cookies

Task: create a new cookie; new in taste, form, texture, cooking process, presentation, etc.

 
1. Research and Background. Well, first off, what is a cookie? I mean I know what a cookie is, but what is the basic definition of what makes something a cookie? How do you make a cookie?

Webster Merriam Dictionary definition:

cook·ie noun
/ˈko͝okē/
: a sweet baked food that is usually small, flat, and round and is made flour and sugar  

Ratio by Michael Ruhlman

• Cookie Dough= 1 part sugar

                                  + 2 parts fat
                                  + 3 parts flour

• To create variations: change the flavor, swap an ingredient, alter the proportion of flour to fat to sugar

 Classic Cookie Variations
   

            

               Shortbread

Chocolate Chip

   

Thumbprint

 

              

                   Sugar

 

 Peanut Butter

Oatmeal Raisin

  











    


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2. Inspiration. What can I do to create a new, innovative cookie?

A Day at elBulli by Ferran Adrià

• Creative Methods:

• Traditional and local cuisines
• Influences from other cuisines
• Association
• Inspiration
• Deconstruction
• Minimalism
• Symbiosis of sweet and savory
• Commercial food in high-end cuisine

•  "...to be truly creative, a dish must be interesting as well as new."

• "The aim at elBulli is to create dishes and techniques that engage guests' sensory, emotional and intellectual facilities to the full..."

Flavor Bouncing by Grant Achatz

      Classic Flavor Pairings                                                                Unexpected Flavor Pairings

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3. Ideation. I decided to focus on creating a new, innovative flavor for a cookie. What kinds of flavors can I come up with for a cookie?

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4. Selection. I narrowed it down to the top five cookie ideas, and then asked friends and family to select their favorite.

Top Five 
1. Pineapple Blue Cheese 2. Apple Brie 3. Strawberry, Tomato,Basil 4. Pear, Gorgonzola, Pecan 5. Apricot Basil
Votes and Comments:

 1. Pineapple Blue Cheese:

• Tanner, 28
• Molly, 24 "It sounds kind of weird, but in a good way."
• My Vote

  2. Apple Brie:

• Lynn, 50 "I love brie cheese and apple. May be add some kind of nut, like almonds?"
• Maia, 19

  3. Strawberry Tomato Basil:

• Taylor, 25

  4. Pear, Gorgonzola, Pecan

• Jordyn, 23 "Sounds interesting for a cookie. I like the savory and sweet combo."
• Nikita, 22
• Judy, 56 "I like this combination in salads, so I think it would be interesting in a cookie"
• Shannon, 22

  5. Apricot Basil

• Dave, 60 "This reminds me of a cookie that my mom used to make, but with an updated flavor combination."

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5. Experimentation. After narrowing it down to the top two cookie ideas, I decided to experiment with cookie recipes to narrow it down to the top cookie flavor.
 
Recipes I combined a few different cookie recipes to create my new recipes for my cookie flavors.

    Pineapple Blue Cheese Thumbprint Cookie

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple            
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 cup blue cheese

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease cookie sheets.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and beat well. Stir in vanilla and pineapple. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually stir into creamed mixture. Roll into balls and place 2" away on cookie sheet. Bake 5 minutes.
3. Remove from oven. With thumb, dent each cookie. Put blue cheese in each thumbprint. Bake for another 3-5 minutes.

   Tasting- w/ roommate

• Good texture, moist and chewy
• The sweet and salty combination is very interesting and good
• Needs more pineapple
• Possibly add some nuts?
• May be add some sugar to the blue cheese? A bit too salty.
• Very aromatic
• Aesthetic is okay, possibly add a garnish

      Overall: B+
                      
    Pear, Gorgonzola and Pecan Thumbprint Cookie

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups of flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder                   
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 1/2 pears- peeled and diced
• 1 cup Gorgonzola
• 30 whole pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Beat butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and ginger. Mix into creamed ingredients. Roll into balls and place 2" apart on cookie sheet. Bake 5 minutes.
3. Remove from oven. With thumb, dent each cookie. Put Gorgonzola in each thumbprint. Top with a pecan. Bake for another 3-5 minutes.

    Tasting -w/ roommate

• Good texture, very moist
• Really good flavor combination 
• Add less cinnamon; tastes a bit too strong
• Add sugar to Gorgonzola; too salty
• Pear is really good, good chunks
• Needs to be baked longer, 3-5 minutes
• Aesthetic is very nice

       Overall: A-  
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  6. Finalize. I decided to go forward with the Pear, Gorgonzola and Pecan thumbprint cookie. I tweaked the recipe a bit and created the final dozen cookies.

Pear, Gorgonzola and Pecan Thumbprint Cookie

Final Recipe:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 2 pears- diced
• 1 cup Gorgonzola 
• 2 Tbs. white sugar
• 30 whole pecans 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Beat butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and ginger. Mix into creamed ingredients. Mix in diced pears. Roll into balls and place 2" apart on cookie sheet. Slightly flatten the dough balls. Bake 8-10 minutes. 
3. While cookies are baking melt the Gorgonzola cheese in the microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and add the white sugar. Mix well.
4.  Remove cookies from oven. With thumb, dent each cookie. Fill each cookie with cheese mixture. Top with a pecan. Bake for another 5-8 minutes until golden brown. 

Conclusion

Overall I feel that this cookie is creative in that it is a unique flavor combination that is unusual to see in a cookie. The combination of sweet, spiced and salty makes for a very interesting and unexpectedly tasty cookie. It is one of my favorite flavor combinations in things like salads, but I never knew it could also be successful as a baked good. The final cookie is flavorful, sophisticated and aesthetically pleasing.