove.  LocalStove is a platform offering meals prepared by local cooks.  It's a great way for busy people to have access to home cooked food.  Please check them out!  I will be posting weekly offerings available for pick-up for now, possible delivery coming soon.

When I first sat down to write this post, I had the intention of talking about networking; but, I'll save that for next time...

Till then,

Jerr