Retro Flavours, with a modern twist!

August 10, 2025 ~ stephzuniga ~ Leave a comment

Yet another rainy weekend in Sydney – which has both pros and cons! When it rains, there’s more time to bake which isn’t a bad thing. I now split it over two days – dough on Saturday and baking on Sunday. I’m not sure if it makes it more or less time consuming but it’s working so far!

This week’s cookies definitely have a very American, very soda fountain, almost 1950s-esque vibe. Two recipes are from Christina Tosi’s All About Cookies…and again one is from Chat GPT.

Christina Tosi’s cookies are some of my favourites- this week’s are Sugar Sugar Cookies and Nana Nilla Cookies.

The Sugar Sugar Cookies are SWEET. Like too sweet. Thomas liked them but he’s 8. And he loves sugar. They’re sugar cookies with sugar sprinkles and white chocolate chips. Like I said, sugar on top of sugar, flavoured by sugar, sweetened with sugar, sprinkled with sugar. But kind of fun, because of the coloured sugar on top and in them.

The other cookies, the Nana Nilla Cookies, are basically banana pudding cookies. Banana pudding is yummy, but not sure I love it in cookie form. Still, I had planned to bake them for ages (ever since I bought Nilla wafers earlier in the year) but hadn’t done it yet. I’m not sure how well liked they’ll be I’m glad I did them.

The last flavour is actually one of my favourite cookies I’ve ever baked. It’s Cherry Coke flavour. Cherry Coke is my absolute favorite soft drink. I LOVE it and used to have one every day growing up! I know it’s not for everyone but it’s MY personal favourite- so I asked ChatGPT to create a recipe for Cherry Coke Cookies….. And of course, like any faithful and loyal friend, it did. And they’re not bad! I went offscript and added a bit of actual cherry coke to the batter, which possibly made them too wet. The good news is that I can ask ChatGPT to tweak the recipe to include the liquid for next time.

ChatGPT called it a “ fun and nostalgic recipe that captures the flavor of Cherry Coke — fizzy cola sweetness, tart cherries, rich vanilla, and a hint of spice — all in a chewy cookie. Inspired by notes of: Cherry (obviously), Cola (vanilla, caramel, cinnamon, a hint of citrus), Slight fizziness or bite. This recipe mirrors those with cherries, vanilla, soft brown sugar (for caramel tones), a dash of cinnamon and optional cola glaze.”

I didn’t do the optional cola glaze but everything else (except the extra Cherry Coke dash) I followed exactly!

And to be honest, I LOVE Them. Not everyone will love these, but these are for me. Even if no one else likes them, I do. They’re a perfect blend of nostalgia, and my favourite flavours. They have a great depth of flavour from the almond, cinnamon, and chocolate, but also a nice sweet cherry pop from the maraschino cherries. LOVE LOVE LOVE!

So that’s the cookies for this week. It’s going to be a big week. We just celebrated our wedding anniversary, we have an interview for a high school, and my project at work is entering its final phases. Lots happening!

The Cookies that started it all…and I make friends with AI

August 3, 2025 ~ stephzuniga ~ Leave a comment

So this week, we go back to the beginning- Von Stapele Cookies aka The Amsterdam Cookies aka THE cookies that started the baking journey. It’s been almost a year (I think) that I’ve been baking cookies every week. And it’s been a crazy year. One major down (and some not so major ones) and lots of big ups too. So, it’s just been life. We skate along every day until we come to a big bump in the road, we fall down, we get back up and keep skating until the next big bump. I can’t really complain. This is what being alive is.

I lost my job and gained a job, I lost a lot of confidence and gained a lot of resilience. I got to spend time not working and realised how much I was missing by constantly running from one thing to the next. I lost someone who I loved and loved me, and I gained a new appreciation of the tiny person I made. I grew. I still miss what I lost, and I still grieve and wonder, “what if?” But I’m happy. I mean I still complain about lots of First World Problems, and still hassle the humans in my house over a range of things. But overall, at at the risk of jinxing myself. Things are ok.

