cookies

Goodbye Fall, Hello Winter.

~ 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!

The week I became Cookie Monster

~ stephzuniga ~ Leave a comment

Literally. I was Cookie Monster this week. I baked A LOT of cookies that I’d made before- Mexican Hot Chocolate and the Chipless Wonders. But the main headline is that I was actually Cookie Monster.

And trust me, it was a time.

Did I win the competition? Definitely not. Did I have a great time? I did indeed! Will I compete again? Possibly. As Cookie Monster? Probably not. But never say never.

I had the best time being slightly out of my comfort zone and performing with my Pole family at Pole Class. It’s hard to really put into words how much the pole community has meant to me. I’ve been poling for almost 20 years now (I’m not that good or strong- but we’ll leave that to the side for now). But it’s meant so much to have a supportive group of mostly women- but also of gays and theys, to surround myself with. And it’s meant a lot to see the same faces every week- for a lot of that time. Before I was married, before I was a Mom or a Mum, I was a pole dancer. It’s been one of the few constants since 2007! I mean, even my name has changed!

In fact, if not for pole, I would not be in my current cookie era. It was the Amsterdam cookies that kicked it all off and making people happy through baked goods is what keeps me doing it. I don’t DARE show up to pole sans cookies– I’m the Cookie lady!

So even though performing is at the very edge of my comfort zone, poling is definitely something I hope to do for another 20 years and baking is too!.

They’re called S’mores for a reason…

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And actually, I’m starting to sound like a broken record- but once again, this week, THESE cookies might just be the best ones ever! I’m not speaking based on my opinion but on the reactions of everyone who has tried them! I can honestly say that these S’mores Cookies from Cookies & Crumbs (again) have gotten some of the best reactions ever! I mean, I’ve been baking cookies for nearly a year now– and these have gotten some of the strongest reactions ever! I mean, the Mexican Hot Chocolate cookies are still right up there – but these are giving them a run for their money. And they’re pretty similar- dark chocolate cookies with marshmallows but the spice of the Mexican Hot Chocolate cookies just makes them a little bit better (IMHO!)

I also made Wine Enthusiast’s Red Wine Chocolate Chocolate Cookies. They were big, chocolate, pillowy- but not worth using 2 cups of wine in. I had an open bottle but I had to open ANOTHER bottle to have enough for the recipe. They were ok…. but not amazing. It did give me the idea for maybe Mulled Wine Cookies in the future which could be fun!

I have so many cookie options that are on the list to make – I’m not even sure what to choose for this week! I’m thinking of bringing cookies for my pole show on Sunday when I’m dressing up as– wait for it, Cookie Monster. How fitting!

Déjàvu all over again…

~ stephzuniga ~ Leave a comment

Well, here we are again. Clearly those photos were taken on Election morning when the future looked hopeful and optimistic- when change was in the air and anything seemed possible.

Personally, I’m still processing all the feelings I’m feeling. Disappointment, surprise, foreboding, grief, fear, impending doom.

It’s a familiar feeling- well, not familiar as in it happens all the time, but I remember it well from 2016. I didn’t write about it then- at the time I was 31 weeks pregnant and there was still a lot of hope. Hope for my unborn baby, hope that maybe it wouldn’t be “that bad”, hope.

Not to be bleak, but I don’t have the same hope this time. This time I just feel scared. We know the sequel is always worse than the original. We know we’re in for hard and dark days.

I’m processing my feelings- and baking through my grief and anxiety and fear.

Cookies help. Cooking helps. In fact, any activity that doesn’t involve doom scrolling helps.

What also helps? Denial. And that’s where I’ve landed with this week’s cookies. Denial and Kamala Harris’ cooking channel on YouTube….

Yes, that is right. Reason 10,952 that I’m bummed about the election- we could have had a President with their own Cooking Channel. Masala Dosa, Tuna Sandwiches, Bacon Fried Apples. All recipes from the Cooking with Kamala channel. Check out the video on Monster Cookies– which coincidentally are one of the cookies I baked this week.

I also baked Gwen Walz’s Ginger Snap Cookies from the website, Kamala’s Recipes.

Like I said, I’m baking in an alternate universe. One where we have a President who bakes AND believes in the rule of law AND healthcare for women AND isn’t a felon.

A girl can only dream…