Looking back, I had NO idea what was ahead of me. But none of us ever do really. A year ago, I couldn’t imagine anything changing- everything was great. A year from now, I know things could look totally different and that’s ok. It could be better, or it could be worse. But it will be different. That’s the only thing I know for sure. Will I still be baking every week?? Who knows??

And in the spirit of Change. I’ve tried something new-ish. I made friends with AI- well ChatGPT and for one of the first times used ChatGPT to create a new recipe. Well, multiple new recipes.

Bonkers. Game changing. Bizarre.

So, why now?? What happened this week?

Full disclosure, I was inspired by the Cabaret show I went to last week hosted by Dame Chilli Rox. Chilli or Dame Chilli happens to be the only person I’ve seen consistently every week for the past 18 years, and someone who I treasure dearly. She’s my Pole Dancing Teacher and an absolute icon, and the person who I’ve seen once or twice a week almost every week since 2007(ish). I’ve known her longer than my husband and seen her more regularly than almost anyone else I know. I’ve been through relationship changes, career changes, house changes, every type of change- but I’ve taken Pole Dancing Classes with Chilli on Wednesdays at 830 for most of my adult life.

Anyway, Chilli, who is also the Most Influential Pole Dancer in Australia and an amazing MC, hosted a show last week and in the show, she had ChatGPT come up with cocktails for people she knew in the audience. (Mine was a Half-Assed Spritz- because I’m very bubbly, loyal, but I don’t try very hard in class.)

Anyhoo, I was inspired to use ChatGPT to come up with cookie recipes– what a brilliant idea! Last week’s Dulce de Leche Cookies were a huge hit– and someone said, “ooh, Banoffee pie cookies would be really good.” I searched for recipes online but then, inspired by Chilli’s AI cocktail creations, I thought what if I asked ChatGPT for a Banoffee Cookie recipe. AND it delivered!!!

So then, I asked Chat GPT for a recipe inspired by Dame Chilli Rox- and it delivered on that too!

The description was amazing–

“Let’s create something as fiery, fierce, and unforgettable as Dame Chilli Rox herself — a cookie that’s spicy, sultry, and unapologetically fabulous.

Vibe:

Think: dark chocolate for drama, chilli for her name and boldness, cinnamon for heat, and raw sugar sparkle for the glittering glam she brings to the pole.”

And it is!!!! Spicy chocolate chocolate chip with glitter sprinkles!!! Throw in a jade split and it’s Chilli in a Cookie!

ChatGPT also suggested adding Fireball Whiskey or Chilli Liqueur for an extra kick. I might try them again and call them Chilli Rox on the Rocks.

I also asked for a recipe for Von Stapele copycat cookies… and 3 or 4 other cookies that I was inspired to create… (they may make an appearance next week!)

I”m VERY pleased with how they’ve turned out (they look and smell very credible!) and it was super fun creating a recipe of my own(-ish). Who knows, this could be the next evolution of my baking. Creating recipes not just baking from recipes… I mean, I don’t know if I trust AI for everything all the time but it’s fun to try!

The Cookie Chronicles: Things Get Ugly

July 27, 2025 ~ stephzuniga ~ Leave a comment

So sometimes it’s nice to experiment and try something new… but sometimes those things don’t turn out as expected. I’m going to give myself the advice that I give to Thomas quite often, “Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.”

I hope you haven’t just rolled your eyes in the same way that he does… honestly that kid has a look that can pierce you like a dagger. (Apparently, he gets it from me.) But this week’s cookies– and maybe last week’s too were a learning experience.

And because I thought they might not be my best, I decided to bake 3 types of cookies…

So let’s start with the basics… I decided to make Neapolitan Shortbread cookies this week. They looked very pretty in the photo and I was very excited to push myself out of my comfort zone. Except that I used the wrong recipe link and made Neapolitan Cookies. Which are also pretty in the picture, however they structured differently because of how cookies cook vs how shortbread cooks. I only realised my mistake AFTER I put them in the oven. So my cookies are… well, they’re not pretty. The first 4 trays at least aren’t pretty. In fact, they’re a bit weird looking because shortbread holds its shape when it bakes– and cookies, well, cookies don’t. By the last tray I realised my mistake and they look a lot better- and I rolled them in pink sparkly sugar- so they’re gorgeous. The 4 little swans amongst a lot of ugly duckling cookies. I will 100% try them again– both the shortbread version and the cookie version because they’re tasty- and I’ve learned from the experience.

The other two cookies I made were from Christina Tosi’s All About Cookies book- one of my favourites. This week are Crunchy Confetti Cookies and Dulce de Leche Cookies. I’m not a massive Dulce de Leche fan but they were a request– purely from the little bit of tasting I was doing as I was baking, they’re pretty good!

So overall, this week is a win-ish– I tried something new and learned a lesson!

The cookies continue, but the inspiration does not…

July 20, 2025 ~ stephzuniga ~ Leave a comment

For the first time this week, I really struggled with what to bake. I knew I was going to bake this week, because, well, of course I was but I struggled with inspiration. Jinx had sent me a recipe from EasyGayOven which looked great on Instagram but sadly the recipe itself wasn’t online. Well, it was but for a fee. I love cookbooks but I’M NOT A FAN of paying for yet another subscription that I’ll use once and then forget all about! I tried searching for similar recipes but nothing was quite right– I looked at quite a few- it came down to this one for Coconut Chocolate Chip Mango Cookies and this one for Macadamia, Mango, and White Chocolate Cookies. So I improvised…. I used this recipe(-ish) for Macadamia, Mango, and White Chocolate cookies– but not exactly since I took out the macadamias and added more mango– actually dried mango and freeze-dried mango. I’m honestly not sure how they’ve turned out. I don’t love white chocolate and I tinkered around with the recipe a bit, so not sure it’s my best work. I’m wary of putting nuts in cookies- firstly, I hate nuts, and secondly, I don’t want to accidentally kill anyone who has a nut allergy. I think I’m just hypervigilant after being a parent for 8 years and hearing NO NUTS at all times. So, I try to avoid them in cookies…

I was also going to make Miso Chocolate Chip Cookies from the NY Times. But…. I panicked. I re-read the recipe and realised they were gluten free and dairy free and wasn’t sure I wanted to go down the route of two controversial cookies this week. Gluten free and dairy free isn’t for everyone, and who knows what these bootleg mango cookies will be like….

So I played it safe- I went with Mocha Chocolate Chunk Cookies from Cookies: The New Classics by Jesse Szewczyk. I’ve never done these cookies before but his recipes are always winners. So I thought they would be safe!

But it was a bit alarming. It’s my first cookie-related doubt/lack of inspiration. Normally I’m super excited to bake each week and it feels like a labour of love. This week, it just felt hard. I’m hoping it doesn’t show in the cookies, but these were more of a struggle than usual.

What I REALLY want to do is crack the recipe for Milkman’s OG Cookies. We had them in Gold Coast Airport last week on the way home and they’re good!!! But they’re different- thicker and slightly cakier??? than most cookies… I might need to order some and experiment to get them right!!

In the meantime, send inspirational cookie vibes…. and maybe some ideas for next week!

And We’re Back!

July 13, 2025 ~ stephzuniga ~ Leave a comment

We took a week off for a family holiday (and marathon) on the Gold Coast. We had a blast! The Gold Coast is the perfect place for a family holiday- Thomas had a blast!

Sea World, Australian Outback Spectacular, Whale Watching, Timezone, Teppanyaki, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, multiple trips to Wendy’s… it was an 8 year old boy’s holiday of dreams! We had a great time…

And now that we’re back, I’m back to baking!

This week, we’re keeping it simple with Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies with Condensed Milk and Double Chocolate Chip Cookies.. I had a request for simple this week, so simple is what I’ve done! Both have gotten the tick of approval from the boys which is always a good sign!

I already have a request for next week- Mango, Macadamia White Chocolate!

Can’t wait!!!

I take requests now…

June 29, 2025 ~ stephzuniga ~ Leave a comment

This week I’m making THREE cookies! Yikes! Three Cookies means I’ve spent all morning baking, cleaning, baking, washing dishes and then washing more dishes. And by washing dishes, I mean packing and unpacking the dishwasher– which is the same as washing dishes to me.

I can make three cookies this morning because the boys are at a tennis tournament, and so I’ve been left to my own devices… and I had a cookie request. A cookie request for a cookie that is NOT appealing to me at all. Black Sesame Earl Grey Cookies. The idea of Black Sesame Tahini in a cookie is blah- I don’t like tahini or hummus or nuts or nut adjacent things. And I hate Earl Grey tea. So combining the two in cookie form is completely unappealing. But Jinx, the same friend that kicked off the cookie frenzy almost 12 months ago with a cookie from Amsterdam, sent me a recipe and because she’s brought back cookies for me EVERY time she goes to Amsterdam, I couldn’t say no. So I’m making Black Sesame Earl Grey Cookies. And because they are COMPLETELY unappealing to me personally, I’m also making a modified version of David Leibovitz’s Salted Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies. The modification is that they’re not sitting for 12 hours or overnight. I’m also making Chocolate Shake and French Fry Cookies from Christina Tosi’s Bake Club.

I’m quite excited by the Bake Club cookies. They look a bit weird but I think the concept will be yummy! The salted tahini– not sure about- it’s the tahini. But we’ll see… Hopefully Jinx will like the Black Sesame cookies, the gym and pole crew will like the Chocolate Chip cookies (they’re VERY highly rated by the New York Times), and hopefully TomTom and The Runner will enjoy the Chocolate Shake and French Fry Cookies. I’m not baking next weekend since The Runner is running up in Queensland, but I’m already thinking of our next baking adventure– thanks to the stash of leftover Easter Eggs I’m FINALLY getting around to emptying out of the Easter bucket. Stay tuned!

Shortbread??

June 22, 2025 ~ stephzuniga ~ Leave a comment

So this week, we (I) baked shortbread for the first time.

I mean, shortbread is kind of cookie-like? It’s in a lot of cookie cookbooks but it’s not really a cookie. It’s cookie adjacent. I’ve seen shortbread recipes pop up in Cookie Cookbooks but I’ve always discarded them as “not cookie enough”. But with World War 3 about to start, AI taking over everyone’s jobs, and the state of the world in general, I thought now could be the time to try something we’ve never done before. So I baked shortbread.

After reading about them in Smitten Kitchen, I went back to the original Alison Roman Dining In recipe and made Salted Butter Chocolate Chunk Shortbread. (I forgot the extra salt sprinkle). I’m still not sure about how I feel about them. They’re not bad, but it they’re not 100% right either. I mean they’re tasty but I’m not excited by the shortbread. Maybe you’re either a shortbread person, or you’re not… and I’m not. But we’ll see how they go down this week. I’m not putting them in the top ten.

I also made Chewy Triple Spice Sugar Cookies. They’re ok. Again, not in the top 10 and not my favourites but they’re not bad either…. They’re very round and pretty though so happy with them! They’re another Jesse S. recipe and he hasn’t disappointed yet- so fingers crossed! I’m already plotting next week’s batch so stay tuned!

Highs and Lows

June 15, 2025 ~ stephzuniga ~ Leave a comment

I’ll start with the bad news. I had my first (or maybe second) cookie fail this week. I tried to re-make the Cornflake-Marshmallow-Chocolate Chip cookies from a few weeks ago and they did not turn out- at all. They were too crunchy, too dry, too ick. Wrong wrong wrong. I should have known better.

I really should have known better. These were not bueno. Muy bad. A cookie disaster.

I decided to make them again because I had leftover cornflake crunch. What I didn’t realise is that I didn’t actually have enough leftover to make a whole second batch of cookies. Also, I tried to make them smaller– but didn’t adjust the cooking time. So, wound up with dry, hard and pretty below average cookies.

People still ate them, people still complimented them, but in my heart of hearts, I know they’re a fail. And I know it’s me, not the recipe. But oh well, they can’t all be winners! And sometimes the fails make you appreciate the wins!

And now for the HIGHS!

We’ve reached a new highpoint in our Cookie journey…

Y’all Jesse Szewczyak has entered the chat. I will admit to not knowing who he was 6 weeks ago, but I stumbled on one of his cookie recipes a few weeks ago and almost immediately I ordered his cookbook.

He has not disappointed. Last week I made his Bananas Foster Cookies and they were *chef’s kiss*. So Good! I know I say this every week, but they were seriously “the best cookies yet”. They’re at least top 5. And they’re straight out of his cookbook!

One Excellent Cookie!

So based on that, I decided to try two more cookies from his cookbook this week.

Initial opinions (mine especially!), I’ve picked two winners. Or at least one winner and one “pretty close to a winner.” We’ll see what the public says.

So the “pretty close to a winner” are Buttered Rum Sugar Cookies- very good, very solid. Very much aligned to my previous Boozy Cookie theme. Jesse actually has a whole chapter on Boozy Cookies in his book… no, I won’t be doing the Absinthe cookies.

The winning cookie though is – wait for it- Oatmeal Chocolate Covered Raisin Cookies. These are the PERFECT cookie, Oatmeal raisin isn’t my favourite HOWEVER these are basically Oatmeal Raisinet cookies. And Raisinets are my favourite all time candy. Like bring it back from the US with me but love it too much to eat it favourite candy. Raisinets are the best. Raisinets+cookies= perfection. I was super excited as soon as I saw the recipe. My only dilemna was whether to use my precious precious American raisinets or to buy subpar Aussie chocolate covered sultanas (not as good!) Of course, being slightly selfish I bought subpar Aussie ones– and then had to top them up with some American Raisinets. It was worth it! The cookies are amazing! 10/10- no notes!

A big shout to Jesse Szewczyak- his cookbook is 3 from 3 so far!

Goodbye Fall, Hello Winter.

June 1, 2025June 15, 2025 ~ stephzuniga ~ Leave a comment

Let’s just start with facts. I hate winter. I hate cold, I hate dark, I hate winter. And today is Day 1 of Winter.

But that’s ok. We’ll get through it together. Despite the house being cold, despite hating all of my winter clothes, despite the short days and the long nights.

Nevertheless, we persist. We bake on unti Spring comes.

I know it’s getting tiring saying this, but last week’s cookies might have been the BEST EVER. I only say it, because that’s the feedback I get… and once again, someone proclaimed that Christina Tosi’s Banana Cookies from her Milk Bar Life cookbook were THE BEST EVER. Now, they were very good. I’m not saying they weren’t. But they also weren’t MY favourite. If I’m being completely honest, I actually liked her Cornflake Chocolate Chip Marshnallow Cookies that I made this week (from her Momofuku Milk Bar Cookbook) even better. To each is own, I suppose, but it makes it REALLY hard to crown THE DEFINIITIVE BEST COOKIE EVER.

This week, I revisited Christina Tosi’s Chocolate Chip Cookies from Milk Bar Life. They’re favorites and crowd pleasers. I also tried the Double Mint Chocolate Chunk Cookies from Jesse Szewczyk’s Cookies: The New Classics. I’ve only gotten in-house feedback so far, but it’s been positive. I love chocolate mint so I actually don’t care what other people think. I think they’ll make me happy- and as we go into winter, we can all use a bit of happiness!